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Blogmas #10 | December TBR

Hello everyone! ❄️ I hope you’re all having a beautiful day!!

You might wonder why I’m doing a TBR almost halfway through the month 👀 Well, today is my last day of exams and then I’m officially done with this semester 🥳, which means that I will have all the time that I want for reading. Usually I don’t even bother doing TBR’s because I’m a mood reader and constantly changing my mind about which books I want to pick up. However, there are several that I really want to get to before the end of the year, so I wanted to share them with you guys ☺️ There are way too many books in this list and I definitely won’t be able to read all of them in a month 😅 Regardless, I want to hear some of your thoughts if you’ve read them already.

But first, let’s do the Advent Calendar 🎄!

The objective of this Advent Calendar is to get to know each other better and learn about some of the things we love to do this time of year! I really hope that you guys decide to participate, and I can’t wait to read your answers as well. If you want to check out the upcoming questions go to this page.

What book are you currently reading? What book do you want to read next? Have you read or are planning to read any Christmas books this month?

I am currently reading another Christmas anthology called Tis The Season. It’s not that great so far 😕, but I’m hopeful that some of the stories will get better. If you guys want to know what I’ll be reading next, head on to the post!

Layla by Colleen Hoover

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love.

When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.

Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them.

The very first book I will be reading the minute I am free is Layla by Colleen Hoover!! You all probably know that I’m a HUGE CoHo fan 🤩, and even though I know that I will be terrified while and after reading this, I can’t wait 😆!

[Goodreads]


Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons

Ash is descended from a long line of gladiators, and she knows the brutal nature of war firsthand. But after her mother dies in an arena, she vows to avenge her by overthrowing her fire god, whose temper has stripped her country of its resources. Madoc grew up fighting on the streets to pay his family’s taxes. But he hides a dangerous secret: he doesn’t have the earth god’s powers like his opponents. His elemental gift is something else—something that hasn’t been seen in centuries.

When an attempted revenge plot goes dangerously wrong, Ash inadvertently throws the fire and earth gods into a conflict that can only be settled by deadly, lavish gladiator games. The fights put Madoc in Ash’s path, and she realizes that his powers are the weapon her rebellion needs—but Madoc won’t jeopardize his family, regardless of how intrigued he is by the beautiful warrior. But when the gods force Madoc’s hand, he and Ash uncover an ancient war that will threaten more than one immortal—it will unravel the world.

This is the book of the month for the BOOKS GO BOOM!! bookclub, which is hosted by Cherelle @ a bolt out of the book and Ashmita @ The Fictional Journal. Honestly, this looks epic and I can’t wait to get to know this world and discuss it with everyone on the club ☺️

[Goodreads]


Brave by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is the synopsis for Book #1

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans. Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

I’ve mentioned a couple of times this month that I’ve been reading the Wicked Trilogy by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I thought the first book was fine, but the second was definitely a great improvement 😄 I’m really excited to see how this story will end!

[Goodreads]


Faking Under the Mistletoe by Ashley Shepherd

Olivia Langley is the human embodiment of Christmas cheer, and she has absolutely no problem spreading it around for all to hear. Christmas sweaters? She has twenty. Christmas cookies? She’ll take three dozen. Christmas movies? Yeah, she’s seen them all. So it’s no surprise when she’s put in charge of Loveridge & McGowan’s holiday festivities. Secret Santas? Yep. Ice skating? Of course. Holiday trivia? Duh. Christmas-themed bar crawl? That’s one big jingle bell hell yes. Kissing her boss at a Christmas tree lighting in front of his ex-girlfriend? Well… it is the season of giving. And Olivia does not come with a gift receipt. No exchanges. No returns. No refunds. All sales are final.

In an effort to ungrinch the grinchiest man she’s ever met, Olivia enlists herself, Santa’s Executive Helper, to scheme up a plan that includes sleigh rides, snow days, and one too many mistletoe kisses, which certainly gets Asher’s tinsel in a tangle. She’s pretty sure that she sleighed this whole fake dating thing. Well… until she realizes there’s nothing fake about her feelings for Asher, and suddenly tangled tinsel, unsolicited Christmas trees, and celebrity heartthrobs are the least of her worries.

I went from barely reading holiday books to exclusively reading them this month 😅 I guess they’re helping me get into the Christmas spirit 😉 This romance looks right up my street, seen as lately I’ve been enjoying the fake-relationship trope a lot (which I never really did before).

[Goodreads]


Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas’s paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys, described by Entertainment Weekly as “groundbreaking.”

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

WHY HAVEN’T I READ THIS YET 😱?!?!?! I know it’s amazing and I’ve heard mostly wonderful things about it. I really want to read this before the end of the year so that I can finally share my thoughts on ti with all of you!

[Goodreads]


Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies. A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates. She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

Another book that I’ve been putting off without a valid reason 😓 This series sounds amazing and I’ve been looking forward to finding a new one to obsess over. I’m really hoping this will be it 😄

[Goodreads]


House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Mass

Bound by blood. Tempted by desire. Unleashed by destiny.

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it. With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.

Ok, so I’m not a Sarah J. Mass fan 😬 I read Throne of Glass and didn’t like it much, and I tried reading both Crown of Midnight and A Court of Thornes and Roses, but I didn’t finish either of them. BUT, I’ve heard very good things about this book from a lot of people that I trust, so I want to give this a chance.

[Goodreads]

I would love to know some of the books you guys have read or want to read on these last few weeks of 2020!