October 2019 First Book in a Series BOTM - Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo

[Alaina]

The mesmerizing adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.

[Jenn]

Chapter 5: (view spoiler)[ okay it took me a hot minute to understand what was going on and exactly who Alex worked for. I like the idea of the secret societies and occult activity. So Alex is important because she can see ghosts. But I really want to know what happened in her past and where the previous Dante went (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[ so Darlington is lost in a magic hole of sorts. I'm very interested in this bridegroom ghost. I had a feeling he didn't kill his finance but I want to know more. Also how are 4 houses connected to the murder of Tara? Things are starting to pick up (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Chapter 21: (view spoiler)[ holy crap so Alex killed all those people and she did nothing to save Darlington. She is one messed up girl. But her past is so sad. Also what is Lance? How can he just move in and out like that? Especially if he's supposed to be in jail (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

Reading now!

[Alaina]

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'M GONNA DIVE INTO THIS TOMORROW <3

[Felicia]

I was going to start this yesterday. Then I watched Bones. Now tonight I want to play Borderlands with my sister. So who knows when I'll actually get to this. Lol.

[Aly]

ch 5 (view spoiler)[ Okay, so Alex can see ghosts. She goes to Yale and is in a secret society that does something with ghosts maybe? And Daniel was her guide (the Dante) but he's gone now and we don't know what happened to him. The back and forth in time is confusing me a bit. (hide spoiler)] Someone read this and let me know if I'm understanding the plot lol

[Alaina]

Bahaha I’ll let you know tomorrow?

[Aly]

Thanks! Sometimes I think I space out and then I'm like, wait what happened?

[Alaina]

lmaooo that was me in the first girl child book.. all of a sudden wolves were in a scene and i'm like WTF HAPPENED?

[Aly]

ch 9 (view spoiler)[ So I think Darlington either died or got transported to another realm? He and Alex were together before and she obviously really misses him. Okay and the rape scene? How fucking terrible. I might be second hand traumatized (hide spoiler)] Also what are the houses? I don't understand ugh. Maybe I should read along with the audio.

[Alaina]

I can’t wait to be equally confused 😂

[Aly]

Alaina wrote: "I can’t wait to be equally confused 😂"

Me too! Then I'll know I'm not alone!

[Aly]

ch 16 (view spoiler)[ Okay so recap for myself. Darlington went through a portal into another realm. The bridegroom says he didn't kill his fiance and wants Alex to find who killed her. Her revenge on that Blake guy was gross but he deserved it, he's a rapist piece of shit. This is okay, but I'm not super loving it. (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

ch 24 (view spoiler)[ I am confused blah. Alex killed her boyfriend and those other people because her friend died and they wanted to cover it up, right? Tara figured out how to do portal magic and was possibly killed because of that. I still don't really understand what happened to Darlington. I hope he comes back though. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this one. It was really well researched but there weren't that many likable characters and it didn't really grip me until the last 25%. I want to know more about Darlington and how he's a demon now. I suspected Dean was shady for most of the book but there were just so many levels of deceit here. I really liked the ghost North and his story (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

@Aly I was confused for most of this book as well and I think that took me out of it for some parts. I liked the book but I didn't love it. I'm hoping now that the bones of the story are laid out, the second one might flow better...?

[Aly]

Finished (view spoiler)[ What I got out of this is that the bridegroom's fiance was killed by something possessing him and has since been killing girls with abilities like Alex's and taking their bodies to live forever? And Darlington is somehow a demon now and they want to go into the hell realm to see him? I don't know exactly what it is, but I struggle with Leigh's books. Maybe the second one will be better. (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

Jenn wrote: "@Aly I was confused for most of this book as well and I think that took me out of it for some parts. I liked the book but I didn't love it. I'm hoping now that the bones of the story are laid out, ..."

Yes agree! I still don't really understand the houses or what their purposes are, but oh well.

[Dr. Andy]

25% (view spoiler)[I totally forgot ghosts were involved. I wonder what’s up with this murder case. I like the secret society aspect and all this occult stuff. Also opening up with that weird autopsy ritual was intense. (hide spoiler)]

60% (view spoiler)[I’m really enjoying this story so far. I love how vindictive and manipulative Alex is. I like that she takes what she wants/needs with no guilt. I loved how she got that asshole back for what he’s done to Mercy and every other girl (hide spoiler)]

80% (view spoiler)[ holy shit. Now we finally know what Alex did. I keep wondering if she's the reason Darlington is also missing? I can't tell if she was or wasn't involved. I'm really hoping not. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ Damn that was intense!! I didn't think this murder investigation would get so convoluted!! I'm excited to see what Alex will do in the next book. I wonder how changed Darlington will be as a demon too (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Aly wrote: "ch 5 [spoilers removed] Someone read this and let me know if I'm understanding the plot lol"

(view spoiler)[ Alex can see ghosts yes. She came to Yale and was inducted into the Lethe society which is one of several Vale houses. They're all various secret organizations that do things around the school. Daniel or Darlington is her guide, his code name is Virgil. Alex is Dante. For the most part Lethe doesn't really do anything with ghosts though they know it exists. Alex is basically there as the cover up person. Any time something goes wrong, Lethe is called to wipe the slate clean. It's a nod to greek myth since the Lethe is a river in Hades that wipes all your memories. (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

Thank you Andrea!

[Dr. Andy]

I wish I had the actual book because at the end there was a little list about the houses and their specialties

[Aly]

Yeah it said it on audio, but it was too much to really understand

[Felicia]

Okay, I am definitely going to start this one tonight. Fingers crossed. Lol.

[Aly]

I'll try to start Professed also ;)

[Felicia]

Aly wrote: "I'll try to start Professed also ;)"

It was cute. I love forbidden romances. Lol.

[Aly]

Yes!

[Alaina]

..remember how I said I was going to start this a while ago.. yeah it's OFFICIAL now

[Alaina]

….before prologue: (view spoiler)[WAS THAT SPANISH? ITALIAN? GIBBERISH? DID I JUST GIVE UP MY IMAGINARY FIRST BORN CHILD? (hide spoiler)]

[Felicia]

Who knows if I'll actually start this one today twin. Lol. I really want to get BOTM points though. So, hopefully. Lol.

[Aly]

Alaina wrote: "….before prologue: [spoilers removed]"

LOL!

[Alaina]

Felicia wrote: "Who knows if I'll actually start this one today twin. Lol. I really want to get BOTM points though. So, hopefully. Lol."

you can do it whenever twinny - it's why I have it on audible lol

[Alaina]

well that and the beautiful book

[Alaina]

19%: (view spoiler)[this guy needs to calm down or get laid stat. Also who ever was singing that witch song in Spanish - you can have my imaginary baby. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Alaina wrote: "….before prologue: [spoilers removed]"

i think it was spanish

[Dr. Andy]

Also I went to target and took pictures of the house info so here it is:

Skull & Bones- Extispicy & splanchomancy. Divination using human and animal entrails.

Scroll & Key- Duru dweomer, portal magic. Astral and etheric projection.

Book & Snake- Nekyia or nekromateia, necromancy and bone conjuring.

Wolf's Head- Therianthopy

Manuscript- Mirror magic and glamours

Aurelian- Logomancy--word binding and divination through language

St. Elmo's- Tempestate Artium, elemental magic, storm calling

Berzelius- No teachings. Founded in the tradition of its namesake, Jons Jacob Berzelius, the Sweidsh chemist who created a new system of chemical notation that left the secrecy of alchemists in the past.

[Aly]

This is so helpful! Thank you

[Felicia]

I was trying to decide what I should do tonight while I listen to this. And I think I'm going to go through my books for the prize list! That's been waiting and waiting for me to do. Lol.

I always just end up watching tv though. -.-

[Alaina]

Felicia wrote: "I was trying to decide what I should do tonight while I listen to this. And I think I'm going to go through my books for the prize list! That's been waiting and waiting for me to do. Lol.

I always..."

omg please update it - you and andy

[Felicia]

I'm definitely going to be adding things. I don't have room. -.-

[Alaina]

38%: (view spoiler)[I'M SORRY BUT DID SHE JUST FUCKING DIE? (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

66%: (view spoiler)[I'm so confused. Am I supposed to cheer for all this murder or should I want Alex to be in jail or something? Either way she is bat shit crazy and a bad ass. Basically a Harley Quinn. (hide spoiler)]

[Damselflies]

Started

[Alaina]

100%: (view spoiler)[what the flying fuck kind of ending is that? I honestly didn't think half of what went down was going to go down. Still enjoyed this book even though I was thoroughly confused during some chapters. I would definitely love some answers in the next book and I'm slightly intrigued to see what's going to happen next - especially when it comes to a certain someone being a demon. (hide spoiler)]

[Felicia]

Definitely didn't start it. Lmao.

[Aly]

Haha, I didn't finish my book either. Blah

[Alaina]

You can do it guys!! I just don't know what audio I should listen to today:

[Felicia]

Hot man cover. Obviously.