Personal Highlights from this month:

• Week of March 1st through March 7th:
  • On March 4th, Mr. Z was honored by our local Rotary Club with a Student of Distinction award. He is our 2nd child to get this award. Miss B got it in her junior year.
  • Miss R got her 2nd treatment of braces on March 5th. She was very sore and unhappy about the bite bar they put on her back teeth.
  • Mr. Z attended the first of two robotics competitions over the weekend. The first one is taking place in Carrabus County.
• Week of March 8th through March 14th:
  • Miss B and Miss J moved into their first apartment!! BK took the day off (and it was already no school for Miss R and Mr. Z), and we moved them in!!
• Week of March 15th through March 21st:
  • Mr. Z had a cough that had been lingering for a week, so I took him to the doctor. I thought he would have either bronchitis or a sinus infection. Nope, he had pneumonia. We caught it right at the beginning, so that was good!!
  • Miss R addressed a bullying issue at school. I’m not going to get into it, but a boy had been physically and verbally going after her. She talked to the assistant principal, and it was dealt with.
  • Miss R also had a St. Paddy’s Day dance at school on Friday.
  • Miss R, Mr. Z, BK, and Miss R’s BFF went to see Project Hail Mary. Her science class has been reading the book (finished it on Friday), and her science teacher wanted the entire 6th grade to see the movie. He rented out the theater, and the tickets were only $5 per person. I declined to go because I hate watching movies after reading the books.
• Week of March 22nd through March 28th:
  • Miss R had to go back to the Dr on the 24th. She had been complaining of a blocked ear since Friday. She had an ear infection that didn’t clear up after she had a sinus/ear infection at the end of February/beginning of March. Hopefully, this antibiotic (not amoxicillin) will do its job. This is the first time in the 20 years I have been a mother that amoxicillin didn’t clear up an ear infection.
  • We got the financial aid packet from App State for Mr. Z. Not going to say how much he has to pay (if no scholarships come through), but it’s a lot….sigh.
  • Miss R broke her wire on her top braces, so off to the orthodontist we went to get it fixed.

Books I Read:

• The Legends of Dhanen’Mar series:
  • Seeds of Betrayal (Book 4.2): This is Sewyn’s story, which explains why she took the actions she did. I did not like Sewyn, and reading this book made me dislike her even more. None of the main characters from the other books are even mentioned (except for Devlin and Taleb, but not by name). I am very curious about how Adrienne’s storyline is going to progress and who the heck Brienne was!!
  • Legacy of Blood (Book 4.4): Finally, we get the story about Qyn’s parents and how they met!! This book didn’t disappoint. I loved Serena’s spunkiness, and Kain didn’t disappoint at all. I also liked that they introduced the major players I expect to see in the upcoming books. There is also a huge twist (and it is huge) regarding Serena’s pregnancy and what happened afterward. All I have to say is that Serena is one of the strongest characters in this series.
  • Dreams of Mist (Book 4.6): This is Qyn’s story. It takes place immediately after the events of Path of Stars. I have a feeling that there is going to be a huge face-off between Qyn and Serena. There was a brief face-off between them that ended in Qyn’s favor. I also loved that the author got more into his due’foi’beni talents. I am also very curious about Lora. She is unbelievably shy and disfigured (until they get her to a Master Healer), but Qyn is taken with her. A possible romance? Oh, and the mystery of Brienne was answered, and it was HUGE!!
  • Binds of Fate (Book 5): Where do I even start? This book was insane. Devlin is forced to flee Aralexia after the events of Paths of Stars. Taleb realizes that his actions have consequences. Synna and Knoxx arrive in Kohtala with the children (after the events of Dreams of Mist). Lora and her brother are left in Kohtala, and Vivienne is first taken to the city of Revenge and then to Aralexia, where she is placed with Raegan. The Jennites are preparing for war in the North, so Baelin, Taleb, and Madi head there. Meanwhile, Flynn finally gets the Amethyst but at a huge price. He delivers the Amethyst to Synna and Qyn in Kohtala, where they prepare for another battle with Sweyn. But this battle has consequences, and a main character is caught up in it. But a very important lesson is learned, and adjustments are made in time for another attack. This attack takes out another key player (for good, I hope) and tests the Amethyst against the Emerald. Meanwhile, the war in the North is amping up, and Taleb is doing his best to avert it. Baelin does his best to kill Rydin (in battle and through subterfuge) but is thwarted by Rydin’s double Chaos. The Emerald is brought to the North and unleashed on the Jennite army. Half of the army gets a deadly plague, and the other half is left alone….thanks to Rydin’s double Chaos. There is another huge twist in the storyline that made my jaw drop when it was revealed. The book ends with a jaw-dropping revelation and a plan to go find the curse-maker. Oh, and there was a hint of who Flynn is, and one of the main clues was the weapon he carried.
  • Coils of Eternity (Book 5.2): This book takes place 200 years before the series begins. This is also Cryslyn’s story. What got me is that Cryslyn wasn’t a piksie in this book. She was a normal (well, normalish) 15-year-old girl who lived on the run with her mother. The reveal that she was a shapeshifter didn’t surprise me; there were hints in the previous books. I was a little surprised at the end of the book. The explanation for the situation that kept her in Piksie form was sad. But, also sad is what her mother did to Dain. I am looking forward to seeing where he turns up in future books. I also wonder if Cryslyn will ever shapeshift back to her human form.
  • Tangle of Thorns (Book 5.4): This long-awaited book is about Rydin’s younger sister, Andora. It explains the circumstances behind her death (starting with a unicorn). There was a lot more than her just dying. Andora had foreseen her death and the future, including Rydin meeting Madi and Madi becoming one of the central figures in the quests for the Catalyst Stones. She also gave Rydin a list of names. These names were of the men who assaulted her right before her death (there were twelve). And Auguries of Dawn starts off with Rydin finishing that list. But it also shows that Rydin knew he had to meet Madi and that he was instrumental in everything that would happen. That, I did not see coming.
  • Trail of Masks (Book 5.6): So, this book is set towards the end of Binds of Fate. Callan is sent to Vernon to rescue Adrienne, but he first has to complete a task for Vernon’s king: assassinate the assassins who are targeting the king. Then he can go do what he was sent to Vernon to do. Meanwhile, Garitt Simig (the last surviving royal after his family was killed in O’Kada) meets with Vernon’s king to discuss a possible alliance. He also meets up with Knoxx, who is carrying the Amethyst. They are told to go help Callan (whom they don’t like) rescue Adrienne. And there is also the issue of Tossani, who tortured Callan and Tishan. Adrienne is staying with him, and Callan is itching to get revenge. I was very satisfied reading this book because of the ending of two of the villains. For now, there are 3, with one temporarily out of commission.
  • Labyrinth of Myths (book 6): This is the last full book in the series. Unfortunately, the author died before she could complete the series. And again, a lot happened. So here it goes!
    • Qyn dreamwalked into the past with Brienne. He learns about them
    • and their creation, which surprises him. It involves a captive cursebreaker, a coded codex, and a secret that changes everything.
    • Rydin and Cryslyn search for the current cursebreaker and his protector. When he finds them, he learns that Cryslyn is a shapeshifter who has been stuck in piksie form for over 200 years. Rydin is blown away by that revelation and by how young Cryslyn is (she just turned 15 in Coils of Eternity). He convinces the cursebreaker to return and destroy the stones.
    • Callan, Dego, and Tishan are in Vernon and seeking to assassinate the fake Tassoni. They also decide to take out the other two baddies while they are there and to get the Sapphire. Tishan grabs the Sapphire but drops the Amethyst.
    • Taleb decides to correct his mistake of turning down the crown. But he does it in a gruesome way that terrifies his people.
    • Garrit is crowned the king of O’Kada and vows to avenge his people.
  • Crown of Thieves (book 6.2): Set five years before Auguries of Dawn, this novella follows Flynn—a character whose true identity is shrouded in mystery throughout the series, finally revealed in this book. Flynn is actually Aharon Shai, son of the royal guard’s captain in Ceja. Exiled for nearly killing his father, Aharon returns at the request of his best friend, Prince Neco, and arrives to find chaos. The elderly king forces his twelve children to fight to the death to determine the next ruler. Aharon, horrified, is compelled to protect Neco and his betrothed Aya (Neco’s sister), plunging himself into the violent contest. The author also explores how he became Flynn, which I enjoyed.
• Mystic Stones Series by Kayla Curry:
  • Obsidian (Book 1): I was on the fence about this book for 90% of the book. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Instalove (Ava/Tom and Ava/Jesse). I also wished there had been more discussion of how the lack of Internet access was affecting the world (there were comments). I wasn’t a fan of how Ava’s secret was told (and the fact that there was exactly one hint before Jesse dropped that bomb). I did like that Ava turned into a badass boss girl towards the end (after finding out everything) and served Tom a little bit of justice. It was a different type of paranormal romance, and I’m not sure I’d read it again.
  • Ruby (book 1.5): This book is just a rewrite of book 1, except from Tom’s POV. The author condenses everything, which makes this book a very short read.
• Black Rebel Riders MC Series by Glenna Maynard:
  • Grim: The Beginning (Book 1): Grim was a fast read, but man, it was all over the place. I normally don’t comment on anything like this, but this book seriously needed some editing. I also couldn’t stand the Instalove between Red and Grim (I hate Instalove). And the violence was insane. Even the ending was a cluster. I mean, how did the baby survive being shot in the womb? So many unanswered questions.
• Through Your Eyes by B.J.S. Bal: This book was confusing AF. It was a time-travel/science-fiction/romance (well, kinda) that was all over the place. The storyline did kinda get on track later in the book. To be honest, the end of the book was the best part because the main character took the villain and “took care” of him, which effectively changed the future and changed the book (if that makes sense).
• Highlander Heat Series by Joanne Wadsworth:
  • Highlander’s Castle (Book 1): This book is what I call a fluff book (and I enjoy fluff books). A fluff book is one where the plotline is super easy to follow, the characters are unremarkable, and I can breeze through it without worrying about missing anything. I enjoyed the book’s time-travel angle (wishing on a Faerie Flag was awesome). I also liked that the author used real-life landmarks/historical figures and items to make the book feel more authentic. I look forward to the rest of the series, either free or on Kindle Unlimited.
• Let It Be Series by Barbara Speak:
  • Let It Be Me (Book 1): This book was slightly more serious than the previous book I read. The main female character, Arianna, was involved with something that caused her family to up and leave Baltimore. Her step-dick (my favorite phrase in the entire book) was very abusive to Arianna (mentally, emotionally, physically). There are several scenes of graphic abuse in the book. The main male character, Canyon, was her savior in every sense. He figured out pretty early in the book about the abuse. The book did a 180 after the barn fire that killed almost all of Canyon’s breeding stock (that drove me to tears). It was finally revealed what happened that made Arianna’s family pack up and move to Montana, and, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting it. I also wasn’t expecting the book’s outcome or ending!! I will definitely be looking for the other books to either be free or on Kindle Unlimited.
• Montana Promises Series by Vella Day:
  • Promises of Mercy (Book 1): For a menage book, this got pretty deep. The main story was focused on Amber and her menage relationship with Cade and Stone. But there was a secondary storyline that focused on mercy killings occurring at the hospital where Amber works. I do want to warn that there are graphic sex scenes that include some light bondage.
  • Foundation for Three (Book 2): This book focuses on Zoey, Thad, Pete, and their relationship (yes, this is another menage book). Like Promises of Mercy, this book got pretty deep. Zoey is a therapist who counsels hospital workers. There is a murder, and Zoey is put in the killer’s crosshairs because of what she knows. There is also a secondary storyline surrounding Thad’s job (he’s a detective) and gangs. There are some pretty intense sex scenes. The author also made the characters very relatable (well, to a point; I’ve never been in a menage relationship, but I get what Zoey and Thad went through with Pete). There was also a very sweet conclusion to Amber, Cade, and Stone’s story towards the end of this book, along with a hint of what will happen to Zoey, Thad, and Pete.
  • Montana Fire (Book 3): This book focuses on Jamie (whose boyfriend in book one was behind the mercy killings) and Max (an ex-cop turned arson investigator whose family was killed in a fire set by a drug dealer). The romance started off slowly because both Jamie and Max had trauma from their previous relationships. Another factor in the relationship taking its time was the attacks/threats against Jamie. But once Max and Jamie were forced together, the sparks ignited. From about midway through the book on, there was a ton of sex. But the author didn’t forget the storyline and had Max protect Jamie and identify the terrorist cells. There was also, at the end of the book, a very sweet update with Amber, Cade, and Stone; a surprise for Jamie, a trip for Zoey, and a hint at who the next book was going to be about.

Reading highlights from the month

• Continued the Legends of Dhanen’Mar series from February. I wasn’t expecting it to take me as long as it did to get through the series. But that said, the series is excellent, and I was savoring every book.
• I stopped doing my monthly post featuring what books I got for free. It was getting time-consuming.

Monthly Playlist (I use songs featured in the book, if there are any, along with a playlist generated by ChatGPT).

Featured Song of the Month