Flora's Personal Challenge

[Flora]

#100 WooHoo! That feels like a milesone LOL

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

This is the second book in the Good Girls Guide to Murder series, and once again I could hardly put it down. This one did seem a bit darker than the first one because you can see how Pip was changed by the events in the first book. Secondly you see how miscarriages of justice occur in our court system and the effect that it has on the victims.

This fits the nerd daily prompt for a book with a red spine and thereby filling the 52 Books prompt for a book chosen based on its spine.

[Flora]

#101 The Bone Witch by Ivy Asher

I ran across this on a Facebook ad and since it was KU and sounded interesting, I gave it a shot. It wasn't a bad read, but I just about got whiplash from the relationship between Leni and Rogan.

[Flora]

#102 Magnus the Vast by Denali Day

This is the next to the last book in the Dokiri Bride series, and my least favorite so far. I didn't care for the FMC, I thought Magnus deserved better. She was cold and full of rage. I hate to see the series end, and I haven't found anything similar.

[Flora]

#103 Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

I chose this one for the Popsugar and Nerd Daily prompt for a BIPOC author.

I liked it but it felt much harder to read than the first one.

[Flora]

#104 Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut by Sarah Graves

I picked this one for the Popsugar prompt for a book with a recipe.

This is the third book in the Death by Chocolate series. I liked it ok. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a mystery, but I got bored with it and there were some things that I didn't understand about how it ended.

[Flora]

#105 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

This was one that I remember reading when I was a kid. I picked it for the 52 Books prompt for a book involving the art world.

I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, but being written in 1967, it was still before my time. Kids today wouldn't even understand some of the aspects of it like the automat and the prices of things, and lack of electronics.

[Flora]

#106 In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund

I loved the movie Clue, and I loved the board game when I was a kid, so when I ran across this I had to give it a shot. When I first started reading it, I didn't think I was going to like it. But by the end I did like it and plan on continuing the series. It wasn't awesomely great, but still a fun read.

[Flora]

#107 Gloam by Lily Mayne

This is the 4th book in this series. It isn't my favorite out of the ones that I have read, but it had a lot of important information related to the storyline, a lot of questions were answered. And the very last sentence makes me want to start the next book.

[Flora]

#108 The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

This is one of my all time favorites that I read usually at least once a year. I chose it for the last prompt in the Popsugar challenge: a book made into a movie or tv show. Amazon made the Rings of Power which is discussed in the last part of this book. But I really don't understand how they got the story for the Rings of Power from Tolkien's works because there is nothing I've ever read about Galadriel being the commander of the armies of Gilgalad. Nor is there anything about her losing her husband, Celeborn. After all, he is with her in the LOTR. She was a powerful queen, but I don't know where the rest of it came from.

[Flora]

#109 Hold by Claire Kent

This was a short read but I really enjoyed it. I hadn't read anything by this author before, but I will look into more of her work. It's a prison romance, which I haven't read before either, set in another galaxy. I think all the books in this series are standalones but take place in the same universe. If you are looking for a short and spicy read you should pick this one up.

[Flora]

#110 Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

I will say that this is one of the best books I have read so far this year. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. It would get all the stars. It is not a fast read by any means, but it is worth every second. This book will cause serious book hangover.

[Flora]

#111 The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

I have mixed feelings about this read. There was a lot I liked about it including the characters and the world building but the magic theory kind of went over my head a bit.

This would work for someone looking to fill a prompt for dark academia, someone leading a double life, a parallel universe, or about a secret.

[Flora]

#112 Dead Connection by Charlie Price

This is a YA or middle grade age book about a young man who is shy and lonely and lives in a sad homelife and finds comfort in the cemetery. He realizes he can communicate with the dead, is befriended by the caretaker's daughter, and his ability helps to solve a mystery. This was a fun read although some parts were sad. But once I started reading it, I had to finish. I wish there was more than just two in this series.

[Flora]

#113 Beyond Control by Kit Rocha

This is the second time around for this one. I loved this series the first time I read it, and I like it even more now.

[Flora]

#114 Highland Wolf Pact by Selena Kitt

I picked this because I was looking for something similar to the Dokiri Bride series. This had a lot of similarities but wasn't quite as good. I liked it, but it didn't quite measure up.

[Flora]

#115 Kian by Callie Rhodes

Oh My Word!! I want an alpha!!!

I was having problems finding a book that started with K when I found this. And what an experience it was. Its not a read that requires a lot of deep thinking but there sure was a lot of emotion. I must continue this series. I am definitely hooked.

[Flora]

I finished two books today.

#116 Withering-By-Sea by Judith Rossell

This is a middle grade age book, but I really enjoyed it. Stella lives with her spinster aunts that are not nice in the least and comes to discover there are some family secrets. I picked this for a Jane Austin inspired, even though it probably isn't truly, but the setting reminded me of Jane Austin books.

#117 Spiteful Creatures by A.K. Koonce

I wish that I had re-read the first two books in this trilogy because there was a lot that I had forgotten. I had a hard time remembering who was who and what all was going on.

It fit the 52 book prompt for a book read in November.

[Flora]

#118 Garnet's Story by Amy Ewing

This is a short story that is part of the Lone City series. I like reading the stories of the important side characters like Garnet. I would like to read those that are prequels to the series, but I don't think they are available.

[Flora]

#119 Taming of the Tabby by Kathi Daley

Love a good cozy mystery. I hadn't realized that there were crossovers from her other series. I shall have to check those out.

I'm seven books away from my goal. I should finish, hopefully I'll surpass my goal this year.

[Flora]

#120 The Weirdies by Michael Buckley

I found this free on Audible. This is a fun story for kids of any age.
I know there is one after this, but I hope the author releases many more.

[Flora]

#121 Upgrade by Blake Crouch

There are parts of this book that went way over my head. I got the general idea of the science that was going on, but the specifics were another matter. Overall, this was a very powerful book most especially the epilogue. If you don't read any other part of this book, I would recommend that you read the epilogue. In the debate about intelligence versus emotion and which is most important, Crouch makes the argument that emotion is the basis for our humanity.

"And if our species has a problem with apathy, and feeling compassion for the pain of others in real time, how can we expect ourselves to conjure compassion for a tragedy that hasn't even happened yet? The victims of Homo sapiens' demise haven't even been born. What emotional incentive do we have to make the sacrifices that will save future generations, if our brains aren't capable of caring about them sufficiently?"

"In the absence of compassion, selfishness is the most rational response of all."

[Flora]

#122 Nero by Sarah Brianne

This is a bully romance/enemies to lovers series. I'd actually give it 3.5 stars. In the beginning I liked Elle and didn't like Nero. Then I liked Nero and wanted to shake some sense into Elle. And then I'm like neither of them learned anything after all this (although that's not really true). Overall, I did like it. I read it on a recommendation from my daughter, and I will likely continue the series.