When I signed up for Causebox, I chose a year's subscription. This is the last box in the yearly subscription. I chose not to renew. Mostly because while I liked quite a few items sent to me, I think overall it wasn't quite up my alley. 

They've since rebranded to AllTrue (AlTrue?). I think they still have a marketplace to shop from and they have later shipping. The late shipping didn't really bother me but that was because I was aware that this was a problem from the get-go and I wasn't desperate for anything coming my way. 

That being said, there are some items in this box that I quite like. I did get the box very late. One of the items I chose was the last packaged, so I don't believe I received my box until mid to late May. 

Anne Stuart is such an "instant buy" author for me. Even the books she writes that I don't adore are solid 3 or 3.5 stars. That's pretty amazing. 

Her "Fire" series is a spin-off from her "Ice" series. While the Ice Series is set in the UK as a home-base, the Fire series is based in America. Specifically in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is the third book in the series and introduces two new characters, both tangentially related to the infamous Committee, the shadow spy agency. 
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I've managed to read some new authors and I've tried some new cozy books (that I didn't like). I'm at 139 books read so far, so only 101 books away from my goal of 240. I'm shooting for more than 240 now. I usually read a lot during hurricane season. I mean, when you have no power...what else is there to do? I'm currently continuing Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mystery series. It's enjoyable and I even learn things (historically). What else have I read recently...

• The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell - pretty good! I don't know if he plans on continuing this as a series, but I think it would be neat. Historical, paranormal, Sherlock Holmesian-type detective
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown - my therapist suggested Brown's work. I like parts of it quite well. Other parts don't speak to me. As far as "self help" books go, hers are better than most. 
• A Thin Dark Line by Tami Hoag - Love Hoag's works. This one is set in my favorite state but is a very rough read. 
• Fortune and Glory by Janet Evanovich - Enjoyed it! There were no random giraffes. I didn't want to slap the shit out of Stephanie (too much). 

This month's Book Drop is a "Books for Bubbly" which is the romance/friendship option. I'm trying to read them earlier than I normally would so I know if I want to keep the genre or move it around again. I read two this past week (a "nope" and an "okay"). I haven't read this month's book yet. 

The Book Drop is a subscription box that sends a book, bookmark, the Indie-list, and sometimes author letters. You pick your genre (all named after drinks of some sorts) or combination of genres. I've had the "Books for Tea" (not quite my cup of tea), "Books for Bubbly" (sometimes hits, sometimes misses), and I moved to a new combo of romance/friendship and then fantasy. 

I have read a lot of 'ugh' books recently. UGH books. Books I did NOT like. It's been a struggle. 

I did read the newest Janet Evanovich and while it's not quite like the earlier books (and there's still an annoying love triangle), it seemed less phoned in. I'm still not rushing out to buy her books but I'll pick the next up from the library. 

I read this book a few weeks ago. It was a spur of the moment library book based totally on the cover. It's not my normal type of book to be fair, as it has some horror elements. It's really delightful. Well, horror infused delight? I read it all in one sitting because I was hooked. 
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