Sydney Winward's Blog, page 4

Book Blitz: A Shiver of Shadows by Hunter J. Skye

Blurb

You’d think stopping Armageddon would buy a girl a bit of R&R with her freshly resurrected boyfriend. But things go south again when celebrity soul wrangler, Melisande Blythe, is abducted and dragged to Europe.

There’s more to the darkness hiding in the reclusive, mountaintop country of Andorra than just garden variety evil. There’s something dangerously wrong with her beautiful immortal hosts too.

Gifted with flesh again by the Grace of God, three-hundred-year-old former ghost, Colonel William Grayford, will move heaven and earth to find his beloved. But Europe’s most wicked monsters stand in his way. Something more painful than death awaits Mel, if Grayford can’t find her in time.

The world’s been living on fifteen thousand years of borrowed time and it’s just run out.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57622956-a-shiver-of-shadows
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uHlLrr
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-shiver-of-shadows-hunter-j-skye/1139146113?ean=2940162222224
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-shiver-of-shadows/id1561469161

Excerpt

“We won’t make it in time, so I need you to do exactly as I say.” She clutched me by the tops
of my arms then shoved me into a small convenience store that blazed white with artificial lighting.
She dragged me down a narrow aisle, past products with unfamiliar labels, toward a dead-faced
man in a turban. His mottled eyes followed us as the woman pushed past his small counter.

“Santuario,” she whispered to the man, and he nodded stoically. Then she turned to me.

“Don’t stop. Don’t look around. Just keep moving.”

“What?” I asked as her hand closed over mine once more, but we were already moving again.

We hurtled down a dark, slender hall to an ancient rat-chewed wooden door with symbols painted
on it in a dark, drooling liquid. Something about that viscous fluid made my skin crawl. The dingy
walls pressed close, and suddenly the hallway felt as though it was swallowing me whole.

“Wait.” My voice wavered. “Just wait a second.” Something big was on the other side of that
door. Something I wasn’t ready for. It peeled away my thoughts. It knew I was coming.

“This is a mistake.” Not a bad tattoo kind of mistake. This was the kind of mistake that would
burn through my being. It would hollow me out. I’d already rebuilt myself once. I couldn’t go
through that kind of stripping again. “Whatever’s in there…it isn’t for me to see.”

“Then close your eyes.” She yanked the door open and pulled me through.

AUTHOR BIO

Hunter J. Skye was born with a rare nightmare disorder, and was raised in a haunted late Victorian home. Those two factors predestined her to write ghost stories. With a Bachelor of the Fine Arts, Hunter first went into museology, but her love of the written word drew her back to the keyboard. She now writes full time and paints part-time.

Hunter’s debut novel, A Glimmer of Ghosts, won four RWA awards pre-publication. It is the first book in an urban fantasy/paranormal romance series set in coastal Virginia. Book two, A Shiver of Shadows, will release May 24 2021 from The Wild Rose Press.

Author links

https://www.facebook.com/hunterskyebooks/
https://twitter.com/hunterskyebooks
https://hunterskye.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hunterjskye/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19445718.Hunter_J_Skye

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Book Review: Of Snow and Scarlet by Katherine Macdonald

My Review

One word: GRANDMA. If you’re expecting a frail granny who is helpless and gets eaten by a wolf, you’re not going to get it here. Instead, you’re going to find someone more than capable of taking care of herself, and she will even surprise you at times.

Like Grandma, all the characters are awesome. Finn was the sweetest boy wolf. I loved Andie’s determination and peculiar talents with herbs. The chemistry between Finn and Andie was sizzling hot right off the bat. The two of them made such an adorable pair and worked incredibly well together.

Katherine Macdonald has a talent for including witty and hilarious banter between her characters (isn’t that why we love her books? ;)) and you won’t want to miss the teasing banter between Finn and Andie in Of Snow and Scarlet!

This latest installment in the author’s fairy tale series is a great addition and well worth the read!

My rating: 5 stars

Interested in reading Of SNow and Scarlet? You can download an ARC copy here!Blurb

An outcast with a proclivity for poisons, Andesine De Winter longs for a life outside her closed-minded village. But she’s drawn to the surrounding forests of Thornwood, and the mysterious white wolf that saved her life as a child.

When the wolf reveals himself as the shape-changing Finn, an omega hiding from his former pack, Andesine finds herself in the middle of a conflict that threatens everything she holds dear—her dreams, her family, and the boy she’s given her heart to.

There is more than one way to lose yourself, and more than one kind of wolf in the woods…

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Book Review of The Moonfire Bride by Sylvia Mercedes

My Review

A year and a day. That’s how long Valera must stay with the fae man who has stolen her away to be his bride. But if she can’t see him and she doesn’t know if she can trust him, will she be able to keep herself from finding a way to see his face?

The Moonfire Bride was everything I hoped it would be and more. I loved the story and the style of writing. I especially enjoyed every scene Erolas and Valera had together. I couldn’t help but wonder… Who was this mysterious fae man and what curse was he under?

The story was perfectly paced, perfectly spun, and the ending left me eager to start reading the second in the series.

My rating: 5 stars

Favorite Quote

“The passion of a true creator, now that is a sight worth seeing! The passion radiating from your spirit, bright as the quinsatra itself, surrounds you like a halo. An aura of pure power. It is… You are…dazzling.”

Blurb

Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Cruel Prince, this tale of a human girl stolen to be the bride of a doomed fae lord is irresistibly romantic!

Hers is a life without magic or romance. Until the night he whispers her name.

For years, Valera has worked weary hours as a seamstress just to keep food on the table. She would give her all to protect her little sister from the cruelties of the world . . . and the tantalizing lure of the fae forest. One day, she fears, the fae will spirit her sister away, and how can Valera hope to stop them?

Then the fae come. Not for her sister . . . but for her.

Trapped in a magnificent palace far from her own world, Valera finds herself the unwilling bride of an enigmatic fae lord. He claims he won’t harm her and vows to return her home after a year and a day if she honors one rule: she must never see his face.

Determined to return to her sister at all costs, Valera struggles to unravel the mystery of her so-called husband. Why does he so desperately need a wife? And why her specifically? Torn between love, duty, and the unexpected freedom she finds in this strange new world, Valera must fight to find her place.

But will a burgeoning passion for the unseen figure in the shadows be her undoing?

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Blood at Dusk by Brenna Harlow Book Tour

Will she forgive him of his sins, or fight their bond until her last dying breath?

Kora was left alone when the world crumbled, and the bloodsucking monsters invaded.

The vampires killed her family, her friends; everyone she had ever loved.

She waited for the moment they would enter her hideaway and snuff out her miserable existence for good. They never came though, and the revelation that she would be alone was too much… until she saw him.

Aldeon finds himself in a world that isn’t his own.

A place filled with so much of the crimson liquid that keeps his species sane, that even he cannot resist feeding.

Dhampirs have been ravenous for eons, delving into madness as their minds grew weak with hunger. But now he is full again, left to await the time when the others return to their senses and join him.

A single scent dissipates all of his newfound revelations, and suddenly the tantalizing aroma is all that he can think about.

Everything changes when he gazes into the terrified eyes of a human woman, and another instinct takes hold.
Protect. Serve. Mate.

“Adult fans of Twilight and Darklight by Bella Forrest will love this new Vampire Paranormal Romance.”

Content Warning: This book does contain mature themes, such as but not limited to; sexual content, suicide and suicidal ideations, violence, and strong language. Not suitable for ages under 18+.

Goodreads * Amazon

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56789642-blood-at-dusk

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R2PL1C9/

Brenna Harlow (if that’s even her real name) lives happily in her own fantasy land, drinking way too much coffee and reading an endless amount of smutty paranormal romance. She joined the land of the living only to share her love for the creatures of the night, and henceforth has claimed her throne at the Kingdom of Vampires and Fated Mates.

You can find Brenna in any coffee shop that provides free Wi-Fi, drinking her triple shot espresso and stabbing her keyboard to death.

Facebook * FB Group * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Author Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brennaharlowbooks

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/brennasbookdungeon

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrennaHarlow

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brennaharlowbooks

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brenna-harlow

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brenna-Harlow/e/B08R2VWW23

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21108871.Brenna_Harlow

Paperback of Blood at Dusk + Swag Pack, $15 Amazon giftcard – 1  winner each

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/blood-at-dusk-book-tour-and-giveaway

Book Review of Shatter the Dark by Jenna Collett

My Review

The tale of Hansel and Gretel has never been one of my favorites, but in Shatter the Dark, Jenna Collett managed to create something unique, entertaining, and above all, romantic. I ADORED this mashup of Hansel and Gretel and Beauty and the Beast. Both Liana and Bowen are such a great match, each a little bloodthirsty in their own ways and out for revenge. Despite their dark pasts, they bring out the best in each other and I loved seeing how each character transformed into something strong at the other’s side.

Once again, Jenna Collett has weaved an incredible fairy tale retelling, one that brings back other characters in the series while maintaining that fun, humorous tone I like so much. This book is definitely worth a read for those who love fairy tales, humor, and unique retellings.

My rating: 5 stars

Favorite Quote

Gavin squeezed his eyes shut and thrust his hands through his hair. “This is all my fault. She could be anywhere.” His eyes burst open. “She could be in a ditch!”

My insides clenched. “She’s not in a ditch. No one is ever in a ditch,” I said between clenched teeth, more to convince myself than anything else.

Gavin shook his head, guilt raging over his features. “It must have happened at least once for people to always mention it. It’ll be dark soon, cold. There are, like, fifty ditches between here and town.”

“Then pick one, and I’ll put you in it for causing this whole mess.”

Blurb

Liana Archer knows the kind of evil that lurks in the dark. Kidnapped by a witch and forced to leave behind her twin brother to escape, she vows to live her life with purpose even as the past haunts her nightmares. Years later, her adoptive family and her skills in weapon forgery have put her on a fresh path, until her father is thrown in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, she’ll do anything to gain his freedom, even if it means bargaining with a beast.

A scarred and broken man, Bowen Mackenzie only wants one thing: revenge on the man responsible for his scars. It’s finally within his reach when a merchant delivers the mystical blade he’s been searching for. But a new plan forms when he learns the merchant’s daughter forged the magical weapon.

Living together in a remote manor by the sea, Bowen gets more than he bargained for as the tempting beauty upends his cold existence. When buried secrets threaten to destroy their fragile bond, and an old enemy from Liana’s past returns, he must choose between his revenge and the woman who could be his salvation.

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Book Review of Pestilence by Laura Thalassa

My Review

He was Pestilence and Pestilence was who he was. He was his purpose.

Sara Burns gets the bad draw and has to stay behind to make an attempt to kill Pestilence, the warrior on horseback infecting people with an incurable plague. But how are you supposed to defeat a man who cannot die?

Although I wasn’t a fan of the vast quantity of profanity, I still loved this book. The story was fascinating. I really enjoyed the morally gray areas the author touched on in. Both Sara and Pestilence grew quite a bit as characters and the interactions between them were enjoyable.

This was a great read that swept me into the story, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down. Definitely looking forward to reading War next.

My rating: 5 stars

Favorite Quote

“Amongst my growing list of flaws is cowardice,” Pestilence says in the darkness. “I come to you now like a thief in the night, for I fear you’ll never listen to me under the light of day,” his voice is whisper soft, “and I must confess all the things in my heart.”

Blurb

They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn’s town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.

Too bad no one told her Pestilence can’t be killed.

Now the horseman, very much alive and very pissed off, has taken her prisoner, and he’s eager to make her suffer. Only, the longer she’s with him, the more uncertain she is about his true feelings towards her … and hers towards him.

And now, well, Sara might still be able to save the world, but in order to do so, she’ll have to sacrifice her heart in the process.

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Review for A Quilter for Quint by Linda Carroll-Bradd

My Review

After losing his wife to illness, Quinton never wanted to marry again. However, a pretty face, sweet spirit, and loveable woman might change his mind.

A Quilter for Quint is such a sweet story about moving on after loss and learning to love again. I really enjoyed reading about the characters’ lives and getting immersed in the world for this series. I’d like to venture out and check out other books in this series as well.

My rating: 4.5 stars

Blurb

Daydreamer Melisande Avenelle wishes all the social engagements her mother insists on would just disappear so she can focus on her quilt making. Where some artists see images in dabs of paints, Melisande imagines landscapes made from the fabric of the dresses worn at a tea party. After her refusal of the third man put forth by famed matchmaker Madame Treszka, she’s informed she must choose from three groom candidates arranged by her mother. Thinking Texas can’t be as bad as Newport, Rhode Island, for social engagements, Melisande pens her response and boards a westbound train.

Widower Quinton Aznar has a six-year-old son who wants a mama. Since his late wife’s passing four years ago, Quint divides his days between breaking horses for the Army and parenting his son with no time for courting. His mother manages the household and tends to her youngest grandchild, although she would love to move to Galveston to live with her sister. The telegram announcing the arrival of his mail-order bride—a woman his mother corresponded with—on the next stagecoach is a shock. Quint drives the wagon into town, intending to pay for her return ticket. The beautiful, but disheveled, woman who disembarks the stage is too dazed to trust traveling on her own. What has his mother arranged for his life?

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Book Blitz: Challenging Destiny by Cherie Colyer

Synopsis:

Logan Ragsdale and his younger sister, Ariana, have been marked, chosen to be unwilling participants in a war between angels and demons.

Logan can sense something’s not quite right. Like an unexpected chill on a summer’s day, he can feel the unseen closing in. He’s had these feelings before and, each time, someone close to him died. He’s afraid this time it might just be Ariana.

Logan’s fears are soon confirmed when he discovers their new friends aren’t human, but rather representatives from Heaven and Hell sent to Earth to ensure he and Ariana accept their roles in an ancient prophecy. Demons want Logan to open the gates of Hell. Ariana has the power to stop them, but if she chooses to side with Heaven to spare the lives of thousands of innocent people, she’ll damn her brother for eternity.

Together, they must derail the biblical event if they hope to save themselves and the future of mankind…but what price are they willing to pay to keep the other safe?

Being Chosen is a terrible thing when there’s no one you can trust. ON SALE for 99 cents from April 19-23rd!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21457758-challenging-destiny

Buy Links :

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Challenging-Destiny-Cherie-Colyer-ebook/dp/B00J9Q3YOK/

Barnes&Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/challenging-destiny-cherie-colyer/1119937363

Apple:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/challenging-destiny/id896791403

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id = 5OH8AwAAQBAJ

Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/challenging-destiny-2

About the author:

Cherie Colyer is best known for her young adult, paranormal romance thrillers, including the Embrace series (featuring witchcraft) and Challenging Destiny (a story about outsmarting heaven and hell.) She usually has several book projects in the works. She enjoys helping budding writers improve their craft and learn more about the publishing industry. Cherie lives in Illinois with her family. She happily visits schools and libraries and is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators).

Author Links:

Website: https://cheriecolyer.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cherie-Colyer-author-250631921629169   
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CherieColyer
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cherie_colyer/  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5288487.Cherie_Colyer  
Bookbub author page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cherie-colyer   
Bookbub for the book: https://www.bookbub.com/books/challenging-destiny-by-cherie-colyer

Guest Author Patricia McAlexander

Despite warnings, should she take a chance on him?What first got you interested in the thriller genre?

I first became interested in the thriller genre as a teenager when I read the 1957 Floods of Fear by John and Ward Hawkins serialized in The Saturday Evening Post. Mixing thrill and romance, it inspired me to write a short story at the time, and that story, much changed and expanded, became, many decades later, my first Wild Rose novel, Stranger in the Storm. 

Are there any authors you look up to? Are there any authors who have inspired you to write?

I’ve been reading all my life, and I look up to many authors. Most recently I’ve read and admired Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose, Wendall Berry’s Jayber Crowe, and Madeline Miller’s Circe. As far as specific authors who inspired me to write, Jane Austen influenced my love for romance, and the novel I mentioned earlier, Floods of Fear inspired my love of thrillers. What directly inspired Shadows of Doubt was my own early version of this novel, written in the 1980s when I’d taken a year off from teaching. I meant it to be a YA and so the main characters were in high school. But I went back to teaching, and not until I retired did I pull out the old, yellowed, literally cut-and-pasted-on typescript. I re-read it and thought it had possibilities. I rewrote the novel, making the main characters college students and adding the drug dealer elements for stronger drama. 

Are there any themes in your latest novel?

A major theme of Shadows of Doubt is the difference between an individual’s perception and reality, which is also a theme of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Emma. In Shadows, Sandy Harris’s widowed mother wants her daughter to marry Bill, whom both have known since his childhood; he’s the son of the mother’s best friend and Mrs. Harris thinks he’d be perfect to replace her deceased husband as the man of the family. She distrusts this new stranger, Jeff, whom Sandy is so suddenly taken with. Without giving the plot too much away, I’ll say the novel shows how a both a mother and daughter can perceive someone’s character in a way that is totally different from the actuality. 

What does your writing space look like?

It’s a small room that was once a large bathroom off our screened porch. It provides a space for yoga, a lamp and comfortable chair for reading, filing cabinets, a bookcase, and of course a desk for my computer and printer. Piles of notes and papers fill many empty spaces. It has two windows where I can look out into our yard. 

What’s more important to you as you write your books?

Strong characters, mind-blowing plot-twists, or an epic setting? All those elements important and interrelated, but if I have to choose, I’ll say strong, vividly imagined characters. My characters are inspired by a combination of movies and novels, pictures in magazines, and perhaps most of all, people I have known. For Shadows, I found a photo of a friend from long ago and thought, Wow, he looks handsome. That’s how I’ll make Jeff look! 

What’s the next project on the horizon?

I am working on drafts of two novels. One is historical fiction based on my ancestors who immigrated from Baden to New York in 1850. The other is another thriller-romance, this one about a young writing teacher and her class of adult students, one of whom is, of course, a very attractive young man.Do you have any advice for writers just starting out? Three suggestions: 1) Read some good books on writing. My favorite is James Scott Bell’s Revision and Self-Editing. He provides great advice about how to work in the backstory and how to keep the reader engaged with tension and drama. 2) Let reader-writer friends read your manuscript and ask for honest comments. 3) Attend writers’ conferences. The talks and panels give valuable information, you can find helpful contacts, and if you have a draft ready, sign up for a critique from or pitch to a professional. It’s worth the investment.

BLURB

Former grade school bully and, later, amateur drug dealer Jeff Hudson turns his life around and is pursuing a degree in agriculture. His future, as well as a budding relationship with fellow student Sandy Harris, is threatened when a former dealer threatens to expose Jeff’s past to university authorities if he doesn’t rejoin the ring. 

Realizing that Jeff is no longer an angry, misunderstood boy, Sandy must take a stand against her family and friends who swear he is no good and will only cause her unhappiness. Together, can they escape the past in order to forge a future?

EXCERPT

“Sandy—I need to tell you something about him.”

“I don’t want to hear it. You’d better take me home.” 

Bill abruptly turned around in a parking lot he was passing and headed back toward her house. His expression was grim, almost angry. “I’d be better for you, Sandy. Your mother thinks so, too.” 

Anger replaced her anxiety. “How do you know what my mother thinks? I hope you and she didn’t discuss this!”

“Just a little, last night before you came downstairs. She didn’t say much, but I could tell how she felt.” He pulled up in front of her house. “We both worry about you with Jeff. It’s not just that we think this won’t last…” 

“Why else should you worry?”

Bill hesitated. “For one thing, he has a temper. He may physically hurt you. Remember how he was even as a kid.” 

Her anger notched up higher. He was sounding just like her mother, expressing unfounded, outdated fears. “It was years ago that he got in those fights. He’s not like that now. I’m sorry, Bill, but I think it would be better if you and I don’t see each other for a while.” She got out of the car and slammed the door. 

Bill started to pull away, then stopped, lowered the window, and called out to her. “Just remember, if you ever need me, I’ll be here.” 

ABOUT THE AUTHORPat–latest publicity headshot

Patricia McAlexander earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of New York at Albany, a master’s from Columbia University, and a doctorate from The University of Wisconsin, Madison, all in English. After moving with her husband to Athens, Georgia, she taught composition and literature at The University of Georgia. Now retired, she has edited local newsletters and enjoys hiking, travel, and photography. But most of all she enjoys writing novels. Her thriller-romance “Stranger in the Storm” was released by Wild Rose in June 2020. 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: https://patriciamcalexander.weebly.com  

Email: mcalexanderpatricia@gmail.com.

BUY LINKS

Amazon kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Doubt-Patricia-McAlexander-ebook/dp/B08XTN863F/ref

Amazon: paperback: 

https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Doubt-Patricia-McAlexander/dp/1509235426/ref

Nook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-doubt-patricia-mcalexander/

Barnes and Noble paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-doubt-patricia-mcalexander/1138919956

ibooks

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781509235438 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Facebook: http://facebook.com/patriciamcalexanderwriter/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/PatMcAlexWriter 

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/patriciamcalexander/

Book Review of The Scarred Mage of Roseward: Wraith by Sylvia Mercedes

My Review

In Wraith, Sylvia Mercedes masterfully wraps up the conclusion of The Scarred Mage of Roseward series. The author throws new twists and turns, both surprising and delighting the reader. The book comes to an interesting but hopeful end for the characters we have come to love and adore.

I think my only disappointment with this book was the chemistry I had hoped would blossom between the characters. I think Nelle had more chemistry with Kyriakos, and even Sam, than she had with Soran. And by the end, Soran had more chemistry with his own creation than he did with Nelle.

Overall, I really enjoyed the series and I’m looking forward to discovering other books by Sylvia Mercedes.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Favorite Quote

Soran bowed his head. Why fight her? She’d already won the battle, pushing her way through all of his powerful defenses. If she wished to, he would let her tear him apart.

Blurb

Refocused and determined, Nelle plans to snatch the spellbook and escape Roseward Isle once and for all. But when a powerful magic storm blows in—bringing with it a small castaway of mysterious origins—Nelle and Soran are obliged to lie low inside the lighthouse until it passes.

Trapped in close quarters, they cannot hide from their deepening attraction.

But fate is against them. Soran knows the nightmare he created will not remain bound much longer. He must convince Nelle to leave him, to escape Roseward before she becomes the Thorn Maiden’s newest victim. And Nelle sees the moment fast approaching when she will betray Soran. He will never forgive her, but how can she do otherwise? Papa’s life depends on her mission’s fulfillment.

Will two lost souls find their way through the tangled briar of lies and mistrust? Or will shadowy thorns tear them apart . . . forever?

Amazon ~ Goodreads