Vlad Dracula Had Taken London

~Anno Dracula~
Book 1
By Kim Newman
Amazon ~ Powell's

It is 1888 and Queen Victoria has remarried, taking as her new consort Vlad Tepes, the Wallachian Prince infamously known as Count Dracula. Peppered with familiar characters from Victorian history and fiction, the novel follows vampire Geneviève Dieudonné and Charles Beauregard of the Diogenes Club as they strive to solve the mystery of the Ripper murders.


It's that time of the month again. No, not that, I mean it's time for the next vampire book for Maven of the Eventide's (aka Elisa Hansen's) Vampire Book Club! Of the three choices in the poll, this was definitely the most interesting to me. Jack the Ripper and various literary vampires all thrown together—what could possibly go wrong?

Many Will Seek the Stars, the Power, the Fortune, and the Fate

~Stars of Fortune~
The Guardians Trilogy
Book 1
By Nora Roberts
Amazon ~ Powell's

Sasha Riggs is a reclusive artist, haunted by dreams and nightmares that she turns into extraordinary paintings. Her visions lead her to the Greek island of Corfu, where five others have been lured to seek the legendary fire star, part of an ancient prophecy. Sasha recognizes them, because she has drawn them: a magician, an archaeologist, a wanderer, a fighter, a loner. All on a quest. All with secrets.

Sasha is the one who holds them together—the seer. And in the magician, Bran Killian, she sees a man of immense power and compassion. As Sasha struggles with her rare ability, Bran is there to support her, challenge her, and believe in her.

When a dark threat looms, the six must use their combined powers—including trust, unity, and love—to find the fire star and keep the world on course.


I picked this up completely by chance. Never having read anything by Nora Roberts, I only know what I've heard from friends and family (who read her almost religiously) and the fact that her books are literally everywhere. Honestly, I was more interested in reading her new dragons series, but as that is still a series-in-progress, I decided to try another of her semi-recent completed fantasy series as my official introduction to the bestselling romance genre. Plus it fulfills one of the prompts for this year's reading challenge, so even if I didn't like it it's still a win.

The Girl They’re Calling Geekerella

~Geekerella~
Once Upon A Con
Book 1
By Ashley Poston
Amazon ~ Powell's

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale. Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.


I came across this one while scanning the Quirk back-catalog, and then saw that it's the first in a series with a 3rd book recently released. Pop culture, con culture, romance, and a fairytale retelling? Yes, please!