Five Star Friday - Whiskey

This week's Five Star read was read by Meg!

Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

I’m the Dixon who left.
Through the good, bad, and worst imaginable, I stayed gone.
When I return home after a decade, I’m not surprised by the cold reception from my family... or my brother’s best friend.

Emberly Olsen.

I spent my childhood tormenting her.
Now these days with her feel like the cruelest sort of unintended revenge.
We’ve changed.
She’s changed.
Pure confidence and sensuality, but her pouty lips and heavy-lidded eyes scream contempt. And word around town? She’s untouchable.

But after sharing a few drinks, her snide comments turn teasing.
Sneers become smiles.
Huffs change to laughs.
Laughs to moans, sweeter than any sound.
Years of animosity ignite into carnal need and passion.

We can blame it on the whiskey.
I have a feeling we’ll try.
But we aren’t that drunk.

Genre? Contemporary Fiction/Romance

Backlist? No. Published April 6, 2020.

New to me Author? Nope!

Why I rated it 5 stars? 

Another great book by Molly McAdams. Loved getting to meet another Dixon brother. He made me swoon in a whole different way than Sawyer, but had me falling in love with him all the same. I'm also a complete sucker for a brother's best friend slash second chance romance and Emberley and Cayson delivered it in spades.  

Five Star Friday - Fix

This week's Five Star read was read by Meg!

Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

I’m a lot of things.
The youngest Dixon. Town handyman. Best you’ll ever have . . . you’re welcome.
One thing I’m not? The guy who falls in love.

When Rae Jacobs enters my town with her ever-present laptop and caffeine addiction, she offers me a fleeting glance and a simple demand:
Don’t fall in love with her.
Bold.
Assuming.
Laughable, considering she isn’t exactly my type.

Wasn’t.
But she inadvertently shook up my life with her alluring, carefree spirit until I wanted more.
Until I made her mine.
She’s a habit I can’t quit. A fix I can’t get enough of.

Each day brings me closer to saying the three words I’ve always mocked.
But with one call, the piled-high secrets she’s kept start unraveling around her, and I have a feeling the demand that first day wasn’t so simple.

Genre? Contemporary Fiction/Romance

Backlist? Yes. Published November 4, 2019.

New to me Author? Definitely not.

Why I rated it 5 stars? 
There has not been a single book of Molly's I haven't enjoyed. Her Forgiving Lies/Deceiving Lies series are always mentioned when I talk about books I've loved. Rae and Sawyer have at the very least tied Kash and Rachel as my favorite couple from Molly.  I can't wait to read the rest of this series! 

Meg's "Book Challenge by Erin 13.0" List

Jay explained the premise of Book Challenge by Erin last week. So here's my chance to share my list! (I was successful last time so fingers crossed!)

Freebie - Read any book that's at least 200 pages: Otherwise Engaged by Lindsay J. Palmer

Starts with an "S": Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres

Preposition in the Title: After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

Odd Number in a Series: One Foot in the Grave (Carly Moore #3) by Denise Grover Swank

Set in a Different Country: Steve and Me by Terri Irwin

Female Police Officer/Detective: B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

Immigrant Main Character: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

"Thing" in Title: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

October themed: Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (Mental Health)

City/Town/Village in Title: Paper Towns by John Green



             

             

                                              


It's not too late to join! The challenge runs through October 31st. If anything, it's fun to read through other people's lists to find more for my TBR!

[Side note from Jay -- I've read 7 of these books and greatly approve of Meg's list!]

Five Star Friday - Unicorn Untamed

This week's Five Star read was read by Meg!

Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads: We’ve all done things we’re not proud of.
We all struggle with emotions we’re ashamed of.
We all have darkness we try to hide.
What if you could learn the tools to take the bad shit...and turn it into a beautiful sparkle?
Unicorn Untamed takes you on a journey of messy, uncomfortable self-discovery with some hard truths to help you become a better version of yourself...your true unicorn self.

Genre? Memoir

Backlist? No. Published March 30, 2020.

New to me Author? Yes. This was her debut.

Why I rated it 5 stars? 

I have loved being in Lin's Facebook group of the same name. This book had me nodding my head and using my digital highlighter frequently. Lin made me feel like it was a conversation between friends & I loved the new information I learned as well.

Jay's "Book Challenge by Erin 13.0" List

Twice a year, I like to take part of a fun reading challenge called Book Challenge by Erin. There are ten categories and you get to choose your own book. The only rules are: you have to start and finish the book within the timeframe of the challenge, books must be over 200 pages, only one re-read allowed.

I've only successfully completed this challenge twice (once being earlier this year!), but I'm determined to make 13.0 another success. Here are a look at the categories and the books I've chosen. (As of this posting, 7/14/2020, I've barely started one book).

Freebie - Read any book that's at least 200 pages: Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

Starts with an "S": Sizzlin' Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

Preposition in the Title: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

Odd Number in a Series: Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

Set in a Different Country: The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz

Female Police Officer/Detective: Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (I was told a bounty hunter worked)

Immigrant Main Character: The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

"Thing" in Title: Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin (Yes, I'm aware of the controversy with her, but I've owned this for a long time)

October themed: Home Before Dark by Riley Sagar

City/Town/Village in Title: Misadventures of a City Girl by Meredith Wild



             

             

                                              


It's not too late to join! The challenge runs through October 31st. If anything, it's fun to read through other people's lists to find more for my TBR!

Meg's 6 Month Round-Up

Here's a look at what I, Meg, have read so far this year...

Total # of books read: 49    

Total # of pages read: 17, 253

Total # of audiobook hours: 11.41

Total # of DNFs: 0

Average Rating: 3.98

(Links to Goodreads)

Favorite Thriller read: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

Favorite Contemporary Fiction read: The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir

Favorite Romance read: Whiskey by Molly McAdams

Favorite Memoir read: A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold

Favorite Sci-Fi read: N/A

Favorite Fantasy read: N/A

Favorite Non-Fiction read: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Favorite Mystery read: N/A

Favorite Historical Fiction read: N/A

Favorite Middle Grade or Young Adult read: N/A

Favorite Classic read: N/A

Favorite ARC read: I only read Brave Enough by Jessie Diggins as an ARC, but I really enjoyed it. 

Favorite Overall Read: The Wives or The Book of Essie I'd say 

Books I recommend EVERYONE read (Links to Goodreads): 

Just Mercy
The Book of Essie

Books that surprised me (Links to Goodreads):

Just Mercy
No Exit

Five Star Reads of 2020 (Links to Five Star Friday):

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
No Exit by Taylor Adams

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
Unicorn Untamed by Lin Reynolds
Fix by Molly McAdams
Whiskey by Molly McAdams
Never Enough by Kelly Elliot
Up Shute Creek by Denise Grover Swank
Come Rain or Shine by Denise Grover Swank
When the Bough Breaks by Denise Grover Swank

DNF (Links to Goodreads):

I have no DNFs yet this year

Most Anticipated Read for the Rest of 2020 (Link to Goodreads): 
Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover! 
Live in Love by Lauren Akins (Thomas Rhett's wife!)

How am I doing on my goals I set back in January?

Review each book I've read? Yep, you can check out all of my reviews on my Goodreads page! 

Read 100 books? I'm sitting at 49 books read as of the 1st. 
Reach 500 followers on IG? Right around 800 like Jayme said Read at least 25 books that I bought prior to 2020? I'm sitting at 17/25. That's not too shabby!

Jay's 6 Month Round-Up

WOWZA!! Can you believe that 2020 is almost over?! Here's a look at what I, Jay, have read so far this year...

Total # of books read: 77

Total # of pages read: 19,992

Total # of audiobook hours: 253.2

Total # of DNFs: 5

Average Rating: 4.013

(Links to Goodreads)

Favorite Thriller read: Either The Wives by Tarryn Fisher or Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

Favorite Contemporary Fiction read: The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood

Favorite Romance read: Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbett

Favorite Memoir read: Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Favorite Sci-Fi read: Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

Favorite Fantasy read: Let It All Burn by Denise Grover Swank

Favorite Non-Fiction read: The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff

Favorite Mystery read: A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson

Favorite Historical Fiction read: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Favorite Middle Grade or Young Adult read: One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus

Favorite Classic read: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Favorite ARC read: When the Bough Breaks by Denise Grover Swank

Favorite Overall Read: Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Books I recommend EVERYONE read (Links to Goodreads): 

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins

The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Books that surprised me (Links to Goodreads):

Darling Rose Gold - I just built that one up so much in my head that I was a little let down. It was definitely still a good book though! 

Fahrenheit 451 - I definitely tend to avoid classics, but I actually really enjoyed this one! It's crazy though because I could definitely see it happening in real life. 

Know My Name - Just the subject matter gives me chills.

Let It All Burn - When my favorite author said she was going to write a paranormal book I was like um...no? Fantasy is never my thing. But I loved it!

Five Star Reads of 2020 (Links to Five Star Friday):

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

I Can Be A Better You by Tarryn Fisher

Let It All Burn by Denise Grover Swank

The Killer Across the Table by John E. Douglas

Her Scream in the Silence by Denise Grover Swank

A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson

When the Bough Breaks by Denise Grover Swank

The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

DNF (Links to Goodreads):

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mendel

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamandah Ngoze Adichie

The Genius of Women by Janice Kaplan

Most Anticipated Read for the Rest of 2020 (Link to Goodreads): Layla by Colleen Hoover

How am I doing on my goals I set back in January?

Read at least 5 classic novels: 1/5

Expand my reading into more non-fiction: Oh, I definitely have.

Reach 500 followers on Bookstagram: We're right around 800!

Read 120 books: 77/120

Finish Denise Grover Swank's backlist: By my count, she's written 66 books (if you count Let Sleeping Dogs Lie and The Rose Journals from her newsletter - which she plans on publishing at some point). I've read 41.