Month: November 2018

Top Ten Backlist Books I Own & Still Need to Read

Posted November 5, 2018 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 33 Comments

So… this topic is super broad and really hard. I know there’s no possible way to narrow down all the backlist books you’ve missed between now and the beginning of time to just 10, so just do your best! Maybe they’re the newest backlist books, or the ones by authors you love. Maybe they’re the ones you’ve had on your TBR list the longest or the ones that were published before you were born. Or MAYBE they’re just the highest on your list of priorities! Whatever the case may be, I’m expecting a whole lot of book pushing to come from this week’s topic!

Because I have a million books, I’ve decided to only mention the physical books on my bookshelves (that came out before 2018) that I got because I was so excited to read them and then promptly didn’t.

Legend by Marie Lu
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
The Love Academy by Belinda Jones
Spirited Away by Cindy Miles

Should I prioritize any of these?
Which backlist book is at the top of your TBR right now?


Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan | Book Review

Posted November 2, 2018 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 1 Comment

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan | Book ReviewReign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan
Series: Reign of Shadows #1
Published by HarperTEEN on February 9, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
Pages: 304
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
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Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

This is not your magical, light and fluffy Rapunzel retelling! Reign of Shadows is dark and creepy and intense and so unbelievably exciting. Luna, the lost princess of Relhok, has been sequestered in a tower with her guardians for her entire life to protect her from those who would do her harm. She’s the rightful heir to the throne, and the current king is making life miserable for the members of his kingdom. The land is also ruled by evil creatures (dwellers) who delight in killing anyone who crosses their path.

While exploring one day, Luna stumbles across three people and saves them from a pack of dwellers and brings them back to her tower. These are the first strangers Luna has ever met. One of these people is a handsome archer named Fowler, who captivates and excites Luna. Due to circumstances beyond their control, they set out on a journey together in search of a safer place to live. As they journey together across a barren, dark wasteland that has been ravaged by the dwellers, they learn to depend on one another. Together they have a unique set of skills that aide them in heir survival.

I liked both of these characters a lot. Luna is so sheltered and comes across as being very helpless, but she has spent her life developing and refining her ability to survive. She’s unassumingly strong and courageous despite her lack of exposure to the world. She’s able to trust in spite of the murder of her parents, and she’s able to love regardless of the fact that he family was ripped away from her as a baby. Fowler is damaged and has hardened himself in an effort to avoid more pain. Those he cared about are long gone, and it’s easier for him to be alone than to risk losing someone he cares about. He has no interest in being a part of Luna’s life, but he also has this deep sense of loyalty and honor even though he doesn’t really owe anyone anything. I liked that about him.

The romance is pretty swoony, and very slow building. I like romances that take a long time to develop, though, so I was totally on board with this one. I also like romances in life or death situations because there’s a lot of tenderness and need in addition to pure trust and dependency on one another.

I don’t want to say too much and spoil the book for anyone, so I think I’ll leave it here. Reign of Shadows is filled with little story elements that made it unique from the original tale of Rapunzel. I’ve always loved Sophie Jordan’s writing, so I had a feeling I’d enjoy this book. I listened to it on audio, which was very well done. All in all, I really loved the story.


Debbie Mason’s Five Fall Favorites | Author Guest Post

Posted November 1, 2018 by Jana in Guest Post / 0 Comments

Today I’m welcoming Debbie Mason to the blog to share with us her five favorite things about fall! Fall is one of my favorite seasons (second to winter, of course), and I can ditto every single things she’s mentioned here! Read more about her, and her latest book (a feel-good Christmas story in her contemporary romance series, Harmony Harbor) following her list!


Five Fall Favorites by Debbie Mason

“If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour.”
– Victoria Erickson

Fall is truly a magical time of year. It’s a time when nature puts on a show, and the countdown to the holidays begins. A time to be thankful and grateful. A time for family dinners, hearty soups, and fragrant stews. Here are just a few of my fall favorites I especially look forward to.

1) Pumpkin Spice Latte
For me, nothing says autumn like the appearance of pumpkin spice latte on the Starbucks menu. I don’t know which I love more, the taste or the smell. But what I do know is that some of my favorite fall days have been spent curled up under a cozy blanket with a pumpkin spice latte in one hand and a book in the other.

2) Fall Fairs
There’s nothing my family likes more than a fall fair, but we don’t always agree on what we should do/see first. I like to check out the baked goods and crafts, hubby likes to attend the tractor pull and cattle judging, while our kids prefer the corn maze and local bands playing at the grandstand, and the grandbabies are all about candy apples, corn dogs, and the midway. But the one thing we can agree upon is that it’s a great way to spend a fall weekend together.

3) Fall Foliage
Our favorite way to enjoy the fall foliage is on a walk in the woods not far from where we live. I love the cold, crisp air, the rich, spicy scent, and the crunch of leaves under my feet. There’s nothing more peaceful or magical than standing in the middle of a forest as the brilliant red and yellow leaves dance their way to the ground.

4) Halloween
The weeks leading up to Halloween are my favorite. I love pulling out my old magazines and getting ideas for spooky treats and decorating. This year we were all about the metallic pumpkins for the adult kids in the family, and white pumpkins transformed into unicorns for the little ones. It’s also the time of year when I turn to books by my favorite paranormal authors. We do the same with our TV viewing. This year, we binge watched The Haunting of Hill House. As much as I loved it (and I really did), I still enjoy old Halloween favorites like Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, and Practical Magic.

5) Countdown to Christmas
In late October, we can usually count on a flurry of snowflakes to get us into the holiday spirit. If that doesn’t happen, there are tons of other opportunities to put us in the mood. Decorating inside and outside with Christmas carols playing is one activity that’s sure to do the trick. As does baking, gingerbread-house making, and attending the local parade of lights. Another favorite in our house, a Hallmark movie marathon. This is a tradition that will have special significance this year, as the adaptation of the first book in my Christmas, Colorado series, The Trouble with Christmas, will be airing on the Hallmark Channel December 9 as Welcome to Christmas.


The Corner of Holly and Ivy by Debbie Mason
Series: Harmony Harbor #7
Published by Forever on October 30, 2018
Genres: Adult Fiction — Christmas, Contemporary, Romance
Add to Goodreads • Amazon • B&N

Sometimes love is just around the corner . . .

With her dreams of being a wedding dress designer suddenly over, Arianna Bell isn’t expecting a holly jolly Christmas. Instead, her heart feels about three sizes too small. That is until her high school sweetheart Connor Gallagher returns to town and she finds his mere presence still makes her pulse race. But just when she starts dreaming of kissing under the mistletoe, he announces that he will be her opponent in the upcoming mayoral race….

Hot-shot attorney Connor Gallagher has something to prove. He’s tired of playing runner-up to his high-achieving brothers. So when the opportunity to enter the campaign comes up, he takes it. Even if it means running against the only woman he’s ever loved. But with a little help from Harmony Harbor’s local matchmakers and a lot of holiday cheer, Connor and Arianna may just get the happy ever after they both deserve.


About Debbie Mason

Debbie Mason is the USA Today bestselling author of the Christmas, Colorado and the Harmony Harbor series. Her books have been praised for their “likable characters, clever dialogue and juicy plots” (RT Book Reviews). When she isn’t writing or reading, Debbie enjoys spending time with her very own real-life hero, their three wonderful children and son-in-law, and their two grandbabies in Ottawa, Canada. For more on Debbie and her books, visit authordebbiemason.com.