Bella’s Top Ten of 2019

Happy New Year my Readers!!

This year I read about 118 books, so it was hard just picking out 10 favorites for 2019.

Here are Bella’s favorite reads of the year and you can look for reviews of each book on my blog.

The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu

Rules for Vanishing by Katie Alice Marshall

Every Stolen Breathe by Kimberly Gabriel

Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh

Lock Every Door Riley Sager

Unpregnant by Jenni Hendricks and Ted Caplin

The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons

Crown of Coarl and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan

The Kingdom by Jessie Routhenberg

What was some of your favorite read of 2019??

What you Reading Monday?

Slowly working my way through this book. It comes out January 7th. It good so far.

Summary:

In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.

Find the heir, win the crown.
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen–until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

{Arc Review} On a Scale of 1 to 10 by Ceylan Scott

Book Summary:

Tamar is admitted to Lime Grove, a psychiatric hospital for teenagers.

Lime Grove is home to a number of teenagers with a variety of problems: anorexia, bipolar disorder, behavior issues. Tamar will come to know them all very well. But there’s one question she can’t… won’t answer: What happened to her friend Iris? As Tamar’s emotional angst becomes more and more clear to her, she’ll have to figure out a path to forgiveness. A shocking, moving, and darkly funny depiction of life in a psychiatric world.

A stunning journey of one girl’s mental illness and the redemptive power of truth and healing.

My Review:

Two friends were out drunk one night, only one made it home that night.

Tamar has been admitted to a mental hospital. Things had been hard for her since her friend, Iris passed away. She mostly blames herself on what happen that night. Her mental state of mind is not almost there. Hopefully being lock away will help her deal with the pain inside.

This book was an emotional read. It deals with mental disorders and may have trigger warnings for some readers. The whole book centers around inside a mental hospital. The main character trying to coop after the lost of her friend. Tamar takes on a lot of blame and punishes herself on what had happen.

Did she really have something to do with Iris death or was it all in her head?

This book been out for a while. If your in the mood to read about mental health, then check out On A Scale to One to Ten.

Merry Christmas/Bella Bloopers

Hello Readers,

I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Hoildays. I’m on vacation now and slowly finishing up some reads and need to work on some reviews.

Here some fun Bella Bloopers to tie you guys over.

Thanks so much for following my blog

Me in Tennessee.

Can’t Wait Wednesday

Summary:

This thrilling debut, reminiscent of new fan favorites like One of Us Is Lying and the beloved classics by Agatha Christie, will leave readers guessing until the explosive ending.

Welcome to dinner, and again, congratulations on being selected. Now you must do the selecting.

What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it’s a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill … or else everyone dies.

Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they’re all connected or who would want them dead. As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor’s ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?

Release Date: March 17, 2020

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Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao

Book Summary:

This hot debut is the first book in an epic new series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to clear her name for her father’s murder.

In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural—dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls.

When Ana’s father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father’s murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work—one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.

A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans—though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.

My Review:

When the emperor is found dead, his only daughter is accused of murder and now on the run.

Ana is in survivor mode since she ran away. She must find the man that killed her father and clear her name before it’s to late. In order to do that she must team up with a crime lord, Ransom.

With some help from the crime lord she learn some horrible family secrets and what been going on in her kingdom since she ran off. Ana tries to keep her powers hidden also and under control. Which will be prove challenging when trying to take back her kingdom and save her brother.

I thought the book was such a magical thrill ride from the beginning and the end. The summary give a lot of what the book is book is about also. There a lot of action and death in this read. You will have trouble on who to trust also. It was a perfect retelling of Anastasia story. You connect well with the characters and fall in love with the story. Even the cover to the book is so pretty looking.

Looking for new fantasy series, then try Blood Heir.

Happy Reading!!!

It’s Monday, What are you Reading?

Summary:

In a land where magic is outlawed, eight criminals led by seventeen-year-old Larkin are sent on a mission to kill an ancient evil that plagues their kingdom. Descending into an underground realm full of unspeakable horrors, Larkin and her party must use their forbidden magic to survive what lies in wait, teeth sharp and jaws deadly.

As she fights for her life, Larkin finds a light in Amias, a fellow outlaw with a notorious past. Soon Larkin and Amias realize their fates are entwined. The eight of them were chosen for a reason.

But as the dangers multiply and her band of felons are picked off one by one, Larkin must confront a terrible truth: They were never meant to return

Conceal Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita

Book Summary:

What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other? When a magical accident erases Anna and Elsa’s memories not only of magic, but of each other the sisters are separated for protection. But when Elsa unexpectedly finds herself as a young queen mysterious magic begins to happen and questions of her past start to form. Will the sisters ever be reunited?

My Review:

A magical curse separates two sisters for years.

Elsa been living life of a royal. She dreams to someday have a sister by her side, but her mother can’t have anymore kids. She grows up learning the ropes to ruling. Still Elsa feels like something is missing. After her parents lost at sea, secrets from the past resurfaces. Elsa must deal with magical powers on her own and having to rule a kingdom herself. A hidden letter, may hold the answers Elsa seeks and she may not be so alone anymore

Anna been living the quiet life at a bakery. She loves making sweets and her adoptive parents so much. Yet Anna feel like her calling is in Arendelle. Somehow she is drawn there when she see the snow. Something is calling to her, will Anna get the answers she seek.

I did enjoyed Conceal Don’t Feel. It like watching Frozen movie again, but with awesome twist. I think it was nice getting glimpse into the sisters lives if they never met. It was a different change from the story, which have nice point of views between the sisters. If you love Frozen like me, then you will enjoy this new retelling.

Ready to travel Into the Unknown?

Happy Reading!!!!

WWW Wednesday

Thanks to my editor Stay Fetters at Acourtofcoffeeandbooks for this new banner.

The three Ws:

What I’m currently reading?

What I finish reading?

What I plan to read next?

Finish Reading:

Conceal Don’t Feel was a nice retelling of Frozen. Which I did love Frozen 2 and prefect time of year to read and watch the movie. Working slowly on my review for book.

Currently Reading:

I’m in the middle of book 2, of The Simliars. Which I am enjoying it. The storyline is original and very creative. The Pretenders is the last book in book series and recently came out.

Reading Next:

I’m not sure what I’m reading next.

{Arc Review} Reverie by Ryan La Sala

Book Summary:

All Kane Montgomery knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. He can’t remember how he got there, what happened after, and why his life seems so different now. And it’s not just Kane who’s different, the world feels off, reality itself seems different.

As Kane pieces together clues, three almost-strangers claim to be his friends and the only people who can truly tell him what’s going on. But as he and the others are dragged into unimaginable worlds that materialize out of nowhere—the gym warps into a subterranean temple, a historical home nearby blooms into a Victorian romance rife with scandal and sorcery—Kane realizes that nothing in his life is an accident. And when a sinister force threatens to alter reality for good, they will have to do everything they can to stop it before it unravels everything they know.

My Review:

What happens when you wake up in a hospital with hardly no memory or how the accident happen?

Kane is confused on what happen when he almost die. He remembers his family, but can’t remember having friends. First day back from school, he meets a girl who seems to have the answers. After over hearing her and group of other people talk about him, he knows something is up. Kane life is on the line and must remember who he is before it’s to late.

The book was such a magical read. It hard explaining to much without giving it all away. I want my readers to be surprised what the Reverie truly is for themselves. I did like the idea being confused in the beginning of the book like Kane was, on what’s happening with the story. This book will blow your mind on what’s real or not. This magical adventure will leave you such fun twist and turns you may not see coming. It recently came out last week. Just behind reviewing it.

If your in the mood for a good read, then check out Reverie. Not sure if it’s a stand alone, but would love more from this book.

Happy Reading!!!