The VIRTUAL Mount TBR Reading Challenge discussion

Climbing up the Grinch's mountain! I feel like 24 is a doable mountain to allow me to read things I feel like in the moment but also not stray too much from my previously-owned TBR!
Let's hope that in 2019 the Grinch and his mountain won't steal me all the way from Mt. Kilimanjaro!

Love your climb title!

Haha thank you!

Happy climbing!

First book off the Virtual Mountain! I dare you to read this title and not sing it in the rhythm of the Frozen song!

#1:
"Do You Want To Start A Scandal?" by Tessa Dare
Finished: January 10, 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment:I really, really enjoyed this book. It was such a fun, light read with a fluffy, steamy romance! Charlotte wasn't that much of an interesting character during the Spindle Cove series, but then again she was the youngest and practically a child in the previous books - only now that she came into her own. She's this vivacious, funny, witty and resourceful protagonist and one of my favorites of this series (Minerva and Pauline are still my number one, but Charlotte comes at a close second). I like that she doesn't bow down to others and knows her worth, despite what society claims. Piers was charming, though a bit strong-headed and stubborn, and the dynamic between the couple was just great. I also loved the guest appearance from the previous characters like Minerva and Colin (who is still funny and adorable as ever), Rafe (Piers brother from Say Yes To The Marquess, from the Castles Ever After Trilogy) and Diana & Aaron. And, one of the best things for me in this novel was to finally understand and feel for Mama Highwood - as misguided as her ways may be sometimes, she loves her daughters and wants what's best for them. Knowing what she went through to raise her child, makes her actions to secure her daughter's future. She and Charlotte have this heartwarming scene that made me teary-eyed. There were a few things I didn't enjoy as much as in the previous installments, but I enjoyed this last book so much and I'm sad to leave the characters from Spindle Cove behind. I still have a novella from this world to read, as well as the second book in the Castles Ever After trilogy (yes, I haven't read Say Yes To The Marquess yet), so I still can revisit Tessa's delicious writing soon, but I'm gonna miss this quirky and lovable characters and their romantic adventures.

#2:
"Ash Princess" by Laura Sebastian
Finished: January 1p, 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Comment:A nice, compelling fantasy, but not very original - it feels like the author choose tropes from other fantasy series and stitched it all together with some original stuff. The magic system is interesting, and the world building could have been amazing, but both are superficial and underdeveloped. Theo is a good protagonist, and she has some good development during the novel and becoming the queen and lider she's supposed to be. But she's a little bit too extremist, like most Astrean characters shown here, actually, and for her is either 'you're with me or against me', which doesn't work for the world she's living in. And she changes her mind and her opinion about people/stuff in the space of a few pages, so I found that a little grating. Also, there's this one thing I really disliked, which was the love triangle, which was completely unnecessary and it changed nothing in the main plot - not even the drama the author added as a 'plot twist' for one of the characters in the triangle made it believable and necessary.
There were some nice surprises, though, like Crescentia's character - I was expecting her to be this expendable side characters, but she revealed some aspects of her personality who made her this really interesting and complex character and I'm really curious about her dynamic with Theo in the next volumes. It's not the best or most original YA fantasy, but I enjoyed the read and will continue on reading this trilogy!

#3:
"Say Yes To The Marquess" by Tessa Dare
Finished: January 27, 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment:As with all Tessa Dare's book, this was this funny, adorable and light read. It may have been my favorite of this trilogy even, though I did love Izzie's story in the first volume. But Clio is such a lovable, fierce character and it's impossible not to root for her and empathize with her immediately. She uses her knowledge and her smarts for her own ends and is done waiting for someone to 'save her' and she's no longer shy and compliant. She and Rafe are the perfect match for each other because she challenges him and it's not put out by his brash demeanor.
I like how Tessa works the family aspects and relationships in her books, both the problematic and loving ones, and how she is breaching the mental illness and acceptance aspect - Phoebe here is clearly 'different' from her sisters and may be somewhere in the Autistic Spectrum. But though she is considered odd and certainly not fit for the society of the time, her family, especially Clio, is accepting and loving towards her.

I'm enjoying more and more of this kind of books now and I'm happy to have found Tessa Dare's novels - they are delightful to read and such page-turners it's hard to not finish the entire thing in one go. I can't wait to read newer things from her!


#4:
"Demigods & Magicians" by Rick Riordan
Finished: January 27, 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: This was the crossover I was craving after reading The Kane Chronicles trilogy! I was so excited to have the Kane siblings back AND interacting with Percy and Annabeth! They really compliment each other and the dynamics here was just right and funny. I liked how the short stories were linked between them to the climax in The Crown of Ptolemy and though it was interesting to have Annabeth's POV in one of the stories since we first see the boys teaming up, then the girls and finally the four of them together as they mixed Egyptian and Greek magic, I would have liked to get Sadie's or Carter's POV in one of those - I missed their narration, especially Sadie's (also known for a fact as the lovechild of Percy & Annabeth). And though I left this book craving more Egyptian adventures ( I so wish Rick would write more on the Kanes!), it was amazing and all I could hope for in a crossover!

#5:
"Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover" by Sarah McLean
Finished: February 13, 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment:I was expecting a lighter read but this book actually gets a little darker sometimes but that actually made it even better. I enjoyed it, the whole concept of the story is interesting, although I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read the books of this series in order - apparently, Chase's identity is a grand mystery through the series. Georgiana is such an amazing female protagonist - she's so strong and badass, as well as compassionated and kind. I mean, the woman built an empire despite society's disapproval and mistreatment of her and is doing her all to give her daughter the life and opportunities she didn't. Caroline, her daughter, is so wise and amazing, I loved her. She's smart and perceptive.

I like Ducan and the chemistry between the couple, but although the author insists that he finds Georgiana strong and beautiful and smart, he often doubts her and doesn't think her capable, even though she's proved that she is. And he is kind of a douche with her sometimes. Still, the ending was good and happy and overall I really liked and the interactions between the two were amazing. Now I have to get to the beginning of the series and move from there, even though I already know the biggest 'secret

#6:
"A Rogue By Any Other Name" by Sarah McLean
Finished: February 28, 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment:Not my favorite MacLean's book, but it did its job of being entertaining, steamy and a quick, pleasurable read in between other more dense, heavy books. I love the female characters she writes - they all defy what society believes is their role, and pursue happiness on their own terms. I usually like the rake with tortured, dark past who gets back to the light because of his girl, but the whole revenge plot was too much here - at a time, it became just a very unreasonable excuse to keep the main characters apart for almost 100 pages. Still, I like the chemistry between the two, and Penny's relationship with her sisters and family, as well as her unlikely friendship with Bourne's partners at the Fallen Angel. I'm excited to get to their books! Since I already know Chase's identity because I started the series by the last book, the mystery of the character was lost on me, but it did make some scenes extra-funny. Like I said, not my favorite book of the genre, but I had fun while reading it and though I have some issues with it, it fulfilled its purpose, so I only took out one star of my rating.

#7:
"One Good Earl Deserves a Lover" by Sarah McLean
Finished: February 28, 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Comment:I absolutely loved this book, I devoured it in almost a sitting. Pippa is one of my favorite characters - she's smart, quick-witted and driven, but she's also very naive about love and seduction, and she doesn't realize how some of her questions might be embarrassing (which make for hilarious scenes). And I love how she knows she's odd and how people view her, but she doesn't let it get to her head and she embraces her weirdness. I really loved the couple's chemistry and dynamics and how Pippa managed to save Cross at the end (and it was a real plot twist). Cross was my favorite male character so far - he knows how smart Pippa is and never underestimates her. He's also caring and smart, despite his past. Also, I enjoyed his dark backstory and how it made sense for his character and all he did to overcome it. I just wished we could've seen more about his sister Lavinia and if they made up in the end or not (because I really wish they would, he deserves it).
There's one more book in this series to go, and the one that I feel will be the darkest one, considering the background story of the male protagonist.

I haven't got much time to read in February, but I did manage to finish 4 books, 2 of them being Virtual TBR ones. I managed to not fall behind on my actual Mt. TBR and still climb a little here as well. Hopefully, March will be a better reading month!

#8:
"The Snowman" by Jo Nesbø
Finished: April 09, 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Comment:After the hype surrounding this book, especially because of the movie adaptation, I was expecting a bit more from it. It was not a bad book, but it wasn't amazing either. I love me some good detective story, but I also enjoy being taken by surprise by my mystery novels and that didn't happen here.
It is an interesting story, but not a new one - there are dozens of serial killer books out there, with much the same plot and build-up. The differences between them are how compelling the writing is, how engrossing the reading, how interesting or relatable the characters and the twists that can turn it into something new. And while this one has a good pace and the writing is good, there was nothing in it that stood out to me, there were no twists (I guessed pretty much everything the author meant as a surprise and, if much, all the turns left me more confused as to where the story was going and what the author wanted to do with all that, than entertained or surprised). Overall, it is not a bad book, but it wasn't amazing either. I guess that, if I was new to the genre, I would've enjoyed it much more than I did, because then I wouldn't have the feeling of reading something I've already did before somewhere and maybe I would have been surprised. I was hoping to pick up the previous installments after finishing this one, but now I don't think I'll be doing that.

#9:
"How To Marry a Marquis" by Julia Quinn
Finished: May 15 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

#10:
"Soulless" by Gail Carriger
Finished: May 05 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

#11:
"Changeless" by Gail Carriger
Finished: May 19 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

Yes, it's been a while, but I am back to GR! My communication went haywire in the mountain so I haven't been updating BUT that didn't mean I wasn't climbing Mt Crumpit trying to find the Grinch. I'm almost halfway through and I already have 4-5 other books lined up! Up Mt. Crumpit I go!

#12:
"Blamess" by Gail Carriger
Finished: June 26 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - actual rating: 4.25 stars
Comment: My review

#13:
"Heartless" by Gail Carriger
Finished: July 5 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

And I'm keeping a steady rhythm with my virtual TBR! The Parasol Protectorate series is being a pleasant surprise, so I'm devouring the books! Off to the last one!

#14:
"Ten Ways To Be Adored When Landing a Lord" by Sarah McLean
Finished: July 8 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

#15:
"Timeless" by Gail Carringer
Finished: July 12 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

#16:
"Eleven Scandals To Start To Win a Duke's Heart" by Sarah MacLean
Finished: July 19 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

#17:
"The Break-Up Bet" by Cat Carmine
Finished: August 02 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Comment: It was a nice, cliché romance novel. It took me a while to finish it because after the characters got together, it kinda dragged a bit for me, but it was a fun, entertaining novel, with a couple with a nice chemistry (it wasn't off the charts, but I liked them together and there were some cute, giggly but also hot moments). The ending was meh and it lacked for me, so it lowered the rating a bit.

#18:
"The Fifth Season" by N. K. Jeminsin
Finished: August 05 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: What a INCREDIBLE book! I got interested in this novel after watching a couple of booktubers who loved it, but I didn't imagine how immersed I would be in this post-apocalyptic world. There's a hint of magic here and the entire world-building is so well done and intricate. The characters are complex and since in this world everything is about survival, we get to see them doing some questionable decisions in order to achieve goals and stay alive. I like that we follow different perspectives through the novel and go back and forth between past and present and the consequences of each. There's also an underlying mystery that's going to be at the center of everything and THE ENDING. I can't wait to get my hands on the following installment, I'm really curious about what will happen with this world and these characters.

#19:
"The World of Lore - Monstrous Creatures" by Aaron Mahnke
Finished: August 06 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Comment: This was an interesting book that explores different mythologies and scary tales that fills our imagination. This edition is beautiful and full of illustrations, and it was my mindless read - I often read a couple of chapters about a creature when I wasn't in the mood to read anything else or needed a break.

#20:
"Lady Killers" by Tori Telfer
Finished: August 13 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Comment: Another interesting read about notorious women who were serial killers and how they often were left undetected for a long time or are not as 'famous' as male serial killers like Jack The Reaper or Ted Bundy because the society finds it hard to fathom that women can do evil things like these or have the guts to do so. The author did a really great researching job and brought these women to life.

I really need to focus on my physical TBR now, though lately I got out of a reading funk and have been reading more and finally finishing TBR books.

#21:
"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Finished: September 5 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

Yes, I'm finally getting my actual TBR under control, so that means my virtual one is a little left out - but since I'm 3 books away from meeting the Grinch, that's actually ok.

#22:
"City of Ghosts" by Victoria Schwab
Finished: October 14 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

#23:
"The Trials of Apollo: The Tyrant's Tomb" by Rick Riordan
Finished: October 04 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

#24:
"Losing It" by Cara Cormack
Finished:October 10 , 2019
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Comment: My review

Oh wow, here I am, exploring the Grinch's lair and playing with Max! I still have 2 months to go, but I'm not going to climb further here (though I'm certain there will be some more virtual TBR books, they will be fewer and not enough to climb another mountain), because now it's time to focus on my ACTUAL TBR! I'm a little behind, but since I have these couple of months 'free', I might make it.

great job!