Happy Tuesday!

 Happy Tuesday! 

I’ve was lucky enough to receive the very talented Rebecca Kenney’s upcoming release!

It’s been ages since I’ve read the Great Gatsby. So of course I need to read the book before diving into Beautiful Villain. I also plan to watch the move again for like the 10th time because I feel like it’s a must. 

Beautiful Villain by Rebecca Kenney

Releasing July 16th 2024 so be sure to re-order your copy I know it’s going to be amazing all of her books are. 

Preorder you copy https://tinyurl.com/mrxytdwv

Add to your TBR https://tinyurl.com/4tnkhz73

It’s a dark & Spicy Modern Jay Gatsby story. 

Synopsis 

Seven years ago, I lost him for good. Now he's back, but is he still the Jay Gatsby I used to know…or is he something more? Something…darker.

Daisy Finnegan is looking forward to the endless golden freedom of summer. No more college, no more pressure, no more worries. But when her cousin goes missing at an exclusive house party, Daisy is all too ready to confront the mysterious host…only to discover the wealthy recluse is Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart―now sinfully hot and impossible to deny.

She could never resist him, and it isn't long before she's entangled in a web of wealth and lies and obsession, culminating in a shocking act of violence that shatters the summer haze and threatens to drown them all.

But it isn't until Gatsby is shot through the heart―and survives―that Daisy discovers the truth of how he clawed his way up in the world: by selling the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Now with her friends' lives at stake, her own dizzying new powers still volatile, and an unimaginable threat closing in, Daisy will have to face an impossible choice: Side with the man who claimed her body and soul? Or with the monsters who would see him lost to her forever?

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Great Gatsby with a magical twist.

Happy Friday!

 

I ordered from Rebecca F Kenney's etsy store and my new books arrived with some beautiful artwork. I haven't read them yet but I'm excited to. Highly recommend checking out her shop lots of great deals. 

 https://tinyurl.com/2s3z9z54

I'm currently starting Fated Under The Moon by Abby McCarthy it fits my scavenger hunt challenge this week. 

What are you reading? 

Happy Thursday!!!

I'm currently in my Hockey Era this week it appears. My scavenger hunt for the week was sports romance but I've not left the hockey world. I'm hoping to get a few more in before the end of the week. 

So far this week I've read: 

Icebreaker by Hanna Grace 

That One Night by Emily Rath 

Pucking Ever After by Emily Rath 

Pucking Around by Emily Rath

I may be slightly obsessed with Emily Rath's writing style and storytelling. I've been devouring the Jacksonville Rays series. I borrowed them on KU but ended up ordering them so I have the copies for my shelves. 

Currently reading 

The Game of Hearts by Courtney Millecam which releases tomorrow. I'm afraid to admit that I'm a little behind. Plus side I'll be done today and have my review posted for tomorrow. I'm loving it so far. 

(Amazon)(Goodreads) 

Win the game, change your fate. Lose the game, lose your life.

When Alice Liddell runs away on the night of her engagement party and stumbles into a shadowy pub on a forgotten street, she thinks her life is ruined. Her parents are furious, her reputation is destroyed, and her fall from society will be printed in all of London’s gossip columns. Then a mysterious stranger gives her an unexpected solution to all of her problems: A yearly game inviting mortals into the land of Faerie to play the queen’s infamous Game of Hearts. To win is to gain a wish of your heart but to lose means sacrificing your freedom.

Alice quickly realizes the game is far more intricate and deadly than she was led to believe and teams up with the rebellious and irreverent cat-shifter Ches. Together they must outwit the other players by solving the obscure riddles given as clues and get out of the queen’s enchanted hedge maze unscathed. It also means staying far away from Maddox, the queen’s champion player and Alice’s fiercest competition. He’s determined to win at all costs, but Alice suspects his motives may not be his own.

The deeper Alice goes inside the world of cunning fae, bloodthirsty beasts, and vengeful queens, the more she fears that winning means betraying those closest to her. And in this Game of Hearts, Alice needs to guard hers.

This 1920's Alice in Wonderland reimagining is the second book in the Otherworlds Trilogy and is perfect for fans of fairytale retellings with dark twists, atmospheric settings, and slow burn romance that's swoony, not spicy.

What are you reading today? 

Currently..

I'm currently reading several books as my TBR is out of control. 

I'm currently working on Historical Romance for my scavenger hunt game on Goodreads. 

I'm reading today several today for my challenge. I picked a bunch of quick ones. 

Grace by Beverley Watts has been on my kindle for far to long and is perfect for this challenge.  It's been lost on my kindle and it was published in 2020 so perfect to share as My Dusty Bookshelf and Throwback Thursday! 

I'm starting a new Tunisian crochet project today making a kindle cover. 

I'm listening to the first in the Dustwalker Bridges series a Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne. I'm hooked on this series it's my current audiobook. I wish the others are narrated by the same duo and may have to wait for them to come out before I listen to the next ones. 

What are you currently reading? 

 

Currently

 

What's currently going on with me. 

I've been super active over on instagram but this week I faced a awful blow they can't seem to figure out why my account keeps getting a ban. Now my engagement is almost non existent which is heartbreaking. I'm kind of a bit of a vacation I guess till my account seems to work it's way out. Some days I can post others I can't. No one has any idea why my account is being wonky. So I'm going to embrace other forms for social media. 

 

It's been ages since I've had a update on my blog. Time to find my love of blogging again. 

This is me it's been a long time first of the year my first book of 2024 which I loved. I've since refreshed my hair color so it's now vibrant pink and teal. 

So I guess my first question is anyone even here anymore? 

I'm looking to post daily. my current foodie, projects, adventures, books that I'm reading and devouring and just my stuff I love. I would love to know that I'm not talking to myself but I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you'll join along for the ride. 

I'm still going to be posting on social media but I'm going to embrace my blog. It's been years since I was here and loved it like I used to. Can you believe this is the 12th year for the reading diaries?? Crazy. 

Anyway if you made it through my ted talk. I'll take lots of pictures for tomorrow. Lots of bookish, foodie, random stuff to come. 

Be sure to stop by 

ReadingDiaries on Insta (here) 

TartBarbie on Insta (here) New account so I would love you to help me grow. 

Tartbarbie on Tiktok (Here) 

Facebook (here)

 

Currently Reading

 Happy Friday!

I just finished this one while drinking my coffee this morning. I love a good Krampus story and this one was delightful! The characters are great and the story is just the right balance of steamy and sweet. 

Once Upon a Krampus by KD Fraser (Amazon) I have her next book up for review which is the next in the series. Frosted Nightmares 

 I'm working on my review pile this weekend. Lots of upcoming releases. Plus I have a bunch of Libby loaned out Manga that I need to read.

What are you reading this weekend? 

Currently Reading

Happy Thursday! 

I’m diving into one of my most anticipated books of December. 

Filth by the lovely Torri Heat

Expected Publication December 21st 2023

Dark Romance Standalone Novella

Pre-order your copy https://tinyurl.com/424j6h7c

Add to your TBR https://tinyurl.com/598xaz53

Synopsis

Alora has a dirty soul.

Ever since she was a child, she knew something was wrong with her. Off. Twisted. And as she got older, her sins grew bigger.

Enter Alexander. Polished. Older. Put together, and respected. When Alora meets him at her art show, she's instantly attracted to the charismatic gentleman. But no one can be that perfect, can they?

Desperate to find something wrong with her newest obsession, Alora turns to her dark side. Stalking Alexander's every move might not make sense to the average person, but Alora has never been average. And if she can just find one thing wrong with Alexander, she can move on with her life.

Or so she tells herself.

But Alexander is keeping secrets of his own. As the two's twisted relationship deepens, they discover things about each other that would've been better off buried.

That is...if anything actually is what it seems.

Filth is a dark romance standalone novella.

Please see www.torriheat.com for a complete list of triggers.

Currently Reading

 Happy Sunday! 

It’s been a productive morning and sitting down to read the next installment in The Highlands Series by the very talented Samantha Young. I loved the first one and I’m so excited for North and Aria’s story. 

Among The Heathers 

Expected Publication December 5th 2023

Contemporary Romance 

Pre-order your copy today https://tinyurl.com/ypm5y626

Add to your TBR https://tinyurl.com/yw2arz3d

Synopsis

He’s a disgraced actor. She’s the daughter of Hollywood royalty. Both are hiding in the Scottish Highlands, but despite their antagonistic attraction, they can’t seem to hide from each other…

North Hunter has worked hard to step out of the shadows of his orphaned upbringing into the limelight of Hollywood. He never imagined a dark moment from his childhood returning to destroy everything he’d built. Devastated, he finds comfort in the isolation of an exclusive members-only club in the Scottish Highlands, even if the club comes with a prickly estate manager who sets his blood on fire.

As the eldest daughter of a Hollywood legend, Aria Howard has learned the hard way that people will use her to get to her father. When her last relationship ended badly, Aria fled to Scotland. Running Ardnoch Estate provides distance from a life that has never fit comfortably. But when defamed Scottish actor North Hunter disrupts her sanctuary, Aria is on the defense. The cocky actor is the last thing she needs, and despite their searing attraction, Aria is determined to dislike him.

But one night of drunken forced proximity with North leads Aria to share insecurities seeded by her horrible ex. When North offers to prove her ex wrong by taking Aria to his bed for a no-strings distraction, they begin an affair neither expected. However, their fiery liaison leads to a deep emotional connection that unsettles them both, and North will have to break down more than Aria’s trust issues if they’re ever to have a future together. He’ll need to protect her from a past that just doesn’t want to stay buried… or lose something far more essential to his existence than his career.

QOTD: What Are you currently reading this weekend?  

Currently Reading...

Iron Flame & Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

I loved Fourth Wing devoured it with my bestie we did a buddy read and it was amazing. One of my favorite reads of 2023. I was super lucky to pick up a stenciled copy before it blew up on Booktok. 

When I read about the new potential Red Tower Book I pre-ordered because I didn't want to miss out. Bonus it's a stunning Fourth Wing Edition. I also snagged a sprayed edge of Iron Flame that I pre-ordered back in June. Thankfully mine are as expected but so many have received bad copies and damaged copies which is what I was scared of. 

We are buddy reading Iron Flame together working around her school schedule is a little more difficult but we got this. I'm just a little bit obsessed with the whole dragon rider concept. It sings to my heart, since I was a teenager reading Anne McCaffery. Those may be next on my list. 

Iron Flame

Synopsis 

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

Have you started this series? Are you going to? 

Currently.......

I started this post with the plan to do it as a random post. Some months you might see it weekly others maybe once is all. The plan was to share what I've been up to recently. I'm hoping to start doing this more and more over the next few months 

I've been having reading and blogging burnout this year. I actually haven't read a single book and we are almost 5 months into 2019. I've started a bunch but they aren't capturing my attention as I had hoped. I've also felt like with my lack of reading that blogging has been a chore. So I'm going to work on turning blogging and reading into something I enjoy again. I feel like this is just the post to do it so for a while you might be seeing it a lot. 

Blogging - 

I've been having a little blog burn out recently, and I think a big part of it is that I haven't been reading as much as normal. I just haven't found anything to capture my attention and part of it is that I've been in a bit of a funk. I'm thinking of sharing more than just bookish posts. While I love books I think it would be fun to discuss some of my other loves. However, my main focus will still be my love of books. 

Music -
I've had this song stuck in my head for the last few days. I tend to listen to music most of the time as without it the house is to quiet. I tend to overthink when I have quiet. I'm kind of addicted to all of Fame on Fire's music. I love the covers as much as the originals but this one has been stuck in my head for days. 


Reading -
I'm currently reading Faking it with the Billionaire by Chelsea Greene. I've always been a fan of Billionaire romance. One of my goals for 2019 was to read more billionaire romance and try new authors. This is my first book by the author and I'm enjoying it so far. 

I'm not currently reading a manga which is shocking but I need to pick a new one and start working my way through a new series. I'm browsing them right after I finish blogging this am. 

I'm thinking of starting Monstress by Majorie M. Liu. I've got the first one on my tablet but I haven't started it yet. I like the concept it sounds interesting. 

Synopsis 

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers. Collects MONSTRESS #1-6 

Journaling -
 The last few years I've been really into bullet journaling but recently it's become more of a chore. Finding free time to get it set up so that I can use it to the full potential has been harder recently. I've done it a few times but not used it as much as I would have liked. I've got a few new journals that I plan to start using more of. I'm starting a list journal which is all lists. Books I want to read, books on my wishlist, watchlist, random thoughts list, and the list goes on. I hope to share some of them next time. 

Crafting - 
Nope, not been doing much crafting recently either. I've been in a blah funk recently. I do plan to change that I have a list of crafty project's that I want to do over the next few weeks. 

Watching - 

I just finished watching the whole series of Black Sails with my bestie. I like him pick our show to binge watch and it's what he picked. Not a huge fan of pirate shows, to be honest, and Starz tends to be a little darker but overall it was good. I enjoyed watching it. 

I just started watching Attack on Titan from the beginning again this am. I didn't sleep well and felt like a little dark anime was just what I needed this am. I've read almost all of the mangas so I should be current through at least the three seasons which are on Hulu. My best is the one who introduced this to me when we had to read the subtitles before it was dubbed. So it's been a long time since I've watched it.  

Foodie - 
I've got sourdough starter on the counter and a loaf of sourdough to bake over the next day or two. I'm just putting it off as the weather has been really warm the last few days. I kind of don't want to heat up the house if we are going to be headed for triple digits. I'm going to start picking out new recipes I want to try and sharing them here. I've got a whole bunch of boards on Pinterest full of recipes I've wanted to try but never got around to them yet. 
This is the next one I want to try.  

Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce 

What have you been up to? 

Currently....

I've seen a few posts from other bloggers that have done a Currently post about what is going on in their lives. I've been on the fence for a while but I've been thinking about it for several months and think it might be fun to join in. I wish I could remember who had done this before but at the moment I can't I'll try to give them credit when I find it. 

It's been a bit since I shared what I'm currently up to. 

Reading....

*Novel - 

I'm currently hooked on the Reverse Harem concept. It's new exciting and shockingly it just works. My current book is Call of Dragons by Ava Mason. The covers are stunning and the books are hard to put down. I'm devouring the series. 

*Manga - 

Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama. I'm a little behind in this manga but decided to catch up before the end of the month. It's one of my favorites and first manga's that I started. 

*Comic -

 I'm still working on the Harley Quinn comics (2016) - She's clearly my favorite comic character. Highly recommend checking them out. 

*Audio - 

I keep hoping to find a audio book but so far I'm still without a audio book to listen to. 

Blogging....
I love blogging and want to add more original content. I think I'm a little shy and nervous that I'll be terrible at writing discussion posts. I've always kind of avoided them for fear that they will be lame. I'm going to try to change that this year. 

Journaling...
I've been slacking on the bullet journal aspect. I do have a journal that I've been using so more of a minimalistic journal. I'm going to revamp my layout for March and maybe find a love again. 

Crafting.... 

I'm currently working on this project. I need to start 2 baby blankets but I just haven't yet. I think they are going to end up this way as I'm in love with it so much. It started out as just a granny square and now it's evolved into a blanket almost big enough to cover the hound dog. I'm going to be pulling out my sewing machine to make some quilts in the near future to go with my crochet blankets. 

Watching.....

I've been watching The Royals over the last few days. It's kind of amazing I'm almost done with catching up and can't wait for it to start next month. I even caught the husband watching it with me. It's free on amazon prime right now. 

Drinking....

One of my goals for 2018 was to become a wine drinker. I'm currently in love with pink moscatos. They are my favorite so far but by xmas I hope to be drinking red. This way I'll be able to join in with the family celebration. I'm a slow sipper so I've been putting ice in it to keep it cold. I don't know if that's the wrong thing to do but I love it. 

Drawing....
I haven't drawn as much as I had hoped. I do plan to bring out my sketch pad this week. 

Cooking....
I made white chicken chili this weekend but it's become ribs that are my new speciality. I did BBQ ribs on Sunday and tonight I'm doing teriyaki ribs for dinner. I've learned that by slow cooking in the crockpot and than a quick trip in the oven they come out amazing. 

Baking....

No baking recently but I'm going to start my bread adventure again. I want to start with amish friendship bread. We will see how it goes. I'll be sure to share. 

What are you currently up to?