Tag Archives: Lit Chat

Reading List

Weekly Reading List #109

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By Cynthia Ayala

Hey there avid readers. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and a wonderful October up to now. I’ve been working hard on my novel New Girl. Final edits are coming along great so I’m on schedule for publication next year. Don’t know when I’ll get to book two though. It’s written but not typed. It’s hard to type without a desk so right now I’m just focusing on this novel and getting it out there. I’m going to try to get a 2019 pub date for the second novel but the way things are looking right now it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen and I definitely don’t want to rush it. Besides, I’m only halfway done with book three.

But I can’t be a writer if I don’t read and relax. So, on that note check out this week’s reading list.
 Continue reading Weekly Reading List #109 →

Book Reviews

Dangerously Magical | Review of ‘Frozen Tides’ (Falling Kingdoms #4)

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By Cynthia Ayala

Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes
Razorbill
Image Credit: Goodreads

Rebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, Cleo is still reeling from the showdown on Limeros and Amara’s betrayal. Magnus is coming to term with his role as king, deciding what kind of king he wants to be and if he wants to let Cleo inside his heart. Lucia, suffering from heartbreak has teamed up with the Fire Kindred to destroy those who would hurt her. Moreover, Jonas must decide if teaming up with his mortal enemy will hurt him or save him

Published December 15, 2015, by Razorbill Frozen Tides
by Morgan Rhodes is the fourth novel in her bestselling fantasy series, Falling Kingdoms.
 Continue reading Dangerously Magical | Review of ‘Frozen Tides’ (Falling Kingdoms #4) →

Reading List

Weekly Reading List #108

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By Cynthia Ayala

Hey, there avid readers! You know, I understand all the hype about Christmas but come on, it’s Halloween time, celebrate Halloween! I only say this because it seems that people are in a rush to just move on without enjoying what’s going on right now. I love my holidays; I try to celebrate what they were created for. I’m no saint, of course, I call into the commercialism of it all, it’s hard not to, but I try to enjoy every damn day and just go with the flow. Not jump to the next thing before I even start celebrating.

This connects to my reading. I have a very long list of books to read, a goal to read 90 books this year. But I’m not rushing. Some books I enjoy so much I can’t put them down, and then there are others that don’t read quite as fast, books that almost bore me to death. There’s one right here on this list. I also say this as a note to myself because I love to read and there are so many books I want to read. But I just need to go with the flow and read what I can and enjoy the journey I’m on with the books.

So on that note, check out this week’s reading list. Let me know what you think of the books and see if these are books are worthy of your reading list.
 Continue reading Weekly Reading List #108 →

Book Reviews

Captivating Historical Fiction with a Dash of Magic | Review of ‘Walk on Earth a Stranger’ (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1)

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Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Greenwillow Books
Image Credit: Goodreads

“Leah Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more. She also has a secret. Leah can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it. When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.” —Goodreads

Published September 22, 2015, by Greenwillow Books, Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson is a young adult tale set in the historical context with just a dash of fantasy and magic. Continue reading Captivating Historical Fiction with a Dash of Magic | Review of ‘Walk on Earth a Stranger’ (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1) →

Book Reviews

An Interesting Choice of Villainy | Review of ‘The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty’s Prince’ (Villains #3)

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By Cynthia Ayala

The Beast Within by Serena Valentino
Disney Press
Image Credit: Goodreads

“A cursed prince sits alone in a secluded castle. Few have seen him, but those who claim they have say his hair is wild and nails are sharp–like a beast’s! But how did this prince, once jovial and beloved by the people, come to be a reclusive and bitter monster? And is it possible that he can ever find true love and break the curse that has been placed upon him?” —Goodreads

Published July 22, 2014, by Disney Press, The Beast Within is the second novel in the Disney Villains series by Serena Valentino, exploring some of Disney’s famous villains and characters, with this one focusing on Beauty and Beast’s Beast himself.
 Continue reading An Interesting Choice of Villainy | Review of ‘The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty’s Prince’ (Villains #3) →

Reading List

Weekly Reading List #107

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Hey there avid readers. Man, I cannot believe it’s already October. I love October. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But anyway, another week means another reading list and I hope you guys like these titles. Check them out, let me know if you’ve read them, what you think or if you have any suggestions. I’d love to hear what you think.

Happy reading!
 Continue reading Weekly Reading List #107 →

Book of the Month

Book of the Month Poll – November 2017

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By Cynthia Ayala

Hey there avid readers! I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week. It’s finally October!!! Woo!! Favorite time of the year. Did you know that in 1 year I will be getting married? Yup, on Halloween. It’s going to be Spooktacular. No my dress will not be black. But it will certainly be unique. But that’s all beside the point. A new month means a new list of book releases. Which means I need your help to choose the next winner of the book of the month for November. So check out the ten titles listed below and vote for your favorite. If there isn’t a book on the list that you think deserves to be on the survey you can fill in your own. Remember, the winner gets a featured book review right here (and all my various social media platforms, Goodreads and Amazon). Vote by clicking this link here or by clicking on the image below. Happy voting!
 Continue reading Book of the Month Poll – November 2017 →

Book Reviews

Just Keeps Getting Better | Review of ‘Gathering Darkness’ (Falling Kingdoms #3)

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By Cynthia Ayala

Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes
Razorbill
Image Credit: Goodreads

“In GATHERING DARKNESS, book three of the New York Times bestselling Falling Kingdoms series, the stakes have never been higher as three teams push forward on a race to find the Kindred, the four elemental crystals possessing ancient, all-powerful magic, first: Prince Magnus has just witnessed torture, death, and miracles during the bloody confrontation that decimated the rebel forces. Now he must choose between family and justice as his father, the cruel King Gaius, sets out to conquer all of Mytica. All Gaius needs now are the Kindred – the four elemental crystals that give godlike powers to their owner. But the King of Blood is not the only one hunting for this ancient, storied magic. The only certainty in the dark times is that whoever finds the magic first will control the fate of Mytica… but fate can be fickle when magic is involved.” —Goodreads

Published December 9, 2014, by Razorbill, Gathering Darkness is the third book in the riveting young adult fantasy series, Falling Kingdoms, by Morgan Rhodes.
 Continue reading Just Keeps Getting Better | Review of ‘Gathering Darkness’ (Falling Kingdoms #3) →

Book Reviews

Thrilling and Addictive | Review of ‘Poison’s Kiss’ (Poisons Kiss #1)

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By Cynthia Ayala

Poison’s Kiss by Breena Shields
Penguin Readers for Young Readers
Image Credit: Goodreads

“Miranda has kissed a dozen boys. They all die afterward. It’s a miserable death, but being a visha kanya, a poison maiden is what she was created to do. Miranda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon. Until now, the men she as ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she’s really working for. And that is a threat that once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose. This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based on Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.” —Goodreads

Published January 10, 2017, by Random House Books for Young Readers Poison’s Kiss by Breeana Shields combines folklore with fantasy young adults. Continue reading Thrilling and Addictive | Review of ‘Poison’s Kiss’ (Poisons Kiss #1) →

Reading List

Weekly Reading List #106

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By Cynthia Ayala

Hey there readers. I hope everyone is doing well. I’m doing very well, catching up on all my reading, breathing freely, having fun. Not much in the life of my other than my reading fever as my fiancé likes to call it. So here’s you go, my new reading list. And again, don’t forget to share your thoughts on these books, if you’ve read them or haven’t, what you think about them. Happy reading!
 Continue reading Weekly Reading List #106 →