#the curse of Cool-Fantasy-Game-With-2-In-The-Title lives on I guess

[the-punforgiven]

The eternal struggle between wanting to hire the bounty hunter because hnnng sexy and huge combo/mark damage vs like, actually wanting to profit off this expedition

[audiblesmirking]

erratic heartbeats ~chapter 2: you got a friend in me~

⚠Minor Swearing⚠

Legend: "English unless stated otherwise" --- 'Thoughts' --- "Telepathically speaking" --- [Authors' Note]

==========

'Japan's quiet,'  Azumi commented, her gait slow in order to appreciate the peace and observe her new neighborhood. A bag containing PK uniforms hangs on her fingers. There would be light breezes from time to time, blowing through her hair and rustling the leaves of the trees around. Compared to London, there were less cars driving by, despite the day being a weekend. 'School starts tomorrow and yet I still haven't finished the last level of "Dynasty and Descent". Seriously, what was wrong with homeschooling?' Azumi's mind wanders, stopping herself once she reached a tall metal gate that stood out from the rest of the houses. The meticulously twists, turns, and engravements of the metal is able to have anyone gawk.

She stood in front of her new home, raising a brow at the lock that secures the gate shut 'They both left?' Azumi questioned herself before fishing out her keys in the bag she held, unlocking the padlock and a few gate latches that pegs the metals to the ground and to each other. She made sure to secure the latches back, before proceeding to unlock the front door 'They probably went to greet the neighbors'

The walk to Azumi's room is tiring. The grandiose house's entirety was what her flamboyant mother envisioned, Akina was the one who took charge in the renovation of their new property since the beginning stages of planning. The conglomerate CEO is often one who basks in her success, hence the lavish abode. Azumi passed a few flights of stairs before freezing, slapping a palm on her forehead, 'I could just fucking teleport' Azumi cursed at her forgetfulness, having been used to the life before her powers came. Within no time, she arrived in the comforts of her own room. Placing the uniforms in the wardrobe, she lay plump on the bed.

——————————

"What the fUCK, YOU DICKHEADS," Azumi was seething with rage as her brother and his friend ran as fast as they could away from the infuriated, soaking wet girl, stifling their laughter as they dashed. Her reaction was more than what they had expected, and turned out to be funnier than they thought. They sprinted around the campus of the boys' college, running through stairs and empty hallways, desperate to arrive at their laboratory to successfully separate themselves from Azumi until she could either burn out from exhaustion or cool down from her anger "COME BACK HERE. I WILL FUCKING OBLITERATE YOUR FACES, DASTARDLY HEIFERS"

Atsuhiro huffed a breath of annoyance, the sound not going undetected by his companion despite the wind whipping at their faces as they ran as fast as they could "I fucking told you so, Kusuke"

"Well, wouldn't you know it, she's mad. Who's idea was this again?" Kusuke panted, sounding quite proud of Azumi's reaction despite the consequences they were facing.

"This was all your idea, jackass"

Kusuke simply laughed as they ran out of the building and are now crossing the field to their laboratory "Have you seen your face when she looked at us? It was a mixture of repressed laughter and instant regret"

"I swear, I WILL trip you if you won't shut up" Atsuhiro threatened, now was not the time to be distracted when the she-devil was chasing them. His friends' laughter immediately was cut short when a shiver went up their spines at the voice that whispered behind them "You both run like hookers"

——————————

The memory was when Azumi first met her brother's friend. The girl blinked a few times, confused at why she thought of the memory, before her hand reached up to her ear and fidgets her ear cuff. Gradually, voices start to flood in her mind. She laid unmoving, concentrated on trying to locate thoughts involving her family or their recent moving. She succeeded. The Saiki's, what a coincidence, were hosting Azumi's parents. 'Kusuke's family. They would likely talk for another hour or two, seeing as Kusuke' s mother is just as chatty as mine'

Azumi sat up, her beautiful hair swaying at the sudden movement. Whilst fidgeting her ear cuff, the girl walked over to her monitor. The screen lit up after she plugged it in and pushed the button, the fantasy game "Dynasty and Descent" placed in to be played. 'I'd probably finish this before they come back' Azumi challenged herself.

•°●•°●•°●

‘Saiki Kusuo, huh?' Azumi laid on her belly as she eavesdrops on his thoughts regarding her parents. She finished the game and cleaned up the room twice before she thought of listening in on her neighbors. 'A curious one, aren't you? But I can't blame him, he must have been lonely growing up being the only psychic he knows' She empathized with the boy, swinging her legs absentmindedly.

After some time, Azumi sighed, before teleporting to their kitchen. She opened and closed cabinets and cupboards in search of something to appeal to her boredom-driven hunger. She grabbed her favorite snack and a drink, immediately digging in. Because her teleportation required some time before she can use it again, she walked back to her room. Azumi had most of her attention on her phone while her food levitated around her, following as she walks. Her mind flitted to the topic of cellphones in Japan, 'I haven't seen anyone with their phones since we arrived. Is it some kind of unspoken rule or something?' The girl contemplated over whether or not she should use her device in public so as to fit in.

Azumi walks through one of the hallways that overlook the front yard, the sun’s setting rays casting an orange tinge on everything not under a shadow. She took a moment away from her phone and glanced at the road in front of their residence, there she saw her parents and the rest of the Saiki family. Akina and Aiken pushed open the gates lavishly for the guests, earning a sigh from their daughter as she continued her walk 'They'll likely call on me as soon as they enter', Azumi groaned as nervousness bubbled in her at the thought of greeting their guests 'I don't want to though'

She arrived in her room, throwing away her litter in the trash can at the corner, before proceeding to clean her room for the third time. Aiken knocked on the door the moment she laid down her bed after sweeping the area under it, "Come on down, Zumi, meet Kusuke's family" She walked next to her father in silence until they arrived in the living room.

==========

Azumi secured the gate latch, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. She was surprised to see Kusuo standing in front of his house, seemingly waiting for her. Azumi tried to make sense of the situation, she walked to him and gave a small wave, before continuing passed him 'Maybe he's waiting for his dad' She thought, before shooting down the idea the moment Saiki moved to walk with her. The familiar feeling of nervousness rose from within her, her thoughts crowding her mind 'Should I say something? Or is the silence okay for him? It's certainly okay for me. Why is he walking with me though, I thought we agreed—' She cut her own thought when she remembered the events of last night 'Nevermind, he didn't say anything then. Is this about what my mother said? Did she bribe him without my knowledge? But, mom won't stoop that low. Maybe if I look into his mind—no, he'll suspect my fidgeting and he'll know I'm uncomfortable or he'll think something's wrong with my ear and ask about it, and I would not want to be in either situations'

"... So," Azumi started—at the protest of her brain—dragging out the 'o' "You don't need to walk me to school, you know, I can do it on my own. I appreciate the thought though" She gave a tight-lipped smile, hoping she did not sound too rude. Kusuo just looked at her and then back in front, Azumi felt awkward at the lack of response and returned her gaze to the road as well.

Just as he expected, at the reaction of his companion, he deduced that Azumi could not hear his voice when he was speaking telepathically. He mentally took note "It's fine" Kusuo spoke, not only mildly surprising the girl beside him because of how late he responded, but also confusing her.

' 'It's fine'? How do I respond to that?' She just nodded her head, mentally facepalming at her response. 'I guess I have to get used to this'

•°●•°●•°●

'This is some next level coincidence shit' Azumi thought, sitting next to her assigned seatmate, Saiki 'I was just fine with how we were classmates, but seatmates? You have got to be joking'

"Open your textbooks to page 3. An introduction for our lesson this week" The teacher started, writing on the chalkboard the lesson title "Kindly answer the practice questions, 'What You Know', numbers 1-5. I will give you ten minutes to answer"

'This seems easy enough,' Azumi searched for her writing tool in her bag. Confused, she knit her eyebrows 'I left it at home? Great, first day and I'm already failing this'

The boy in front of her took notice of her furrowed brows when he turned to get his pencil case. He stretched a bandaged arm at her, offering to lend his pencil "H-Here, " He said, "you can borrow mine" Azumi blinked at him, then at his outstretched arm, before smiling softly at him.

"Thank you, I'll make sure to give it back to you after class," Azumi wrapped her fingers on the writing tool, watching as her classmate withdrew his hand meekly "May I know your name?"

"Ka-Kaidou Shun" His stuttering reminded Azumi of herself before. Kaidou awkwardly lets out his hand again, seemingly to shake with hers. Azumi's soft smile turned tight at how she responded with stretching the wrong hand to shake. She shuffled to replace her hand, clasping it with his.

"Um, Kanasawa Azumi" She mentally kicked herself, he already knows her name because she just introduced herself to the class. "Nice to meet you, Kaidou-san" They shook hands shortly before the teacher reprimanded the two to start with the activity.

•°●•°●•°●

A slow and pitched tune, that reminded Azumi of the announcements in a mall, rang through the hallways, signaling the end of the first class and break for their class. Some students leapt out of their classrooms, their friends in tow, ready to be the firsts to arrive in the cafeteria, while the rest took their time in arranging their things. "Thanks again, for, you know, lending your pencil" Azumi had stood up in unison with Saiki, her wrist in view as she gave back the pencil she borrowed.

Kaidou added the pencil in his case, placing it in his bag. "Are you sure? I, uh, mean, we still have classes after break"

Azumi let the corners of her lips tilt up a bit at the thoughtfulness of the boy "Yeah, I'll go buy my own"

"I don't mind if you borrow my pencil for the rest of the day," Kaidou lightly frowned, not wanting his classmate to spend money when he was fine with lending. He went to dig through his bag for the pencil case, but Azumi stopped him with a hand on his.

"It's okay, really-" She was cut off with a booming voice next to her, in her peripherals, a tall blonde hooks an arm around Saiki's shoulders. "Hey pal, the nurse wanted to ask about the thermano-something that the guy used this morning" He wasn't yelling, but his voice was loud enough to resonate around the half-empty classroom. Azumi turned her head at the two beside her, attention fading from Kaidou as she withdrew her hand. During the intensively long speech of their principal, one of their classmates fainted and a teacher ordered Nendou and Saiki to assist the student to the nurse's office. When they've been gone too long, the same teacher instructed Azumi to check on the two, and just before Nendou witnessed Saiki burn a thermometer to ashes, she came in and distracted the brute, feigning confusion on the dust on Saiki's palm. It was a coincidence, and if she weren't there Nendou would most likely find out about Saiki's powers. Is what Azumi initially thought, but looking back, her first impression with the blonde was idiotic, so maybe it would have gone differently.

Azumi grabbed her wallet and turned back to Kaidou "I'll be going first" She went to walk out the door but felt a presence following her, before the voice of Nendou reached her again.

"Where're you going, pal?" Azumi turned and, as she thought, Saiki will be following her around school. She resisted a sigh when the aforementioned raised a hand, moved his finger and pointed at her twice. "You're gonna show her around? I wanna come with!" He strode towards the two, and Azumi swore she saw the facial expression of the boy beside her contort into that of displeasure.

"I-I-I w-wanna come too" She barely heard Kaidou as he stood up and trailed behind Nendou, fiddling with his finger as he do.

Azumi just wanted to buy a pencil, alone, and now she felt awkward as she walked next to Saiki, Kaidou and Nendou following right behind them. She slowly reached a hand to her ear, but laid her arm back on her side after a while. Perplexed at the silence from Nendou, she turned back to look at him. He was teasing Kaidou, bickering as they filled the hallway with noise. Azumi tried to look for answers in Saiki's mind, staring at the boy before turning her head back in front. 'Never thought that being too dumb would be a reason for a silent mind, but okay'

'WhatshouldIsaywhatshouldIsay [What should I say what should I say]. Hello-no, that's too formal. Would "hi" be fine? Let's go with "hi". Hi, I'm Teruha-wait, no, she would see me as too eager if I introduce myself that quickly. Hi, you must be the new transfer student-OH MY GOD SHE'S HERE' The frantic thoughts of a blue-haired girl filled Azumi's mind. She was standing beside a vending machine outside of the cafeteria as the four walked passed her. Being too engrossed in her mental rehearsal, she did not notice the group since they appeared from the corner of the hallway. Teruhashi sulked when Azumi entered the cafeteria, but immediately fixed her façade when she remembered there may be people watching her.

'It must be tough to be that popular' Susurrus reached Azumi's ears and the students in the room turned to look at the people who recently came in. She felt self-conscious and turned to walk to the first stall in the row, the stall that sells school materials. After she purchased her pencil, she tried to convince her companions to spend their recess with what they want to do instead of following her around. She failed, and so they ended up touring the whole campus, conversations being held up by Nendou as he told story after story about anything that relates to whatever Azumi said.

"Kanasawa-san, you're from London, right?" Kaidou asked, they were sitting under one of the trees after the latter announced a break from the walking. At his words, the other two turned to look at Azumi, and now she was on the spotlight. "What was it like? Do you miss your friends?"

"Ah, that... I was homeschooled, so... I didn't have any friends until recently," Azumi paused "I have a brother, he's in London right now, and he was my only playmate until he left for college... My tutors change every year, and they mostly just teach me then leave after our sessions... Add into that how unapproachable they are, and they're just like robots, stiff and straightforward"

"Homeschooled?" Confused, Nendou asked, and Kaidou silently answered him. Azumi waited until all was clarified, fidgeting with her thumbs.

"Although, now that I think about it. I... think I had a friend around my age...? But he was just visiting London at that time... a few years ago... so I don't think we're close anymore." Azumi caught the short time when Saiki knit his brows, before remaining stoic. She knew from reading his mind that he wanted to know more about her connection with Kusuke and his involvement with her family. Azumi was about to open her mouth, when a nagging voice in her mind scolded at her for having already talked too much.

When Azumi looked like she was to stay silent, Kaidou spoke up "Th-then... I'll be your friend" His voice gradually softened, but she heard him nevertheless.

Nendou hooked his arm around Saiki's shoulder, to the surprise of the psychic "We'll be your friends too, right pal?" Kusuo looked annoyed at the arm pushing him closer to Nendou, but he didn't deny what he said. Azumi gave them a soft smile, her eyebrows low.

'I guess it won't hurt to have friends'

[stillwinterair]

2020 in books so far! All 21 of them!

Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski -- Finished January 1st. My least favorite Witcher novel. In a series that managed to surprise and endear me at every turn, this one final romp did almost nothing for me. 2/5 stars.

Star Wars: Hard Merchandise by K.W. Jeter -- Finished January 17th. The final chapter in the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy, and by far the worst of the three. 2/5 stars.

Migration by Julie E. Czerneda -- Finished February 18th. The middle chapter in Czerneda’s excellent Species Imperative trilogy, fun and charismatic, sciencey and cute. Didn’t hit me quite the same way as the first in the trilogy did, but still had fun. 4/5 stars.

Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn -- Finished February 2nd. It was okay. 3/5 stars.

To be continued under the cut, including thoughts on The Expanse, which has taken over my life this year:

Mass Effect: Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn -- Finished February 25th. Borrowed from a coworker, was immensely disappointed, decided once and for all I wasn’t going to touch tie-in novels for the rest of the year. That wound up being a great decision. 2/5 stars.

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty -- Finished March 12th. The first of Chakraborty’s Daevabad trilogy, this was a great little historical fantasy fiction about a half-djinn caught up in about a thousand tropes I usually hate, but were written with care and nuance and charm. 4/5 stars.

Midway through The City of Brass, news of a virus overseas begin making waves.

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie -- Finished March 29th. The first of Leckie’s Imperial Radch saga. So, so, so many incredible concepts that I loved dearly... but all just slightly off to the side of where they would normally hit me. I wanted to love this book so badly, and it kept almost hitting me, but never quite did, at least not as hard as I wanted it to. Still, I enjoyed the world and the characters enough that I bought the sequel and will read it soon. 3/5 stars.

AAAAAND PANDEMIC! I began this book when I was still working, and finished it while in quarantine. So that’s fun. From here on out, all of these books were read from my couch or my bed.

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison -- Finished April 16th. Another book I wanted desperately to love and... succeeded a bit more than with Ancillary Justice, thanks to how ceaselessly charming it was. But the names. Oh, god this book is full of fake fantasy names and titles and you have to remember all of them and the glossary isn’t always helpful. But, still. I found myself so endeared, I couldn’t put it down. 4/5 stars.

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey -- Finished May 3rd. The first book of The Expanse, and I fell in love instantly. This one hit all the right buttons and didn’t stop: good science fiction, fun space adventure, charming characters, perfect level of tension, the list goes on. And reading this one was... the beginning of a certain obsession I’ve had this year. 5/5 stars.

Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks -- Finished May 21st. The latter half of this book? Great. Stellar. The first half...? Uhhhhh. Eh? By far one of the most insufferable protagonists I’ve ever had to slog through, but some really cool scifi concepts here (and also some really bad ones -- the whole desert island cannibal thing was stupid as hell, but the Damage Game got me). 3/5 stars.

Caliban’s War by James S.A. Corey -- Finished May 30th. The second book in The Expanse series. I could not put this one down. Everything I loved about Leviathan Wakes, amplified a thousand times. The additions of Bobbie, Prax, and Avasarala made me ascend. This book fired on all cylinders and I loved every moment of it; it stands as one of my three favorite Expanse books so far -- but we’ll get to those. Anyway, I can’t give it 6/5, so we’ll have to settle with: 5/5 stars.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut -- Finished June 1st. A book I’d been meaning to read for a while and finally got around to. Literally finished it in two sittings. Mostly it made me sad. 4/5 stars.

The Strong Shall Live by Louis L’Amour -- Finished June 2nd. A collection of wild west short stories. A couple were great, a few were awful -- most were just okay. I’d been reading it slowly since December, and finishing felt more like a weight off my mind than anything else. Still, some of these stories were incredibly memorable. 3/5 stars.

Larissa by Emily Devenport -- Finished June 4th. I read this in about three sittings overall, which is a lot faster than I usually read. It wasn’t particularly good, but it was the exact sort of scifi junk I eat up for some reason. This is... a very, very weird one. It was very progressive for the time (the book is as old as I am), so much so that I wasn’t surprised to find her on Twitter very publicly supporting BLM and decrying the current administration. It’s about a black woman in space, wealth disparity, and a bunch of other stuff. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t, but Devenport was trying, all the way back in 93. It’s also the sequel to a book I didn’t know existed until I’d already finished, but I guess that one didn’t matter so much to the plot of Larissa? Anyway, had a blast, even though I can’t quite put a finger on why. 4/5 stars. (I actually had this one marked as 3/5 stars, but my memories of it are all very positive, so... it was worth the bump.)

Abaddon’s Gate by James S.A. Corey -- Finished June 13th. Third in The Expanse, and not my favorite. The pacing in the first half was a little wonky, but once it gets going, boy does it go. 4/5 stars.

Regeneration by Julie E. Czerneda -- Finished June 25th. The final entry in the Species Imperative trilogy. This might have been my least favorite of the three, unfortunately, as much like Ancillary Justice it always seemed to hit just to the side of where I wanted it to. The first one was by far my favorite, and the third installment just couldn’t recapture that magic, but I love the protagonist and was happy to walk with her to the end. Plus, as always, there’s some damn good science fiction here. 4/5 stars.

Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey -- Finished July 4th. HELL YEAH MOTHERFUCKER, this one has everything! I don’t even want to spoil what, just know that this is exactly what you want after Abaddon’s Gate, and had everything it was missing and more. This one rocked my fucking world, and is one of my three favorite Expanse books so far. Another one I’d rate higher if I could, but for now... 5/5 stars.

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold -- DNF, July 8th. This book had me until the 35-year-old protagonist started trying to hide his arousal while he was watching the two teenage girls he was tutoring swim, and it was played off as like... cute? I don’t know man, fuck this book, it made me miserable.

Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey -- Finished July 16th. Once again, HELL YEAH MOTHERFUCKER, HELL YEAH! This book begins with some of the slowest pacing in the series so far, but god, have they earned it. It feels so good to just take a break and walk a mile in the shoes of all your favorite characters. And then when things hit? Boy do they fucking hit. The third in my trifecta of favorite Expanse books so far, and another I’d rate higher if I could. 5/5 stars.

The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke -- Finished July 21st. I really thought this was going to be a fun pirate book. Instead, it’s a book about a fun pirate slogging along with the most obnoxious man in the history of fiction, who she is also falling in love with, apparently, for some reason. I don’t know. This is a duology but idk if I’m even interested in the sequel. Which is a shame, because I really liked the protagonist. 2/5 stars.

Babylon’s Ashes by James S.A. Corey -- Finished August 5th. Definitely my least favorite Expanse novel so far, mostly because the narrative was stretched very thin. This one hit really fucking hard toward the beginning, and again at the end, but in the middle? The middle was very... nebulous. A lot happens and I’m not interested in all of it, which is something this series has thus far managed to avoid doing. Still, very good, just not quite up to the standards I’m used to from this series. 4/5 stars.

And... it’s August! And I haven’t picked up another book since the 5th, which feels weird, but is due to a lot of factors. I’m in the middle of moving, so I don’t have as much time to read during the day. But also I’m waiting on a shipment of books to come in, and it hasn’t yet, and that’s stressing me out. Of those, there are a couple I’m leaning toward reading, but if the ol’ Read The First Page trick doesn’t work on any of them, I’ll probably hop back to Imperial Radch.

[asfeedin]

Friday Finds & Reader Recommendations – 04-24-2020

Good morning and HAPPY FRIDAY!!! I hope we all have a cozy and wonderful weekend loaded in reading some seriously great books!! Speaking of which…

I’m already almost finished a book I just started a day ago and I LOVE IT!!!!! HOLY. MOLY. It’s the first part of a duet and the next one is coming out in a couple of weeks and I’m so relieved because I know the end of this one will make me crazy. LOL!!! I think I may have just found a new favorite author, and my review will be up this weekend.

In the meantime…

TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE FOUND FOR THE WEEKEND  !!

STILL ON ➔➔➔ TWO MONTHS FREE KINDLE UNLIMITED DEAL!!! <— If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s your chance. WE ARE LOVING IT! And it’s still going on through the end of April!

And…

So, That Got Weird by Amelia Kingston <—THE AWKWARD GIRL & THE JOCK ALERT!! Ashley loved it so much that she read it again! “…As the reigning campus sex god, he has the playboy act down pat. But underneath those six-pack abs beats a broken heart. He doesn’t trust people and he sure as hell doesn’t believe in love. The odd couple strike a deal. Four weeks of & “tutoring” for five thousand dollars…”

I reread ‘So, That Got Weird’ by Amelia Kingston and that was a fun time – it has the same vibe as Elle Kennedy or Maya Hughes’ books (which I’m a huge fan of).

Third Life by Noelle Adams <—LIVE!! AGE GAP OLDER MAN/YOUNGER WOMAN ALERT!! She only knows his first name but… “...he keeps asking me to meet him all over the world, and I keep saying yes. …I don’t know anything about him except his first name. That’s the way he likes it. He’s too old for me, and he’s hiding secrets, but I’m not going to be able to keep my heart out of it for long…“

Detained by Ainslie Paton <— MONY LOVED THIS ONE!

Mony: I finished Detained by Ainslie Paton, Aussie author. Really loved it!

First chapters – Mystery Guy & female reporter stuck in a Shanghai airport detention room – clever & hot. Characters “real”, dialogue tight – kind of book I like. Also, story unusual & set in China & AUS. Bit too long at end but I wanted to read it in one shot. Love finding books that punch their weight above their GR rating.

This was one of Ann’s “personal 5-star lose all track of time and reality books.”

Master of Salt & Bones by Keri Lake <— LIVE!!! DARK ROMANCE ALERT!!! P.S. I love this author!! “…When I was a little girl, I dreamed a handsome knight would come and rescue me from my wretched mother. He’d ride up on his white steed and break the curse I’ve been fated to carry since the day I was born. Funny how things changed over time. How the fairy tale twisted into something far more crooked, darker than I ever imagined. In reality, my knight is scarred and broken, living alone in a castle of bones that overlooks the sea. He isn’t searching for me. He never was. Lucian Blackthorne is as cursed as I am, and equally shunned by the locals…”

Killian by Ryan Michele <— LIVE!!!

Kitty Valentine Dates a Billionaire by Jillian Dodd <— LIVE!!! JILLIAN DODD ALERT!!

Falling North: A Turner Artist Rocker Novel (The Turner Artist Rocker Series Book 2) by Alyson Santos <— LIVE!!

The Devil in Apartment 13 by Tiana Laveen <— MODERN-DAY URBAN GENIE/JINN IS HER NEW NEIGHBOR… and he wants to make her his mate! “…Vivian Carver believes her name is synonymous with bad luck. She’s a bartender living smack dab in the middle of NYC and has had it up to here with entitled tourists, an annoying roommate and just barely surviving. She’s forced to move into a cheaper apartment, and with it comes a seedy landlord, drippy faucets and a peculiar stranger in apartment 13.  Shahzad has pulled all the stops to get to know Ms. Vivian Carver, someone who in no shape, form or fashion understands her full potential…”

Beauty and the Rose: a Dark Romance by Stasia Black & Lee Savino <— LIVE!! TRILOGY CONCLUSION ALERT!!

Don’t Love Me (My Secret Boyfriend Book 1) by S. Doyle <— HE TOLD HER NOT TO… “…The state took me away from my mother when was I twelve and sent me to live with an uncle, who worked on some fancy estate.  That’s when I met Ash, she was ten and the daughter of the man who owned the estate. She thought I would be her new best friend but I only wanted to be left alone. For years she was always there, always annoying me, always wanting more from me. But our roles were clear. She was the princess and I was the chauffeur’s charity case.  I told her not to fall in love with me…she didn’t listen…”

Dark Protectors Bundle: 3 Stories by Rebecca Zanetti by Rebecca Zanetti <— REBECCA ZANETTI BOOK BUNDLE BARGAIN ALERT! “…From New York Times bestselling author, Rebecca Zanetti, comes three stories in her Dark Protectors-Reese Family series… **Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

The Danger You Know by Lily White <— LILY WHITE’S LATEST DARK READ ALERT!! HE’S HER STALKER…“…I pursue her despite the wedding bells that rang for another, only I can see how she is drowning beneath mediocrity. How many times must I remind her? It can’t matter that I am the person who ruined her life. The man who killed her father. The constant shadow that watches her sleep. The lover who prefers dirty alleyways to freshly laundered sheets. She’s mine. Always has been…”

Michaela: Read this today and loved it! 

Michele: I LOVE Lily and Dark reads are still my favorite!!  thank you!!!

Tori: I’ve been binge-reading some Lily White lately! Omgah! Just finished The Vanity of Roses and started Wishing Well last night! I guess this one will be next. Seriously, one of my new favorite authors! ♡♡♡

The Prince and the Pawn (When Rivals Play Book 4) by B.B. Reid <— SERIES FINALE!!! BULLY BOOK ALERT! “...They were wrong for each other from the start. The jock and the nerd, what a cliché they made. He was the town prince, and she was a nobody. Tyra Bradley was invisible. That is until she told him he needed some manners, and so began their game of cat and mouse...”

Everything Girl by Emily Mayer <— MONY LOVED IT!! And was her message to the author about it (and the author replied).

Mony: Hi Emily,

Loved loved loved your book. Well written, quirky characters, and great book boyfriend…loved the Montana setting. Good job pacing the slow burn between Jack and Evelyn. A gem.

Hoping you’re thinking about writing a sequel about Ben. Fantastic character – came alive with his wit, charm and “manwhore struggles.” Just begging to be written! What do you think? Thanks!

Emily (the author): …I took a detour for book #2, but I am spending my quarantine with Ben! I couldn’t agree with you more. He definitely needed his own story. I am already a little bit in love with his story and can’t wait to share it with you!

To another reader: “still hoping for a May release date” ..

Jan: New Lucy Score coming out in a couple of days: By A Thread: A Grumpy Boss romcom. I like the grumpy boss trope.

Mony: I didn’t see that By A Thread was about a grumpy boss…one of my favourite tropes as well…

HEY SWEET TEA (The Way To A Man’s Heart Book 8) by Frankie Love <— LIVE!!

Don’t Go Stealing My Heart by Kelly Siskind <— LIVE!!

The Girl and the Stars (The Book of the Ice 1) by Mark Lawrence <— LIVE FANTASY ROMANCE ALERT!!!!! GORGEOUS COVER & TITLE!! “…To resist the cold, to endure the months of night when even the air itself begins to freeze, requires a special breed. Variation is dangerous, difference is fatal. And Yaz is not the same.   Yaz’s difference tears her from the only life she’s ever known, away from her family, from the boy she thought she would spend her days with, and has to carve out a new path for herself in a world whose existence she never suspected...”

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown <— RECENT PSYCH-THRILLER RELEASE AND GUESS WHAT????

Nay: For anyone who likes book adaptations, I just saw Maryse’s FB post about Pretty Things by Janelle Brown, and when I went to add it to my tbr on GR, I saw that one of my friends had posted that Nicole Kidman is going to produce and star in the book’s adaptation as a streaming Amazon series.

Maryse: OOOOOH YAY!!!! I love that!! Though I’m going to read it first.  Thank you for that news, Nay!

Michele: Just finished Fixed on You series…..GREAT, love, mystery, heartbreak and well the end……it was the best bargain….

Cheryl: Hudson is a hot alpha guy who says right off the bat that he is incapable of love and combined with Alayna’s obsessive “love’ disorder, you just know a train wreck is coming.

Krisztina: I just finished the Fixed trilogy by Laurelin Paige. Hudson (the whole story from his point of view). I have to say that I was reading the 2nd half of Forever With You with tears in my eyes … now I am obsessed with Hudson Pierce 

A Kiss to Tell by W. Winters <— SUPER-BARGAIN ALERT! HE WAS BAD NEWS & SHE WAS THE GIRL THAT DIDN’T BELONG… “...From the first time I saw him, Sebastian had a hard stare that pinned me in place. And years later, it hasn’t softened. We lived on the same street and went to the same school, although he was a year ahead.  Even so close, he was untouchable. He was bad news and I was the sad girl who didn’t belong. One night changed everything...”

AUDIOBOOK LVERS!

Not a member of Audible yet? Get a free 30 day audible trial (which includes 1 free audiobook + 2 audible originals)

AND! Audiobook Matchmaker!! <— Find out which of YOUR Kindle books are available as audiobooks at a BARGAIN-PRICE! This is how it works. Click on that link & Amazon will show you all of your Kindle books that are also available as an audiobook at a seriously discounted price. This way, you can switch back and forth, seamlessly between your ebooks and your audiobooks. VERY COOL!

➔➔ Audible now has an “Escape” package membership (30 day free trial) – used to be called the “Romance” package <— this one is SO cool, and worth it (unlimited listening for all of the audiobooks in the program, and there are tons – kind of like Kindle Unlimited)!!

and…

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier <— RECENT PSYCH-THRILLER RELEASE THAT I’m DYING TO READ!!

Shirley: I’m listening to Little Secrets. I’m at 20% and so far, so good!! I think you would really like this one Maryse!

Maryse: YESSSS!! I know I would. Totally my thing…

  The Hardest Fall by Ella Maise <— Ashley loved it so much she listened to it again!

Ashley: Okay, I re-listened to ‘The Hardest Fall’ by Ella Maise. Love it. My favorite part is where her horde of peanut butter m&m’s is discovered and her reasoning for it is one of the most relatable reasons ever.

Shooter by Dahlia West <— Ashley loved it so much she listened to it again!

And I’m also re-listening to ‘Shooter’ by Dahlia West….which makes me want to revisit ‘Preacher’ by Dahlia West.

PREORDERS (going live soon!!! )

➔➔➔  Get Maryse’s Book Blog updates delivered by email (you’ll get one daily email that will have each post from that day consolidated on it).

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Tags: 04242020, Finds, Friday, Reader, RECOMMENDATIONS

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[keepyourpantsongohan]

Ayesha Liveblogs Fairy Tail S7 Part 2

Natsu and Gray went on a battle date how cute

“If there’s something you don’t want to see then stop looking” 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Lmao at this point Fairy Tail is just kind of like ‘we were 100% expecting for someone to fight us this is just our life’ 

“Sorry kid, I like ‘em full grown” FANTASY JELLAL IS FANTASTIC

Playing keepaway with the one magical item that might help you is probably not a good idea

“Children are much easier to assassinate” calm down Lord Voldemort

This is the most adorable dark power I’ve ever seen

“Girls just aren’t meant for fighting” KILL THEM LADIES

Natsu’s using a pretty loose definition of ‘adult’

Regression Man has not taken into account that Gray has been ready to fight since birth 

Someone needs to protect these small traumatized babies

I’m so proud of Gray for being so good at strategizing even when he’s like three feet tall  

It seems likes a poor decision to kill a demon on top of a sacred alter

DRAGON UNCLE THE FIRE DEITY 

I’m laughing at Gray grabbing Lucy’s forehead I guess that’s one way to cool her off 

“We don’t know why, or who’s responsible,” said Grand Doma, as Doranbolt and Lahar shared a look that said ‘Jellal?’

Well that escalated quickly poor Doranbolt he’s had a rough few years he must have the worst case of survivor’s guilt in history

“I could’ve sworn he already gave Juvia a clear cut answer in the form of a ‘No’” He did someone teach Juvia about consent

If they are going after former council members I am very concerned for Jellal 

It’s been a wild of ride from Laxus “I Will Murder All My Friends Including My Grandpa” Dreyar to Laxus “Defender of Little Girls and Old Men” and “Probably Fuckbuddies with Freed” Dreyar 

Poor little lightning man he deserves better than this

I love that Loke is present during important times because he’s a full-fledged member of the guild in his own right

Did Loke just tell Wendy that he fucked his way into important knowledge

The answer is yes, yes he did 

Michello is a piece of shit he wants Lucy to sacrifice a pregnant woman 

“You leave the town out of this,” said Natsu, before proceeding to destroy more of the town 

This is awful Elfman has already lived with the guilt of killing Lisanna once

I imagine “Immorality and Sinners” will not be nearly as fun an episode as the title might imply 

Midnight’s new character design is less goth and more Void

Leave Jellal and Erza be!!! They deserve a home together and five dogs not torture and guilt and five-on-one battles

Maybe I should rescind my comment on Juvia, Gray seems to be far more accepting of her presence near him than before

I KNEW HE LOOKED TOO MUCH LIKE GRAY HE’S 100% GRAY’S DAD I BET

“There’s a victim inside every villain - that doesn’t absolve us of our sins” I love Jellal so much 

This intro has induced a lot of stress what are they going to do to the guild hall what is going to happen to Jellal’s eyes please stop 

Why do they keep shooting holes through the people I love 

What the fuck man can Jellal see or what surely there were better ways to break through an illusion 

Chairman Crawford, probably: Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal 

Kyoka, after murdering someone: It would seem that I have blundered

Mirajane is my beautiful demon queen she could definitely step on me

“You’ve implied that there may be a time and I am oh so willing to wait” I live for Loke ddfkjghksjghjkhfklg

Lmao @ Alzack carrying his little girl in his poncho while he battles The Ultimate Dad 

If Mira claims to have demon blood does that mean her siblings are half-siblings and also is Gray part demon because of Silver? Unclear

[Timberland voice] Only got 41 minutes to save the world 

A lot of Fairy Tail’s problems this season would be solved if people communicated better

My best guess for the soul is Gildarts by merit of the fact we haven’t seen him since before the games

Nope

“Are you trying to beat me or take me home? Because either way I’m not that easy!” I am deadass in love with this boy

Good for Wendy it’s about time she enhanced her combat abilities I know she’s a healer but she’s also a dragon slayer

Based on how many repeated shots there are this season plus the different animation they have a lower budget but they will spend every cent they have animating Gray’s titties

This is so fucked up why the little girl and the cat what the fuck

DORANBOLT TO THE RESCUE WHAT A BABE

I fucking forgot about Hades’ finger guns good lord

Richard thinks Jellal is in love with Merudy because he has not seen him interact with Erza for ten seconds in the past seven years

“You don’t choose for her” Cobra is a closet women’s rights activist

Amazing Jellal and Merudy can win over the hearts of villains with beautiful sincerity and inadvertent charm 

The Strauss family is so Pure

Lucy is always losing her top after a battle but you know what so is Gray so fair enough 

I wasn’t expecting to feel so sad about the celestial spirits oh no

LUCY IS GOING TO WIELD HER OWN PHYSICAL ATTACKS AGAIN YESSSSSSSSS

“The passion is electric” Even the villains are always gay for Erza

Gajeel, Juvia, Gray and Natsu forming #ProtectLucySquad is my aesthetic

“I’ve liked Gray for much longer than he has” I’m pretty sure his dad’s not going to try to bang him Juvia

It’s like since Doranbolt was being a good surrogate dad to Wendy they had to immediately contrast it with what a terrible dad Jiemma was

They do an impressive amount of keeping track of when things happened to them because in Gray’s mind his parents’ deaths must’ve happened ten years ago

Oh no Gray his going to fight Deliora while wearing his dad’s corpse

My baby is so smart using the elements around him to fight 

“You shut your filthy demon mouth!” Panther Lily sounds so offended yet so calm it’s hilarious 

Gray’s life is so sad let him be (but I’m happy that he’s going to be in this arc more)

Silver is embodying my will and giving Gray the world’s longest hug

“I’m an ice demon slayer now,” Well that was quick and convenient

I don’t really think Juvia is going to die but if she does it’ll be unfortunate

I just really want all of Fairy Tail to know that Lucy saved the she deserves that acknowledgement 

“This is how I die, drowning, falling, fading into black,” Gajeel is so dramatic

I can’t believe that Levy just gave underwater CPR I’m not sure if that’s medically sound 

GAJEEL DOESN’T KNOW LEVY KISSED HIM also Gajeel’s plan is totally what I thought Levy was gonna do 

Laxus my lightning baby is back <3

“I’m running solely on vengeance” Laxus pls 

Gajeel is watching this fight terrified and a little turned on

I guess there’s a reason the voice of Laxus was cast as Fight Dad in Bleach because he is truly the Fight Dad of this guild 

For the most part they try to show that no one is beyond redemption, everyone has the potential to be better or have someone they care for except Tempester who is like ‘by the way fuck you all’ as he dies

That is a plot twist I was not expecting holy shit Natsu’s dad was hiding in his body does that mean that Wendy and Gajeel also have dragons inside of them

Kinda fucked up that Kyoka is goddess of the slave planet and she’s fighting Erza who was once a slave

Juvia is just gently holding Laxus like ‘I will protect this man twice my size’

“Even making the slightest of movements causes my entire body to be wracked with pain” same Panther Lily same

Erza is the greatest warrior I have ever seen in my life

Mard Geer is so upset about being ignored by the dragon bros

OH MY GOD GAJEEL IS PAUSING IN TRANSPORTING THE WOUNDED TO SING FOR LEVY

No one loves a dramatic entrance as much as Gray Fullbuster

I love the lizard boys 

Honestly Natsu and Gray teaming up to fight the Big Bad is the battle I’ve been waiting for my whole life 

“The only thing she was ever going to be good for was continuing my bloodline” it is possible Jiemma is the worst father in this show

My boys are so in sync they can match each other’s strikes without even saying a word 

I’M SO PROUD OF MY BOYS THEY DID GOOD 

Doranbolt is so graceful that coat toss arced right onto Lisanna’s shoulders

Fucking Jellal has he just been walking around for hours while the world is ending dude needs to work on his timing 

Zeref, talking about his own murder: It saddens me, but you failed

“If you don’t get that he’s out of your league by now, you’re probably a lost cause” Fdfkghkdfjhgkfdjghklf Bickslow and Freed are killing me

I have a lot of emotions about Gray and his dad but I’m glad he’s at peace

“It is possible though, that our paths will someday cross” Erza’s garbage boyfriend missed the battle but drops by with vaguely inspiring words and a lowkey ‘I’ll call you’

Whaaaaaaaaaaat Mest has had the most confusing life

It’s a testament to how tired I am that it did not occur to me right away that Etherious Natsu Dragneel spelled out END