Finished “Book of the Month” and The Eclipse Was Awesome!

The event that caused us to book three cruises (back-to-back-to-back) happened on August 12 and wow! It was awesome! A total solar eclipse.

It happened at 7:24pm GMT, so the sun was at a pretty decent level to watch (without straining your neck!). And seeing it out over the ocean was pretty magical. The sun was shining on the water until…it wasn’t! I’m so glad we were able to witness this event and that the weather cooperated fully, too. Seas were calm and the sky was clear. Perfect!

Would I do it again? Most definitely. It really was something else to experience. Heck, the girl behind me cried. It affects everyone differently. I just think it’s super cool!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 20

Dates read: August 8-16, 2026
Title: Book of the Month
Year of publication: 2024
Author: Jennifer Probst
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: The Outer Banks #1
# of Pages: 341
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Free from Barnes & Noble
Blurb from Goodreads: Once the literary world’s golden girl, Aspen Lourde can’t seem to produce another successful book, and the pressure’s on to prove she’s not just a one-hit-wonder. But there’s a catch: her bestseller was a heartbreak hit, straight from her own love life disaster. Without any fresh romantic turmoil to fuel her pen, Aspen needs inspiration quick enough to create a book her agent can sell to her publisher. So she escapes for the summer to the Outer Banks with a plan to live a story worth writing.
    Brick Babel is a romance novelist’s dream: a local heartthrob with a reputation as wild as the horses running free in the town. He’s everything Aspen needs for a muse kickstart—gorgeous, moody, and notoriously unattainable. His affairs are legendary in the small town, and every woman warns her off, including her sister.
    Too bad a good heartbreak is exactly what she needs to meet her deadline.
    But Brick refuses to play the game, rejecting all of her advances. When Aspen hears his tour company is on the verge of bankruptcy, she offers him a deal: fake a whirlwind summer romance, then ditch her, drama guaranteed.
    Desperate to save his grandfather’s business, Brick agrees to the ridiculous deal. What starts as a contractual fling spirals out of control as lines blur and real feelings emerge. Brick’s falling hard, and Aspen’s rethinking her plot twist. The novel might be her ticket back to the top, but at what cost?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: I got this book free back when B&N gave their membership a free ebook once a month. I had read some of Probst’s blogs (but not her books), so got this. The cruise seemed to be the perfect time to read it. I enjoyed it okay, but why I picked a contemporary romance when they aren’t my “cup of tea,” I don’t know. But it was cute. And it passed the time nicely. Easy to put down, though.

This batch of cruises is finally coming to an end. Was it too long? Naaah. I’m still enjoying myself. Don’t exactly look forward to that long flight home and then getting all acclimated to Eastern Time again. Ahhh, but we start it all over on Sep 4 when we fly out to San Francisco and prepare for those cruises to Alaska and Japan.

Are we crazy? Probably. But we’re sure enjoying it!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished “Burying the Dead” and Being Disgusted With It

Why can’t authors end their damn book! I mean, sure, they’re writing a series. But why can’t they just end it positively and start the next book negatively? Especially when it appears they won’t write the next book in the series? It’s evil, I tell you. Pure evil.

And I refuse to do that kind of crap.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 19

Dates read: August 1-8, 2026
Title: Burying the Dead
Year of publication: 2022
Author: Kerry Blaisdell
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Dead Series #4
# of Pages: 268
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Purchased from Barnes & Noble
Blurb from Goodreads: Sometimes the only way to stop the world from going to Hell is by working with Demons. Hyacinth Finch has one goal: Save her nephew Geordi from this Hell Demon who kidnapped him. But to succeed, she’ll have to work with his demon Mafia relatives, which she swore she’d never do. Worse, she’ll have to make another deal with the High Demons who murdered her. But Geordi’s life is worth it, even if she loses her own humanity in the process. Meanwhile, hyacinth’s ghost boyfriend Eric is wasting away, after being ejected from his “borrowed” body. While digging in his past for something to make him fight for survival, she uncovers secrets that could destroy their relationship. Moreover, her feelings for Geordi’s demon cousin Jason are stronger than ever, though every morally impossible choice she makes drives him farther away. Can she save Eric and Geordi, without losing herself—and Jason—forever?
Recommend: No
My thoughts: I didn’t realize that I “wrote” a review in Goodreads for book 3 before purchasing book 4. Wish I had. I hated the way that book ended and this one ends on a CLIFFHANGER. Four years later there isn’t a book 5. I’m done. I don’t recommend this series to ANYONE.

Cruise #2 is coming to an end. We dock in Dover tomorrow and start cruise #3. Then on Monday we are in France, visiting Normandy. The eclipse will be here before we know it, too! Whoo hoo!

Happy Reading!

Stacy