Tome Thursday: The Blood Locket Mystery

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back to the blog.

 

I'm finally climbing out of the hole that is our Mardi Gras, which we celebrated just this week, and for which the bakery I work at produced ... insane amounts of sweet treats, let's put it that way.

 

So we're FINALLY now entering more normal stages again, and I don't feel like I'm drowning anymore.

 

Instead, I get to enjoy some really, really good books.

 

Among them is this one.

 

I actually read it much sooner than it's making the debut here on the blog, but I just couldn't get to it sooner.

 

Too many books, too little time.

 

Now, at last, here we are back in Byrd Nash's imaginary world where ghosts run around and ghost talkers try to lasso them back, and one apprentice finds herself on her own for a mysterious case.

 

That's what we get in The Blood Locket Mystery!

 

Tome Thursday: Elemental Awakening

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome.

 

Welcome to tonight's book of choice, which landed in my lap literally forever ago and completely at random - so random, in fact, that I can't even remember how!

 

Although I have vague recollections of finding a post asking for ARC readers for it, and applying thinking that it was never going to happen, yet here I am.

 

Having read the ARC, backed the Kickstarter project, and now seeing the book release into the world.

 

Because yes, it's release week, bby!

 

The official published prints went live February 9, and it has been a WILD ride. It's only getting better too, because the second book is coming this summer, there's a novella focusing on a fan favoured side character slated for autumn ... it's a good time to be in this world, is what I'm saying.

 

So buckle up, get your fingers all flexed and ready, sharpen those swords, and dust off ye ole leathers from our Empyrean drought; here there be dragons!

 

Let's walk with them in Elemental Awakening.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Sikandar

 

"No one is above the law."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to this week's movie of choice.

 

And boy, is it a GOOD one.

 

Of course, if you look at IMDB or any of the movie critics' sites, you'll probably think this stinks to high hell and won't ever touch it.

 

I've learned not to trust those evaluations, because more often than not my personal taste will diverge WILDLY from what the world says you should or shouldn't like. It always comes down to what YOU personally want.

 

And this one is beautiful, with a soulful story that made me cry at least three times (but who's counting?!?).

 

Buckle up, then, grab some tissues, and of course your favourite snacks, because we'll be running into Bollywood at full-speed.

 

It's time for Sikandar.

 

Tome Thursday: Lily & Thorne

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to this week's book of choice.

 

Now if you've been following me for a bit, you might remember that this title seems familiar to some extent.

 

Perhaps you're thinking: have I seen this before?

 

Have you?

 

Well, turns out, you have!

 

Originally published as part of an anthology, this particular novella got expanded upon, rewritten, and re-published!

 

And, because I'm a good soul like that - and also, because Rhi Hargadon is an absolute ANGEL - I'm here to write a quick review about this new version of the tale.

 

Without further ado: Lily & Thorne!

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

 

"Perhaps one day, when this terrible war is ended, 

we shall work again together, eh?

And Poirot will explain it all to you."

 

Hello everyone!

 

My, but it's been a WHILE since I've done one of these.

 

It's a shame really, because this piece tonight happens to be part of one of my all-time favourite series ever made, and I'm talking EVER.

 

There is nothing out there that can compare to it.

 

Basically, I'm someone who grew up watching Jeremy Brett play his way through Sherlock Holmes stories, then once I was old enough, I switched to this.

 

But apparently all I've ever done have been snippets and vague looks into the series, which won't do!

 

It's time to be more serious about it, possibly even gotta-catch-em-all serious.

 

So without further ado, let's hop straight into The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

 

Tome Thursday: Midnight Bargain

 

Hello everyone!

 

It's been a bit since I started this trilogy of books from Serenity Woods, and while it actually already concluded well before 2025 ended, I simply couldn't fit it into my review schedule otherwise.

 

So here we are tonight.

 

And I mean, you KNOW I'll be reviewing a Serenity Woods book any chance I get, right?

 

Obviously.

 

I love her romance stories, the realness of them, the obstacles she writes so cleverly, but most importantly the way she writes her couples, who never do the dramatic Hallmark-y thing but actually behave like real people in real situations.

 

THAT's the draw for me, and why I keep coming back for more.

 

... well, that and all her hot billionaire men LOL. 

 

Without further ado, let's wrap up Midnight Billionaires, shall we, since we're starting a new series soon enough? Here's Midnight Bargain.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

 

"The War has started. A Great Stirring is underway."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to the next installment in our Greek mythology adaptation saga which began a few years back with Disney acquiring rights to adapt these books in the first place.

 

Now, I'm not here to talk about what's good or bad or whatever, although I'll definitely touch on some of those things, but I'm mostly just here to give you a rundown of how the second season unfolded, what you can watch happen during it, and what to expect going forward.

 

But to do that, we actually have to dive INTO the story.

 

You can't really do a review without talking about exactly what you've been alluding to now, can you??

 

So without further ado.

 

Sharpen those weapons, demigods, and wake up, because it's time to pick a side. Will you fight for order or for chaos? And no, this isn't Assassin's Creed.

 

This is the second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.