Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Book Round-Up. Halloween is less than two weeks away and I’ve been reading ghost stories as well as paranormal in addition to all the other genres this month. I don’t like my spooktober reads too creepy and/or gory so I tend to stay in the paranormal/supernatural realm. I’ve gathered my top ten favorite books to read before Halloween and they’re below. I’d love to know your thoughts so please share your favorites.
Toil and Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft by Tess Sharpe et. al
A young adult fiction anthology of 15 stories featuring contemporary, historical, and futuristic stories featuring witchy heroines who are diverse in race, class, sexuality, religion, geography, and era. Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Glinda the Good Witch. Elphaba the Wicked Witch. Willow. Sabrina. Gemma Doyle. The Mayfair Witches. Ursula the Sea Witch. Morgan le Fey. The three weird sisters from Macbeth. History tells us women accused of witchcraft were often outsiders: educated, independent, unmarried, unwilling to fall in line with traditional societal expectations. Bold. Powerful. Rebellious. A bruja’s traditional love spell has unexpected results. A witch’s healing hands begin to take life instead of giving it when she ignores her attraction to a fellow witch. In a terrifying future, women are captured by a cabal of men crying witchcraft and the one true witch among them must fight to free them all. In a desolate past, three orphaned sisters prophesize for a murderous king. Somewhere in the present, a teen girl just wants to kiss a boy without causing a hurricane. From good witches to bad witches, to witches who are a bit of both, this is an anthology of diverse witchy tales from a collection of diverse, feminist authors. The collective strength of women working together—magically or mundanely--has long frightened society, to the point that women’s rights are challenged, legislated against, and denied all over the world. Toil & Trouble delves deep into the truly diverse mythology of witchcraft from many cultures and feminist points of view, to create modern and unique tales of witchery that have yet to be explored.
Blood Moon by Livia Quinn
Welcome to Destiny, home to the Paramortals since…well, forever…where human neighbors and their new sheriff live alongside shifters, dragons, vampires and a family of djinn.
Just don’t tell the humans.
There's a new warrior in town. Dressed in red leather, the stunning violet-eyed fae saunters into Destiny’s supernatural tavern carrying a giant head-splitter of a sword. Her mission is to slay a dragonhunter and she accuses djinn River Pomeroy of protecting her target.
River feels an instant attraction to Cinder and relief from the despair that's served as his only companion since his rescue from kidnappers by his sister Tempe and Sheriff Lang. But with her news, his sense of doom returns. It’ll take more than three wishes to get him out of this mess. You see, River has a secret and ample reason for staying silent. No matter what he does, his enthrallment promises devastating consequences for his family and the other Paramortals.
After his sister and the dragon sheriff go missing, River and Cinder join forces. But history has a way of coming full circle and the past brings shattering revelations about the dragonhunter’s true identity.
Can they forgive the past to overcome their common enemy or will the news tear their relationship and the Paramortals apart forever?
The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall by Lauren Smith
Haunted, schmaunted.
Bastian, infamous playboy and the current Earl of Weymouth doesn't believe his English castle is haunted. So what if a few windows and lightbulbs shatter? That happens. OK, bleeding portraits are hard to explain… But he is not going to be deterred. Not even by Jane, a seductive-as-sin grad student who has assigned herself the task of ghost hunting at Stormclyffe Hall. All Bastian wants is to restore his ancestral home, not be distracted by her curvy hips, bedroom eyes and gorgeous smile-
Fine, maybe he does want to get naked with Ms. GhostBuster, but that's only because she practically follows him around, nosing into his daily life. And yes, because she looks so damnably sexy, however, he refuses to give into lust. No matter how much she tempts him.
But when the ghosts up the ante and try to kill them, Bastian realizes he will have to keep Jane close. Very, very close. Purely to protect her, of course.
At least that's what he tells himself. All bets-and some clothes-are off, as he shows her what a real earl is made of.
Ascension by A. S. Fenichel
Lord Gabriel Thurston returns home from war to find his fiancée is not the sweet young girl he left behind. She's grown into a mysterious woman who guards her dark secrets well. When he sees her sneaking away from a ball, he's convinced it's for a lover's rendezvous. Following her to London's slums, Gabriel watches in horror as his fiancée ruthlessly slays a man.
Lady Belinda Clayton's only concern was her dress for the next ball, until demons nearly killed her and changed everything. A lady by day, and a demon hunter by night, she knows where her duty lies. Ending her betrothal is the best way to protect Gabriel from death by a demon's hand.
Gabriel soon realizes, like him, Belinda has been fighting for her country. He joins in the fight, determined to show her that their love can endure, stronger than ever.
Light (Dream Casters #1) by Adrienne Woods
Mr. Sandman, send me a dream, ta da da da…..
Seventeen year old Chastity Blake knows the Sandman is just a silly children’s story parents tell their children to get them to sleep. At least she thought it was, until the day a mysterious, light golden sand appeared in her hands during a high school prank that went horribly wrong. A sand that has the power to send anyone it touches into a deep, sound sleep.
Fearing she had lost her mind, Chastity soon discovers the shocking truth of her heritage – she is a Dream Caster. Chastity was never supposed to be raised on the Domain, or what humans call Earth and she is forced to return to her true birth place, Revera – the world of Dreams.
However, in Revera there is no balance between good, the Light Casters, and darkness, the Shadow Casters, and Chastity is caught square in the middle. She soon learns that there is no place for anyone containing both the light and the darkness within them, and the shocking truth that if anyone in Revera ever discovered her shadow self, Chastity would be thrown into the Oblivion – the world of Nightmares.
Dreams are always more than they seem, and this time Chastity is going to discover just how different they can be.
Undercover Empath: Kindred Demon by RaShelle Workman
Nineteen-year-old detective Rose Hansen has a secret. She can read a person’s intentions by touching their hands and that’s the least strange thing about her.
Only one person knows, her partner Jack.
At least that’s what she believes until a handsome, shirtless stranger appears on her doorstep in small town Blush Valley, California. He leaves her an envelope, but not before articulating his disappointment in her for ignoring her powers. The contents send Rose on a path toward the supernatural, solving her parents’ murders, and possibly even saving the world.
Aside from that, Rose and her partner have two important cases they’re working. The first involves a missing child. The other is the death of a stripper. Once it is ruled a serial killing, a very hot FBI agent from L.A. shows up and is given lead. To make matters worse, he asks her to go undercover. As a stripper. And that is just the beginning of her troubles...
Halloween Kisses by Susan R. Hughes
A sweet holiday romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Susan R. Hughes.
One kiss can change everything. Dulcie has had a secret crush on her co-worker Rowan for ages, but she’s too shy to let him know, and preoccupied with raising her rebellious teenage sister. When she bumps into him in the darkness of a haunted barn, she can't resist stealing just one kiss.
That kiss enchants Rowan. If only he could figure out the identity of the woman whose kiss haunts him. While running from a troubled past, he may find that the woman he least suspects could lead him out of the dark forever.
A Hand Of Magic by Diane Moat
Even in a world of magic… you must trust in love… to heal the healer.
As Madison is running from venomous weresnakes who forced her to be their healer, she heals a werewolf pup attacked by a troll. A deed that turns her world upside down when she’s unexpectedly drawn to the pup’s werewolf pack. Even more so she’s drawn to their leader, the alluring Alpha — Alex. Though Madison gave up on love long ago, the more she’s with the werewolf pack, the harder it is for her to push Alex away.
Alex Spiros has close-cropped light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a wolfish grin, but the caution and danger in his movements mark him as a protector… and the killer for his pack. Madison brings out the male part of his wolf, but he’s also worried about her and wants her to feel safe after the horror of the weresnakes. Alex throws himself into a war to protect her and his pack.
Is time running out for the pack or can Alex bring the war with the weresnakes to a victorious end? Moreover, is Madison ready to not only bond with the pack, but also surrender to an even rarer bond with Alex… or will she keep running?
Immortally Yours (Argeneau #26) by Lynsay Sands
Irresistible chemistry and thrilling suspense combine in this electrifying new installment in New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau series
One hundred and twenty-five years is a long time to nurse a crush. That’s how long it’s been since Beth Argenis first met Cullen “Scotty” MacDonald and he instantly became the star of her most X-rated dreams. Back then, he was rescuing her from a Rogue Immortal. Now Beth’s a Rogue Hunter—a damn good one. She doesn’t need saving anymore, despite what Scotty thinks. What she does need is the fierce, wild desire that finally erupts between them.
Scotty has hesitated to claim Beth as his own. But one explosive kiss confirms what he’s long suspected: She’s his life mate. But Beth is tough, fearless, beautiful…and in immortal danger. Unless he wants to lose her forever, he’ll have to rethink everything he once believed about love and destiny as well as confront an enemy who’s terrifyingly close.
Never Trust A Vampire (Strange Allies #1) by Vivian Lane
Second Edition Expansion!
The people we save look at us like we're superheroes, or guardian angels, but we bleed.
We break.
And sometimes, we even die. Becoming a paladin means sacrifice of self.
Saving innocents is always top priority, so when the vampire Adam asks for Agent Seven's services to rescue children from L.A.'s reigning vampire, The Agency won't let her refuse. Company motto is the only good vampire is a dead one, so what makes this guy different from all the rest? This feels like a trap.
Will Adam prove her wrong, or be her downfall?
This story is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult situations. Strange Allies novel #1. Urban fantasy.
Have a not-so-scary Halloween-themed book and/or author recommendation? Share in the comments below and don’t forget to share using the buttons below. See you next week!
MRS N, Book Addict