Fortnightly Update #39: Post-Eclipse Reading

I was invited to a place where the total eclipse was taking place. For weeks we'd heard it was probably better staying home and seeing a partial eclipse (with the eclipse glasses) than going to see the total, where all the people from out of state or country would be. Despite the warnings, we went, and it was amazing. The traffic on the way up wasn't bad, but on the way back a one hour drive was turned into a six and a half hour ordeal. I spent most of this month focusing on reading because most of my energy has been devoted to keeping my plants alive and watered in this (unusually warm) summer heat.

Recent Acquisitions (or the Piling of the-Piles):

the-pile Additions:

I bought a stack of books from Better World Books- with the discounts, it ended up being about $2.63 per used book- which was really good, considering most of them were in almost-new shape.

Myself When Young: The Shaping of a Writer by Daphne du Maurier
I love Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, so I figured it couldn't hurt to learn more about her from her own perspective.

Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood
I also love Margaret Atwood's books, and I hope this one will be another winner for me.

Shadows by Robin McKinley
Surprisingly (for me) this is a YA, but it is written by yet another of my favorite authors, Robin McKinley. It sounds urban fantasy-ish, which I hope I'll like.

Classic Ghost Stories by Charles Keeping
Some of the stories I reviewed for Mini Macabre Review Monday are in this collection, and I hope to find more for this year's edition.

Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #7) by Ilona Andrews
I am collecting the Kate Daniels series as physical books (because I love them). I have all the digital copies, but even with my vision being wonky lately, I like physical books.

Immortal in Death (In Death #3) by J.D. Robb
Glory in Death (In Death #2) by J.D. Robb
This series is seriously addictive. I consider myself a crime tv aficionado, but with the futuristic sci-fi bent to this series, I find myself still guessing by the end. If you like your mysteries with a dash of romance, these are for you.

Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels #3) by Ilona Andrews
Another one of my new physical copies of the Kate Daniels series.

Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels #5.5) by Ilona Andrews
This one was new to me, but given the voraciously reading state I'm in it was devoured posthaste.

the-invisible-pile Additions:

River of Teeth (River of Teeth #1) by Sarah Gailey

This book had a lot of buzz this year because hippo wranglers. It's about people who ride hippos and plan on rounding up the feral population in this alternate history version of the U.S.A. I was clued in about this book by Heather's review at Based on a True Story.

Currently Reading:

River of Teeth (River of Teeth #1) by Sarah Gailey

So far, I am enjoying it. As always my favorite part of this book is the animals- in this book's case, the hippos. I know in real life hippos are one of the deadliest critters around, but if there were non-feral mini hippos (that were humanely raised and not poached from the wild)... I'd want one.

Finished These Books: (Since the beginning of August)

Rereads:

White Hot (Hidden Legacy #2) by Ilona Andrews
Wildfire (Hidden Legacy #3) by Ilona Andrews
I reviewed White Hot after rereading it, and was planning to review Wildfire, but I guess other things got in my way. I think the ratings on both would be the same, but I slightly prefer White Hot because it has a memorable scene with ferrets. Sadly, none are on the cover.

Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews
I think I wanted to do a full reread of this series, but I stalled after I got my Better World Books shipment. I still love this one just as much as when I read it the first time.

Magic Slays (Kate Daniels #5) by Ilona Andrews
I reread this just to freshen myself up on the state of things before reading Gunmetal Magic. As always, it's nice to revisit old favorites.

Fresh Reads:

The Captive (Captive Hearts #1) by Grace Burrowes
I liked this one. I can't recall much detail about my likes and dislikes of it right now, but I know the characters won me over because I rated it 3 Stars and it's a romance. It passed the Litha Gauntlet.

Moonshadow (Moonshadow #1) by Thea Harrison
This was on sale in July and I think I snagged it and forgot to add it to Goodreads. It is a paranormal romance that starts with a woman having an induced vision of a man on a battlefield, a man who tries to attack her. She is then offered the chance to get a free estate in the UK, if she can open the door, which is magically shut. This is one of the more plot-heavy paranormal romances I've come across and I enjoyed it.

Glory in Death (In Death #2) by J.D. Robb

Immortal in Death (In Death #3) by J.D. Robb
I'm not sure why I kept switching these two around in pictures, but Glory in Death (with the blue cover and red heels) is the 2nd book, with Immortal in Death being the 3rd. As I mentioned, these are excellent reading fodder for me because they keep me guessing and have the proper amount of humor, romance, and drama.

Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels #5.5) by Ilona Andrews
This one was new to me, but given the voraciously reading state I'm in it was devoured posthaste. This book focuses on Andrea, who is Kate's best friend. Despite having some funny moments, it doesn't quite measure up with the rest of the series, but I would still give it 3.5 Stars.

Magic Gifts (Kate Daniels #5.4) by Ilona Andrews

Magic Gifts is another non-essential novella that adds to the Kate Daniels series. It's set slightly before Gunmetal Magic, and I preferred it to Gunmetal Magic because nothing quite beats Kate and Curran.

In My Life:

I was putting out my Better World Books haul when Leia decided it was actually a nest for her to sit in.

I have no clue what got into Torrie, but I'm pretty sure she's fed up with me taking pictures or Leia being the subject of them.

Did you see the eclipse?