Locked In - Book Review

 

Locked In (Zombie Bedtime Stories #1)

by Thea Isis Gregory

What is it about:

Haley is enjoying her new job as a paramedic on a beautiful summer’s day. Not even her dour and sullen partner, Frank, can deflate her enthusiasm for life. Responding to a routine call near her former high school, she is excited to see her old hang-out spot, the park. On arrival, something is clearly wrong, and Haley is attacked by one of her old friends. Soon, she begins to experience disturbing changes in her personality and food preferences, until she wakes up a zombie. Her consciousness is suspended in a body that she can't control, and she needs to find a way to escape.

What did I think of it:

I'm always on the lookout for a good zombie story, so when I encountered the author on Social Media and she mentioned zombies I immediately got hold of her Zombie Bedtime Stories series and read the first book as it's only 18 pages.

And what a cool read!

It's told from the perspective of someone who has been infected and it's so well done! I was immediately hooked and wondering how this could and would end. Those 18 pages flew by. I was very glad I immediately got the whole series of short stories, because this one tastes like more!

You bet you can expect a review of the secons book real soon!

Why should you read it:

This is an amazing zombie read! 

Teaser Tuesdays - The Teller of Small Fortunes

I'm still reading this one. So far this is a really fun read, but I got stuck somewhere without physical book, so started on an e-book and read that first before continuing with this book.

But here with two unwanted escorts of dubious reputation, it had become something loud and unfamiliar. But not, thought Tao as their small party clanked on, entirely unpleasant.

(page 38 The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, previously hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their  TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Taylor Swift Reading Challenge 2025

I don't think I'll actively hunt down books that fit here, but it might be fun to see if my reading fits these.

 

On McPig's Wishlist - The Farmhouse

 

The Farmhouse

by Chelsea Conradt

Every woman who has lived on this farm has died. Emily just moved in. 

When Emily Hauk's mother dies, it's time for her and her husband, Josh, to finally leave San Francisco. A farm in rural Nebraska is everything they want for a fresh clear skies, low costs, and distance from the grief back home. 

They should have asked why the farm was for sale. 

Three years ago, a teenage girl went missing from the farm. Soon after, the girl's mother mysteriously died. The deeper Emily digs, the more stories she finds of women with a connection to her new home who've met their own dark ends.

The farmhouse was meant to be Emily's fresh start, but with each passing day, her sanctuary slips further away. The barn seems to move throughout her property, as though chasing her. Her mother's favorite music drifts across the corn. She swears she saw blood in one of the farmhand's trucks. And the screams that wake her are not foxes, no matter how many times her husband says otherwise.

Despite Josh's skepticism, Emily feels the darkness that has seeped into the soil of her farm. And if she wants to claim this place as her own, she'll have to find the truth before whatever watches from the cornfield takes her too.

Expected publication June 17, 2025

Revolution: Piercing the Veil - Early Musings

 

Revolution: Piercing the Veil by Samantha Minerva

What is it about:

Have you ever wondered what lurks beneath the surface of your conscious mind? Have you ever felt like your life has a purpose that you have yet to discover? Have you considered what happened to the five-year-old version of yourself? And where his or her zest for life went? Would you like to reclaim that part of you and create a life full of meaning, color, and joy?

Join one woman on her quest through the deep and dark underworld of human consciousness, as she confronts every fear, wound, and shadow keeping her from the ultimate truths about life, love, and reality. Her rawness and realness will reach into places deep inside of you, shining a light on the parts of you that are screaming to be seen, held, and acknowledged.

This is not a journey for the faint of heart, but a journey into the heart of pain, to reveal the gold buried beneath it all.

What are my early musings:

Only on page 30 of over 300 of this book of poetry, but this is a book to savor and take in just a few poems at the time. I really recommend giving this a try if you have kindle unlimited. Beautiful and sometimes dark, these poems are a delight to read.

Amazon

Teaser Tuesdays - The Teller of Small Fortunes

 

On the day the Teller of Small Fortunes came to Necker, the village was in an uproar because the candlemaker's would-be apprentice had lost all the goats.

Laohu plodded to a stop in the town square and Tao patted his rump.

(page 1, The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, previously hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their  TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Legends & Lattes - Book Review (reread/repost)

 

Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1)

by Travis Baldree

What is it about:

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success—not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

What did I think of it:

This book has been all over the internet and has been lauded by lots of people, but it took me a while to pick it up as I was a bit wary. Finally I caved.

And this is such a pleasant and fun read!

I loved reading about Viv's attempts to start a coffee shop, and about the people she manages to meet and befriend on the way. It's mostly a fluffy and cozy read about friendship, with just enough obstacles thrown in to keep the story engaging.

If you've played Dungeons and Dragons there's tons of things that you'll recognize, but for people who haven't, this book is a perfectly entertaining and enjoyable read as well. There's a tiny bit of romance, lots of coffee, and good friends.

Definitely a keeper!

Why should you read it:

It's fluffy, cozy, and totally enjoyable.

Thoughts on rereading:

Still a delight and definitely worth rereading especially when you need a book that's like a warm hug.

Happy 2025 and Challenge Update

 

Time to see how I've done last year with my challenges.

So let's start by saying that 2024 was a total WTF?! year for us. So reading was one of the things suffering from that as you may have noticed by the lack of reviews.

We finished 60 books in 2024.

24 of those were rereads.

6 were Orphans,

4 of them were from 2023, 1 from 2021, and 1 from 'how and were did I even get this?'.

My series challenge:

Series:

Karma Marx duology: Done!

House Immortal trilogy: Done!

Dark Swan series: Done!

Jessie Shimmer trilogy: 1 read, 2 to go

Souls of Fire series: DNF

Esther Diamond series: 2 read, 3 in my TBR, 2 to track down

Well... We didn't do too bad on these. 

We decided to stop with Souls of Fire because we seriously disliked the main love interest. We liked the other two friends with benefits and couldn't stand the heroine thirsting after a real big jerk, while two perfectly fine men wear there for her.

So for 2025 we'll try to get 12 Orphaned books off the TBR. Which should be easy with how the TBR pile is big!

We will also keep working on those two series we haven't finished yet.

Some of the books we read in 2024

I decided to not chase after reviews and start afresh in 2025, but feel free to poke me if you're curious about my thoughts.

Happy 2025 to all and Happy Reading.