Saturday, June 24, 2023

Off the Shelf: The Phoenix Prince by William F. Burk

 

Good Morning, 

About a year ago, I was fortunate enough to discover a fantasy series by local author William Burk and get an autographed copy. I loved the first book in the Sword/Eye series (read that review here) and was not disappointed in the second!

This is a fun, fast-paced fantasy read from cover to cover. Following the stories of three sets of companions, this story sees the return of favorite characters from the first book and the introduction of some great new characters.  I really enjoy the magical system in these books, sometimes it gives me Shadow and Bone vibes (different forms of magic that are inherited, such as Projection, etc.). Fantasy is a genre where the pace sometimes slows for world-building, but Burk does a fantastic job of keeping the story fast-pasted and action-packed as we learn about the various races and their complicated relationships, plus the multiple gods and goddesses. Excellent continuation of the series and I cannot wait to find out how Lukas, Nox, and the others stave off The End of the World! 

I would like to extend a big thank you to Mr. William Burk for my autographed copy of his latest book! 



If you are looking for a fun fantasy series, grab your copy from Amazon here!

I'd also like to encourage you to check out William Burk's website to check out his other works and to keep an eye on any new releases. 

Thank Y'all for reading! Be sure to follow to get all the latest updates from Pines and Peaches. :)




Monday, May 08, 2023

Monday Motivation- May 8, 2023


 Good Morning and Happy Monday, 

I started this morning off by meditating on Friendship, and how important it is to life. Friends truly are the family we get to choose. There have been some tough times in my life that I don't know how I would have made it without the support of my wonderful group of friends, surrounding me and having my back no matter what. On the other side, I have friends that will call me out when I'm going down the wrong path, and I can't thank them enough for their clear sight and honesty! 


I hope you are blessed to have a great support team. If not, consider reaching out to like-minded groups. I've made many friends through various interests (book clubs, library, exercise, church, etc.). Getting the right people on your team is the best place to start! :) 

Thank Y'all for reading. Be sure to enter your email address to get all the latest updates from Pines and Peaches. 

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon: 10/22/22


Good Morning! I hope everyone is ready for a fun day of reading! 

I have an overly ambitious TBR stack, but what else is new? LOL I will start the day off by finishing a book I have been working on, Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen. It’s a great book, but I have been trying to juggle four or five books simultaneously (note to self: don’t do that again). One of my goals for this Readathon (other than having a blast) is to get my Works in Progress list under control again!  

Right now, I am at 31% of the ebook. :)


Throughout the day, I will read in sprints and check in at least every other hour! Here is a very tentative TBR for the day: 

I hope that having a mixture of short stories, fiction, nonfiction, and audiobooks will help break up the day. Also, I have plans to walk and read, and listen to audiobooks while doing crafts, puzzles, or playing video games to help when I start getting sleepy. I've never made it all the way to the 24-hour mark, so let's see how this goes! 😃


Happy Reading! 


10AM Update

Currently Reading: Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen

Percent: 58%

I'm loving this book, but I definitely need to watch the Star Wars cartoons, as this book has made several references to them. :)  This book is set between Episodes II and III. 


12PM

Currently Reading: Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen

Percent: 81%

Hoping I can finish this before my iPad battery dies. :D Then, onto the next book! 


2PM

Finished reading Star Wars: Brotherhood!

Next up, I will be finishing Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty. 

Pages: 162/222


3PM
I only had about 40 pages left in Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs (a fantastic read, btw), so I'm moving on to some local ghost stories! 

Currently Reading: Haunted Georgia: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Peach State by Alan Brown
Pages: 1/ 126


4PM
Currently Reading: Haunted Georgia by Alan Brown
Page: 81/126
Really enjoying this book. It's a perfect spooky season book, even if you don't live in Georgia. Also, I didn't realize we had so many piracy stories in Georgia...

6PM
Finished reading Haunted Georgia by Alan Brown. Fun Halloween read! 
Next, I'm about to put on an audiobook (The Asylum by John Harwood) and play some Disney Dreamlight Valley on Switch! :)


9PM 
Currently Reading: Haven by Emma Donoghue
Page: 98/257
Loving this book, even though it is quite different from Room. 
I'm about to go back to my audiobook and video game for a little while to break things up. :) I'm playing Disney Dreamlight Valley, working my way through the new Scar quest. 




12AM-MIDNIGHT! 

I listened to The Asylum for about two hours, then switched back to Haven. This book is interesting, but I have a bad feeling about one of the characters...
Page: 180/257
I am starting to get sleepy, so I will probably be switching from physical book to audiobook and games/ walking/ anything to stay awake soon lol. 



Saturday, May 28, 2022

Off the Shelf: The Heart of Hearts by William F. Burk


 Good Morning! 

My next Off the Shelf entry is a book I discovered by a fortunate accident. While visiting Barnes and Noble in Rome, GA, (in quest of another book) I happened to show up while local author, William F. Burk, was doing a book signing for The Hearts of Hearts. Once he told me it was a fantasy novel, I couldn't resist purchasing a copy. After getting the copy signed and picking up the book (and maybe a few other items *cough cough*), I made my way to the checkout counter. 


I started reading it that night, and sadly set it aside 100 pages later (at 1am). From the beginning, this book had me with its tribute to Arthurian legend (the hero must pull a sword from a stone). The two main characters, Nox and Lukas, are separated and must develop and hone their own magical abilities while trying to escape from vampires, evil mages, and other enemies. 

This book was a magical adventure, and I cannot wait for the rest of the series! 

If you are a fan of fantasy, you will love this book! Get a copy from Amazon, and please check out Mr. Burk's website here: https://www.williamfburk.com/

As always, thank y'all for reading! Be sure to enter your email address to get all the latest updates from Pines and Peaches. 




Saturday, March 26, 2022

Purple Day 2022

 


Happy Purple Day to all my fellow Epilepsy Warriors and their families! 
Who else is rocking purple today to raise #EpilepsyAwareness?



Monday, March 21, 2022