The Silence Of The Bones by June Hur

I have a mouth, but I mustn't speak;
Ears, but I mustn't hear;
Eyes, but I mustn't see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

June Hur's elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.

MY REVIEW: 3.5 Stars ⭐️ 

3.5 Stars



This book was at a solid 4.5 but certain things brought it down for me. Although, 3 or 3.5 stars is not a bad rating.

The cover of this book is what pulled me to it. I mean look how beautiful it is!! The title and the summary sounded good as well. I have to recommend the audio narration as it was splendid!

I enjoyed the character of Seol, I felt sorry for her a lot and I felt she was good at helping with the cases. This is part mystery, figuring out who is doing all of the killings and Seol searching for her lost brother all the while working for a detective. Actually not by choice but you can read that in tje book  description.

I think the author did a great historical (I’m assuming anyway) depiction of what went on during those times in history. I had no idea and it’s horrible!!

All in all, I enjoyed it and will read more from this author.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

In The Company Of Trees

Fascinating facts, trivia, and stories celebrating nature and the magnificent life of trees and their invaluable place in our lives, including beautiful, full-color photographs throughout.

When was the last time you spent time outside? The space between your front door and your car doesn’t count. Nature holds incredible power to soothe our spirits, calm our minds, and open us up to creativity, if we can unplug long enough to step away from our screens and embrace it. And while they say you can’t see the forest for the trees, they play perhaps the leading role in our enjoyment of the outdoors.

In the Company of Trees helps you rediscover your own connection to the world outside, with over 195 quotes, facts, and stories honoring trees from across the world and in our own back yards alike. Inviting, full-color photos of sun-dappled forests and tree-filled hikes throughout will inspire you to do some forest-bathing of your own and embrace the healing power of nature.

MY REVIEW: 5 STARS

 
This book is just wonderful, but I didn't doubt that it would be for one minute. And my Dragonfly bookmark looks beautiful on the front. I'm going to recommend this to my friend, Trish, whom/who loves these kinds of books as well.



I seriously wanted to add pictures of the whole book, but alas, I'm adding a few. I was also going to add some pictures of trees and me in the many hiking pictures of me and dad in the winter of 2019/2020 and from recently. BUT, I might do that at a later date. The one thing the cancer did for me in 2018 was to push me back out into my nature (after I got my energy back) I'm grateful for that; I still have panic and freak out when going normal places, but nature is my calm and peace. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the pictures and some of the info pictures I have added. I've learned more things about trees that I didn't know before. Enjoy...



Okay, I just had to show the goats in trees...because...goats in trees!



































I highly recommend this book to all nature lovers!

Mel

Forest Of Souls by Lori M. Lee

Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

Danger lurks within the roots of Forest of Souls, an epic, unrelenting tale of destiny and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Susan Dennard. 

MY REVIEW: 4.5 Stars ⭐️ 

Let’s first give credit to another Charlie Bowater cover! I wish she would put out a book of her art so I could buy it! 

I absolutely love this dedication at the front of the book and the little spider hanging down! 



I thought this book was awesome and yes, I’m looking forward to the next book! 

This isn’t a spoiler so don’t get your panties in a wad, you can read it from the summary 😉

So, Sirscha and Saengo are best friends. They are badass fighters and and they work for the queen so to speak. One day they are going out on a mission with some others but things go horribly wrong. Oh, and everyone rides on these awesome Drakes! 



From the awesome glossary at the beginning of the book 

*Drake: Most common species of drakonys, large and sturdy, used as pack animals and for transportation by humans. 

Anyway, some stuff goes down with these shaman and Saengo is killed. BUT (and still not a spoiler) Sirscha brings her back to life. Apparently seeing your best friend killed can bring your power to life! 

Turns out Sirscha is a soulguide. 

*Soulguide: A lightwender who can shepherd souls, guiding them to the afterlife or back to life. There has never been a soulguide in living memory. The only one recorded was the founder of Mirram, who created the spell allowing only shamans to enter. 

And as the crow flies, Ronan the Spider King hears about Sirscha and she’s summoned to Spinner’s End. And Prince Meilek (sugar plum) and his men escort Sirscha and Saengo there. 

Some centuries ago, a shaman who would become known as the Soulless rose against the kingdoms. He had the power to kill by ripping out the souls of his enemies. The history books are always vague about what exactly happened, but not even the armies of Thiy could subdue him. He merely claimed their souls for himself, strengthening his power and his madness.

Then Ronin descended from the north with a massive spider as his familiar, one of the Spinners of his homeland. No shaman had ever possessed a Spinner as a familiar before. Only the union of two such powerful beings could defeat the Soulless.

After the Soulless’s death, the souls he’d claimed scattered, taking root in the trees. Over time, the forest died and became a dangerous place for travelers. For whatever reason, Ronin made his home within the woods, using spidersilk spun from the bond with his Spinner to cloak the restless spirits. Not only that, but he convinced the kingdoms to sign the first and only peace treaty of its kind, one that would ensure peace for centuries to come.

And now, after all this time, the Dead Wood has begun to expand far more quickly than in the past, casting Ronin’s power into doubt.

And naturally, nothing is what it seems and a bit of chaos ensues! 

Loved the characters, the atmosphere, and the storyline! 

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee

Dragons. Art. Revolution.

Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint.

One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.

But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use—they find they can no longer stay out of politics.

What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight…

MY REVIEW: 3 Stars ⭐️ 

I wanted to read this book because of the mechanical dragon (Arazi). Unfortunately, we didn’t get to the dragon parts until almost 40%. But after that, it was pretty much ongoing. I loved Arazi so much!



I enjoyed some of the characters but wasn’t pulled in by anyone really. I did love Jebi and some others but I still wasn’t totally pulled into the story. I also got confused a lot as Jebi was either, Jebi or they. I have read a few books like that and it was fine but this one was a bit more confusing as it was used a lot around other people and I thought a small group was always going to do something when it was just Jebi.

Either way, I loved Arazi and Jebi the most and I did feel sad when some people died. I do recommend you read this yourself and make up your own damn mind 😉

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

*Thank you to Netgalley and Solaris for providing me with a digital copy for review. 

Teen Killers Club by Lily Sparks

Framed for the murder of her best friend, a young girl joins a super-secret society of teenage assassins to avoid a lifetime behind bars--and discovers her own true self--in this mesmerizing debut novel. 

Seventeen-year-old Signal Deere has raised eyebrows for years as an unhappy Goth misfit from the trailer park. When she's convicted of her best friend Rose's brutal murder, she's designated a Class A--the most dangerous and manipulative criminal profile. To avoid prison, Signal signs on for a secret program for 18-and-under Class As and is whisked off to an abandoned sleep-away camp, where she and seven bunkmates will train as assassins. Yet even in the Teen Killers Club, Signal doesn't fit in. She's squeamish around blood. She's kind and empathetic. And her optimistic attitude is threatening to turn a group of ragtag maniacs into a team of close-knit friends. Maybe that's because Signal's not really a killer. She was framed for Rose's murder and only joined the program to escape, track down Rose's real killer, and clear her name. But Signal never planned on the sinister technologies that keep the campers confined. She never planned on the mysterious man in the woods determined to pick them off one by one. And she certainly never planned on falling in love. Signal's strategy is coming apart at the seams as the true killer prepares to strike again in Teen Killers Club. 

MY REVIEW: 4.5 Stars ⭐️ 

Bloody hell, this book was awesome!!

This girl named Signal, yes that’s her name, gets put in prison for murdering her best friend ...but she doesn’t remember. She’s like.. uh what..no



They have these killers called Class A, which means your the worst of the worst. You can also take this test to see if you classify. If you do, you go to prison for your thoughts. The hell? I know right?!

Anyhoo, Class A’s can’t appeal so Signal is offered a secret thing she can join or rot in jail. She decides to take the deal. Turns out her and one of her mates from her prison (Nobody, yes, she goes by Nobody) end up at a camp together. What!!?? Yay??!!





NO, this ain’t that camp. WELCOME TO CAMP NARAMAUKE!! We’re going to train you to be assassins. Say what?! Poor ole Signal gets thrown in with some killer teens and she’s an innocent.

I actually fell in love with the group after they all got sorted out. Signal, Nobody, Jada, Javier, Erik, Dennis, Troy and Kurt. Dave and Kate run the place and are twats.

The kids are tagged so they can’t just run off. They start training on some things, but then some whackado shows up in a dog mask trying to kill them. Needless to say, chaos ensues!

Also, during the book one of the kids tries to help Signal find out who really killed her best friend. And let’s just say there are a few different end games, some crazy twists and what the..moments.

I throughly enjoyed this book and the end was so good with both a sad and happy ending! I will be adding this book to my clan 😉



Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

*I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Publishing for a digital copy of this book. 

Lonely Is The Night by David Brian

A hundred-year-old vampire. An attractive fang-banger. And a blood-lust driven by more than hunger...

A renegade vampire stalks the streets of a large English town, intent on making a kill that will infuriate the vampire hierarchy - the Procerum Sanguine.
A chance meeting with an intriguing young woman threatens to interrupt the renegade's mission, though he soon realizes that regardless of whether or not he continues to stay on course, the Procerum Sanguine will ensure there is a high cost to pay. 

MY REVIEW: 3.5 Stars ⭐️ 

3.5 Stars

I read this with the crew at: Castle Dracula 



After the end of this short story, I was rather fond of Peter. This was bloody, creepy, sex filled and a nice was of going about killing people. The exact way I would do it if I was supernatural 😉

I only gave it a 3.5 stars as I’m not big on smut any more 😂🤣. Other than that, the story was great!! I would like to know more about Peter and I felt bad for him and Melissa .... yeah, she had my name!! 

Happy Reading! 
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

A Breath Too Late by Rocky Callen

For fans of Girl in Pieces, All the Bright Places, and Girl, Interrupted comes a haunting and breathtaking YA contemporary debut novel that packs a powerful message: hope can be found in the darkness.

Seventeen-year-old Ellie had no hope left. Yet the day after she dies by suicide, she finds herself in the midst of an out-of-body experience. She is a spectator, swaying between past and present, retracing the events that unfolded prior to her death.

But there are gaps in her memory, fractured pieces Ellie is desperate to re-assemble. There's her mother, a songbird who wanted to break free from her oppressive cage. The boy made of brushstrokes and goofy smiles who brought color into a gray world. Her brooding father, with his sad puppy eyes and clenched fists. Told in epistolary-like style, this deeply moving novel sensitively examines the beautiful and terrible moments that make up a life and the possibilities that live in even the darkest of places. Perfect for fans of the critically-acclaimed Speak, I’ll Give You the Sun, and If I Stay.

MY REVIEW: 4 Stars ⭐️ 

Damn, this is gonna be along one... I have many mental disorders, one being bipolar depression with those wonderful suicidal thoughts. Yeah, I still get them a lot. Seems funny with my 2 year cancer free anniversary coming up. But, mental illness is a bitch you can’t understand. SPOILER EXCERPTS! 



I’m going to add a lot of excerpts from the book, mostly things I felt meant something to me, including some from authors note. This book is also about domestic abuse. 

Authors Note: 

*The moment the truth is out, you can’t shove it back into its shadowy corner. And the truth is, there are days when I feel unstoppable, days when my pockets are lined with sunshine and possibilities, and then there are days when I feel there are anchors tied to my ankles and I am sinking and no one can see me drowning.

*This book is for the Ellies of the world who we have lost, the ones left behind whose hearts are mending, and those teetering on the edge between hope and pain.
And if that is you, I see you.
Please stay.
Again, I say this to you (because I have often had to remember it myself) : The world needs you in it.

*For the ones wandering in the dark.
Don’t forget that the stars are yours too.



Ellie...

My head falls into my hands and I rub my temples, fighting to remember. I had thoughts of suicide all the time. Passing thoughts. They had felt tender and secret, but I don’t remember that moment—that moment when it wasn’t just a thought but a secret monster made real.

I am here. August is on my front porch and I am here, forcing my hand to stay put against the glass so it doesn’t slide through. I want this to be real. My eyes beg to be seen.

Your mom gathers you into her arms and you bury your head in her shoulder. It is strange to see someone so large needing to collapse on someone so small. I turn to run, it I hear your muffled shaky voice, "She’s dead. She’s dead. She’s dead. She’s dead."
The tide has washed me in and I can’t leave.

You reach into the box and hold the origami birds, tracing the edges even though they are worn and might break. You take them in your ruined hands and press them to your heart.

Depression, I didn’t know what you were when you came sneaking under my window. I had known sadness. I had known loneliness. I had known anger and resentment and shame and fleeting numbness. I had known all those things. They would come and go, settling into the air and around my fingertips and eyelashes.

You always snuck up on me when I wasn’t looking. You seeped in and dug in your claws.

You were a tricky thing. I wanted to be able to scrub you clean and make you shiny so you didn’t feel like you were rotting inside me.

Momma and I clung tight to each other that night and when I woke up, we were both bloody and on the floor, tangled up in our pain and secrets.
And you returned, fierce and incessant, and I had nothing left to fight back.
You won.

Life, You were broken, often ugly, and always too much, but you also hid promises in pockets, tucked hope under mattresses, and crammed a thousand perfect moments between the shards of sharp and treacherous ones.
I am sorry I had forgotten them.
I am sorry I didn’t even see.
And a breath too late, I realized...
I loved you.



Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾