I first saw this tag on Kristin Kraves Books site and thought it looked like so much fun! This tag was originally created by Kit over at Metaphors and Moonlight. Please check them both out! Similar to the way Kristin did her tag I am going to try and stick with books I’ve read but I’m going to attempt to narrow it down even further to 2022 reads whenever possible. Let’s bring out the stunning cover art!
Skull | Skeleton | Bones
Paradise Club was my first horror/slasher. I normally go for creepy, atmospheric horror so this was quite the change for me. I was very surprised what a bloody good time it was! I definitely recommend this indie title to anyone who likes some murdering mayhem.
Pumpkin
I’m cheating a bit with this choice because I’m currently reading The Halloween Tree but I’ll definitely be finishing it in 2022 so I’m gonna go with it. I don’t have a lot to say about this title yet because I’ve only just started it but it does have a fabulously creepy cover!
Blood
I just finished this horror graphic novel by the artistic duo that brought us Monstress. I absolutely loved it- The Night Eaters has a dark atmosphere and lots of gore but it’s also pretty funny. Five stars- absolutely recommend especially if you like Junji Ito or even Lovecraft.
Spiders, Bats, or other Creepy Creatures
The third book in the Small Spaces middle grade horror series has a cover that fits right in with all the rest in the quartet- this giant monster fish gives me the creeps! I finished the fourth and final book in this series a couple of weeks ago and I’m very sad to see the story come to an end!
Something Witchy
What’s more witchy than the cauldron prominently displayed on the cover of this awesome witchy book unique in that it’s set in a contemporary world and follows a coven of elderly witches? This is a fantastic new release and if you love witchy books like I do please give this one a go!
Severed Body Part
“Human” wasn’t specified for this prompt so I’m going with a severed wing- this book is very much psychological horror and I found it quite disturbing. I’m looking forward to reading the other title I have by this author sometime soon.
Full Moon
Here’s another indie but this time in the urban fantasy genre. I was drawn to these books because they’re both supernatural and set in New Orleans- two of my favorite things in books! I’ve been able to find books from this year for every prompt so far… let’s see if I can keep it up!
Cemetery
Another witchy book set in New Orleans… starting to see a pattern here? This is a series I think I’ll have to hold off on continuing until I reread this first book. I liked it but it was definitely confusing at times. what a stunning cemetery gracing the cover, though.
Haunted House
The Me You Love in the Dark is the embodiment of dark & gothic. The house is as spooky as it looks on the cover and so is the “ghost” that calls it home.
Ghost
The graphic novels are really winning tonight! Sheets is one of the most beautifully rendered GN’s I’ve ever read; the color palette in this one is incredibly vibrant and of course it’s chock full of ghosts.
Classic Monster | Vampires, Werewolves, etc.
Dead Until Dark is a book I’ve read and am currently rereading. The Southern Vampire Mysteries series are some of my all time favorites and I also love the showtime adaption, True Blood. As you can see a lovely vampire graces the cover of this one!
Candy
Here is a book I mentioned earlier- the finale to the Small Spaces quartet. The candy is hard to see on this cover but its laying in the road where the clowns are walking in the parade.. luckily this is a scene from the story and the candy actually plays a somewhat important role to move the plot forward otherwise I may not have noticed the candy at all. So lucky I found this one!
Someone in a Costume/Mask
I did have to choose a book from last year for this one although The Halloween Tree also works since there are several children in costumes on the cover.. but I’m only using each book once. Geekerella has our two MC’s dressed up as characters from a movie in the book for a con. Definitely fits the prompt! This is a book I never expected to feel anything but meh about but I actually really liked it and plan on finishing the series (someday).
Orange & Black
Here’s an ombré cover that has orange faded into black. I’ll Fly Away is a poetry collection that was just okay. I’m still searching for a poetry collection that speaks to me. Poetry may just not be for me but I’m not giving up yet.
Something Creepy
I’m going with What Moves the Dead for something creepy. I think a rabbit with a second rabbit growing around it in the form of mushrooms is very creepy.. especially having read the book.
This tag was a lot of fun- it was like a bookish scavenger hunt! I hope that in doing this tag I have also put some great books on your radar. If you also do this tag (and I hope that you do!) please tag me so I can see what books you chose!
Noah Lemelson’s Science Fiction/Fantasy novel, The Sightless City, was released on 7/20/21 with Tiny Fox Press. I had the pleasure of reading an early copy of this fantastic novel and, additionally, I am pleased to share with you all an interview with the author.
How can fiction alter one’s own self narrative?
I think fiction allows us to look at the world through someone else’s eyes, and that’s a skill that can be turned inward. Different perspectives let us realize that the way we think about anything, including ourselves, is just one possibility, not the be-all-end-all truth. We all live in our own stories, partially written by us, partially written by others, while we can’t always control the way we fit into other peoples’ narratives, I think we do have some control on how we tell our own story. Fiction lets us practice that skill.
How did you decide to set your story in a steampunk fantasy world against the tumultuous backdrop of a partial apocalypse?
For whatever reason, I find industrial decay to be utterly fascinating, and even beautiful in its own way. I think that’s one reason why places like Chernobyl are so fascinating, places marked by civilization but no longer controlled by it. Traditional fantasy loves its ruined temples and forgotten cities, I think it’s interesting to take those same tropes and bump them up a couple centuries.
Could you explain your “realistic” approach to writing magical characters?
Though the term magic is never used in the book (besides once in a derisive aside), several characters have abilities or powers that are… basically magic with a fancy name. It’s a fun fantasy to imagine problems that magic could solve, but I think it’s often more interesting to look at what magic can’t solve. Self-doubt, moral quandaries, societal inequalities, relationship difficulties, magic has its limit. Its like anything else, skills or powers in one part of life don’t necessarily translate to others, and I think many of the most interesting stories about magic characters, be they literal wizards, super-heroes, or realty-defying inventors, is to look at where their magic is no longer enough.
What exactly is the Calamity, and how did that event influence the ongoing wars and discrimination throughout the book?
The details of the Calamity aren’t discussed much in the book, but in short it was a massive disaster caused by the misuse of ætheric weaponry that turned a big chunk of the continent into desolate Wastes. It’s one of those events that is so big that it paradoxically just kind of blends into the background. For most people it’s just a fact of history, an explanation for a reality that is their mundanity. Yet, like most facts of history, it can be trotted out to win political debate, or to excuse terrible acts. The Calamity is always someone else’s fault, an everlasting causa belli, a parable to support whatever argument is currently being made.
What inspired you to create this world?
Honestly I always loved the expanded universes for other novels, games, movies, and a not small part of my motivation came from a desire to have a world of my own, where my imagination wasn’t bound by what other people already wrote. As for why it became what it became, that’s a harder question to answer. I’ll say this, it started with the Wastes, and worked its way out.
Find my review of The Sightless City by Noah Lemelsonhere.
Noah Lemelson is a short story writer and novelist who lives in LA with his wife and cat. Lover of Science Fiction, Fantasy, New Weird, and Punk. He received his BA in Biology from the University of Chicago in 2014 and received his MFA in Creative Writing from the California Institute of the Arts in 2020. He has had several of his short stories published in both print and online magazines, such as Allegory, Space Squid and the Outsider’s Within Horror Anthology.
Hello! I CANNOT believe it’s already time for this tag; half the year is over and with it half the amount of time you have to reach your reading goals for 2021. I’m doing pretty well this year. I’ve been bouncing between 2-7 books behind schedule. So nothing that isn’t easily remedied by the end of the year.
As of right now I’ve read 73 books but when I sat down and made some graphs to share and decided on my answers I had only read 65 so all my stats and book choices will be based on those 65 books. Let’s start off with some general book stats!
Graphs are fun, are they not?? Its always so interesting seeing these results. Also, shocking. Like the fact that I read more contemporary/romance than I did fantasy or sci-fi?? Who even am I? Although, there is actually an explanation for this. Audiobooks. I love them. But over the last couple of years I have discovered that I have a hard time enjoying fantasy in that format so I stopped trying. I’ve turned to bingeing long romance series instead- mostly during my commutes and housework. Well, they add up! Not only that but if you combine fantasy and sci-fi together which I often do it brings that section up to 26 books. Back to an even (almost) playing field! I had a feeling I would be leaning more into the adult classification this year. I still love both YA and middle grade and don’t plan on giving up on either of those but I’ve definitely found that YA hasn’t been grabbing my interest as of late. Although I do still have a bunch of YA books on my TBR that I can’t wait to read. As for the publication graph- I have been trying to read more indie whether that be an indie author or indie publisher. Partially because I’ve collected so many and I really need to prioritize them and also because I love finding those hidden gems. I could still do better in this department but I can say for absolute fact that this ratio is an improvement on last year. Lastly, I have to say I’ve been a little more stingy with five star ratings this year. I’m not a critical reader by any means but I have been making an effort to save those top tier ratings for the best of the best.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way let’s move on to the tag questions:
Best book so far this year.
The Silver Cage is so good I’ve already read it twice this year. Both times in one night. It’s not a happy book. Actually, it’s downright heartbreaking, but any book that can emotionally touch you like this book did me deserves the top spot. So far no other book has touched it.
Worst book so far this year.
I wasn’t originally going to choose this book for my answer to this one. But then I realized the book I was going to choose will actually answer the “most disappointing” question coming up so this was it’s runner up. I’m sure this is an unpopular opinion but I didn’t like Severance. It was meandering and pointless. I know this story was a metaphor for some profound message blah, blah, blah. I don’t care.
Best sequel you’ve read so far.
This is such a tough one- I’ve read some excellent sequels so far! I’m going with Heartstopper Vol. 4 but there are a few honorable mentions: The Silver Cord by Anonymous, Meat Cute by Gail Carriger, & Beautiful by Christina Lauren. Also, Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare is both a sequel and a series starter which is why I didn’t choose it but it absolutely fits for this question as well.
New release you haven’t read yet but want to.
I’m going with a lesser known title for this one- there are many more popular titles that would also work for this question (The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab for instance) but I feel like those books get talked about enough in the book community. I love anything to do with the Titanic, Acrobats (or circus themes in general) the time period and asian culture. So Luck of the Titanic should be a win for me.
Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
Easiest question ever: Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. Hands down my most anticipated release of the whole damn decade (ok, not really)- I’m literally counting down the days! An honorable mention would be My Favorite Thing is Monsters Vol. 2 by Emil Ferris (I’m hoping beyond hope for this to release this year).
Biggest Disappointment.
The award for biggest disappointment goes to This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. This book was hyped to the freakin’ rafters. I’ll never understand why. Pretty prose isn’t enough to make this a great book. The story should also make sense and be set in a world that you can actually envision in your head. That would be a big nope for this one. Runner up for most disappointing would go to On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. While I didn’t hate this one I was expecting to LOVE it and I didn’t. It was good- but that’s it.
Biggest Surprise.
Another easy answer- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I realize this book got a lot of hype in its day but that doesn’t matter. I’m not a huge lover of contemporary so I thought I’d enjoy this well enough, check it off my list, and move on. Yeah…no. I loved this book. Levi carved out a little inconspicuous hole in my heart and will stay there forever. Who knew? Certainly not me.
Favorite new author (debut or new-to-you).
I’ve only read one book by Layne Fargo so far but she left an impact. I loved They Never Learn and immediately purchased her debut, Temper. a couple other new favorites are Andy Weir (The Martian) and Heather O’Neill (The Lonely Hearts Hotel).
Newest favorite character.
I’m going with Mark Watney- he’s an excellent character and I still remember him in detail like I just read The Martian yesterday- but if I could cheat and choose a book from after the 65 book cut off I would absolutely, without a doubt, choose A.Z. Kimrean (specifically Adrian- the A half of A.Z.) from This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero (another new favorite author that I discovered in 2019 with Meddling Kids).
Book that made you cry.
The Silver Cord is the Prequel to The Silver Cage. This book didn’t break my heart like the first book but it did make me cry. Not like The Silver Cage, though, in which I cried all the way to work the morning after reading it.
Book that made you happy.
Meat Cute will make any fan of the Parasolverse smile. Gail Carriger has a knack for writing silly stories that you find yourself invested in 100%. This short and sweet story finally explains the infamous Hedgehog Incident.
What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
This is a very long list- even if I exclude all the ARCs I need to read, sequels, and rereads. But if I had to pick just a few I’d go with Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, Dark Waters by Katherine Arden, and The Last by Hanna Jameson. Again, there are several super hyped and recently released novels that I could have added but I chose to forgo those since they are always talked about. While these are still popular they aren’t being talked about every time I turn around and they are either highly anticipated (Dark Waters) or have been on my TBR forever (all the rest, haha).
And thats a wrap- if you’ve read anything great (or terrible) be sure to let me know in the comments! Talk to you soon 🖤
I’m a bit late doing this tag since my birthday was June 11th but that whole week was quite busy (I’ll be sharing a bit about that in my next blog post!) and I didn’t get a chance to sit down and do this. I first saw this tag on Kristin Kraves Books blog and I recommend you go check out her awesome content! Anyway- here goes nothing!
Birthday Cake: A book with a plot that seems cliché but you adored it anyway.
This was definitely the hardest question to come up with an answer for since I have a hard time thinking of a book I loved as cliché… but I think its universally acknowledged that most (not all) contemporary romances follow a certain formula and while the formula is the same the details surrounding it are not. That being said- I adored the Beautiful series by Christina Lauren. Beautiful Bastard was great but I’m letting it represent the entirety of the series for my answer. Cheating? Maybe a bit- but its my birthday after all. I’d also like to add that if you’re looking for a binge-worthy romance series to listen to on audio this is an excellent selection. There are several books and novellas to get through plus a companion series with some overlapping characters (Wild Seasons).
Party Guests: You’re most anticipated book release this year.
While the first question was the hardest to answer, this was the easiest. Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff is my most anticipated release of the last two years. It was originally slated for a Fall 2020 release but got pushed back a year. We are finally three months away from this book hitting shelves and I am ecstatic. Pictured above are all the copies I have preordered so far. I know this seems excessive and crazy but I feel zero shame. I arrived late to the party with Nevernight and I wasn’t about to make that mistake again! From top to bottom and left to right these are the editions in the photo: Obsidian Mooncrate exclusive edition, Waterstones exclusive edition, Goldsboro exclusive edition, General U.S. edition, General U.K. edition, and the Barnes & Noble exclusive edition. I will link any editions listed that aren’t currently sold out. As an aside- this isn’t me flexing or anything like that. It’s just me celebrating a book I am so damn thrilled about.. and it wasn’t all roses and rainbows. The Waterstones edition sold out 3 times before I was able to snag one- the site kept crashing (a repeating theme here), and I wasn’t even able to get a Goldsboro edition the traditional way. I set my alarm, got up two hours early just to be awake and prepared, I memorized my credit card info and copied the number from another source just to make things quicker, I had three devices open and ready (my MacBook, my phone, and my mother’s iPad). Of course, as predicted by myself and many others, the Goldsboro site crashed. In fact it crashed ten minutes before the preorder even dropped. I then spent several hours refreshing and refreshing the page just to have it crash again and again until finally Goldsboro posted to social media that they were sold out. So that was a big bummer, especially after being as prepared as I was. BUT I was extremely lucky that my mother, knowing how important this edition was to me, went on Ebay and paid an extravagant price for one being sold by a GSFF member that had early access to the book. She did this because it was my birthday and also because I beat cancer last year. I appreciate her so much for many reasons, but especially for securing this book for me when I thought all was lost. I would also like to add an honorable mention: My Favorite Thing is Monsters Vol. 2 by Emil Ferris. I’ve been waiting on this graphic novel for the last year and it looks like it may finally release this fall!
Birthday Presents: A book that surprised you with how much you loved it.
The Thorn Birds is a book my mother insisted I read. It was originally published in 1979 and it’s a brick of a book. It was a slow moving but profound story and I am so glad that I finally made time to read it. An easy five stars. Another book I’d like to mention for this one is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I purchased a copy of Fangirl when I was still trying to decide what I really liked in contemporary books and it ended up sitting on my shelves for an age. Finally, I decided I’d either read it or un-haul it and decided to at least give this hyped book a shot. I could not believe how much I enjoyed it. It’s so far removed from what I’d usually pick up but I’m very happy that I did.
The Happy Birthday Song: A book that certainly deserves all the hype it got.
When this question came up a few books immediately came to mind- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid- but I feel like I’ve talked about all those titles at least a few times on social media. The Martian is a book that I read in the last month and haven’t had much of an opportunity to talk much about. I loved this book so much. I expected to like it since it was so popular in the book world but I had no idea that I would devour it. I immediately watched the movie after finishing it and while I did enjoy it, it couldn’t hold a candle to the book. I did love seeing all the elements of the story brought to life since a lot of the things described were hard to imagine, but the movie just couldn’t beat being directly in the mind of Mark Watney. I have since purchased both Artemis and Project Hail Mary and hope to get to them soon.
Happy Music: A book with some very beautiful and truly memorable quotes.
There are so many books that could fit for this one but Lady Midnight is one I read very recently and found myself reading and rereading passages just because they were so beautiful. Here is one of the quotes that stuck with me long after the story ended:
These pictures are my heart. And if my heart was a canvas, every square inch of it would be painted over with you.”
Julian Blackthorn
Getting Older: A book that you read a long time ago but you think you would appreciate more if you read it as a more mature reader.
There’s no thinking about it- I KNOW I’d appreciate this more now than I did when I was 11. I read this when I was WAY too young and all that has stuck with me is the bleak atmosphere and the sheer terror I felt while reading. I bought a copy of this a couple of years ago and plan to reread it soon- possibly this fall.
Sweet Birthday Memories: A book that kept you incredibly happy during a sad or demanding time in your life.
I mentioned briefly above that I had and beat cancer in 2020 (at the right bold age of 35). Predictably it was one of the darkest times of my life and there was very little joy happening. That being said, there is very little in this world that could extinguish the happy glow emanating from this graphic novel and its other three installments. If you can read this without smiling then you must be dead. Another book I read with a smile on my face nearly the entire time was A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood. This Great Gatsby inspired novel was simply stunning and I loved everything about it!
Well, that concludes the Birthday Book Tag- I had a lot of fun answering the questions and sharing some tidbits of my life with you all. Looking back I think it’s awesome how many different genres were featured here. There is some adult romance, sci-fi, horror, YA contemporary, a graphic novel, both adult and YA fantasy, and even some historical fiction. I’m so glad that I read so broadly because each genre and age category has something wonderful to offer and I want to experience it all! If you’re reading this consider yourself tagged! And if you do it please let me know- I’d love to see your answers as well! Stay tuned for a Birthday Book Haul post coming soon. I don’t normally share book hauls but I had a great time book shopping/ordering and I’m excited to share all the titles with you! See you soon.
I’m excited to announce a new project in which I spotlight different authors, read their entire backlist of books, and then report back here. I’ll do a mini review of each book and share my feelings on that authors work as a whole. I think it’ll be both fun and an excellent resource for someone looking to see if an author is for them or not and to also be able to find that information all in one place. Each author I’ve considered for this series ended up on my list for different reasons. Some I’ve loved and want to see if the elements that made me love them is reflected in all their books- if so my favorite authors list will grow and that’s always amazing. Some I’ve read a single book and didn’t care for it yet I seem to be of the unpopular opinion and I want to read their other books to see if my mind can be changed. Others I for some reason have been collecting or drawn to their books even though I’ve never actually read one and now own nearly their whole bibliography and want to enter them into this little experiment to see if my instincts were right. And I’m hoping that you, my readers, will come along on this journey with me! A few authors I plan to spotlight include:
Mary H.K. Choi
Layne Fargo
Katie Henry
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Rebecca Roanhorse
David Arnold
This is definitely not a complete list or the order I will be doing this series in- the author I start with may not even be on this list but I’m definitely going to include them at some point throughout the time I’m writing this series. I hope this is something that sounds like a fun idea to you- I am simply looking forward to sharing more opinion-type posts here on my blog. I love doing book reviews and blog tours- I started this blog with that in mind- but I would like to branch out and test the waters, so to speak. I’ve been bouncing some other series ideas around in my brain for a while, too, and I’d like to share some of those here and get some feedback if possible. Here is a small list of other concepts I’ve been considering:
I Read 3 | (enter what thing I’ve read 3 of here)
Reading ‘Best Of’ lists from various places and seeing if they’re actually the ‘best’
Reading books blurbed by my favorite authors
These are just a few of the ideas I’ve had that I thought could be fun, most of them inspired by other people in the book community who I would definitely credit if and when these series ever came to fruition. Please let me know if you think anything I’ve spoken about here today is something you’d read and whether you think others would too! Thanks so much for stopping by today and I’ll be back soon (allegedly) with more content- yay!
“I hate men” seems to be a well-worn phrase used by many heterosexual women. The work it takes when looking for a romantic partner, from dating to dolling yourself up, just to be let down yet again in the end, becomes a tiring exercise that eventually convinces a lot of women that there are no good men left. Add a previous sexual assault to the mix and the idea of finding a good man becomes even harder to believe.
Holly Bourne’s Pretending follows April, a sexual assault victim and charity worker, who’s been desperately searching for the man of her dreams but finds that all the men she meets are completely predictable, eventually scattering her hopes and breaking her heart. Until she decides she’s done being the vulnerable, nice girl and brings “Gretel”, her alter-ego, to life.
Please enjoy an excerpt from Pretending by Holly Bourne:
I hate men.
There, I’ve said it. I know you’re not supposed to say it. We all pretend we don’t hate them; we all tell ourselves we don’t hate them. But I’m calling it. I’m standing here on this soapbox, and I’m saying it.
I. Hate. Men.
I mean, think about it. They’re just awful. I hate how selfish they are. How they take up so much space, assuming it’s always theirs to take. How they spread out their legs on public transport, like their balls need regular airing to stop them developing damp. I hate how they basically scent mark anywhere they enter to make it work for them. Putting on the music they want to listen to the moment they arrive at any house party, and always taking the nicest chair. How they touch your stuff instead of just looking; even tweak the furniture arrangement to make it most comfortable for them. All without asking first—never asking first.
I hate how they think their interests are more important than yours—even though twice a week all most of them do is watch a bunch of strangers kick a circle around a piece of lawn and sulk if the circle doesn’t go in the right place. And how bored they look if you ever try to introduce them to a film, a band, or even a freaking YouTube clip, before you’ve even pressed Play.
I hate their endless arrogance. I hate how they interrupt you and then apologize for it but carry on talking anyway. How they ask you a question but then check your answer afterward. I hate how they can never do one piece of housework without telling you about it. I hate how they literally cannot handle being driven in a car by a woman, even if they’re terrible drivers themselves. I hate how they all think they’re fucking incredible at grilling meat on barbecues. The sun comes out and man must light fire and not let woman anywhere near the meat. Dumping blackened bits of chicken onto our plates along with the whiff of a burp from their beer breath, acting all caveman, like we’re supposed to find it cute that we may now get salmonella and that we’re going to have to do all the washing up.
I hate how I’m quite scared of them. I hate the collective noise of them when they’re in a big group. The tribal wahey-ing, like they all swap their IQs for extra testosterone when they swarm together. How, if you’re sitting alone on an empty train, they always come and deliberately sit next to you en masse, and talk extra loudly about macho nonsense, apparently to impress you. I hate the way they look at you when you walk past—automatically judging your screwability the moment they see you. Telling you to smile if you dare look anything other than delighted about living with stuff like this constantly fucking happening to you.
I hate how hard they are to love. How many of them actually, truly, think the way to your heart is sending you a selfie of them tugging themselves, hairy ball sack very much still in shot. I hate how they have sex. How they shove their fingers into you, thinking it’s going to achieve anything. Jabbing their unwashed hands into your dry vagina, prodding about like they’re checking for prostate cancer, then wondering why you now have BV and you still haven’t come. Have none of them read a sex manual? Seriously? None of them? And I hate how they hate you a little just after they’ve finished. How even the nice ones lie there with cold eyes, pretending to cuddle, but clearly desperate to get as far away from you as possible.
I hate how it’s never equal. How they expect you to do all the emotional labor and then get upset when you’re the more stressed-out one. I hate how they never understand you, no matter how hard they try, although, let’s be honest here, they never actually try that hard. And I hate how you’re always exhausting yourself trying to explain even the most basic of your rational emotional responses to their bored face.
I hate how every single last one of them has issues with their father.
And do you know what I hate most of all?
That despite this, despite all this disdain, I still fancy men. And I still want them to fancy me, to want me, to love me. I hate myself for how much I want them. Why do I still fancy men so much? What’s wrong with me? Why are they all so broken? Am I broken for still wanting to be with one, even after everything? I should be alone. That’s the only healthy way to be. BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE ALONE. I hate men, that’s the problem. GOD I HATE THEM SO MUCH—they’re so entitled and broken and lazy and wrong and…and…
Holly Bourne is a bestselling and critically acclaimed UK-based YA and Adult Fiction author and is an Ambassador for Women’s Aid. Inspired by her work with young people, and her own experiences of everyday sexism, Holly is a passionate mental health advocate and proud feminist. In 2019, she was an Author of the Day at the London Book Fair, and was named by Elle Magazine’s weekly podcast as one of “Six Female Authors Changing the Conversation in 2019”. Pretending is her US debut.
Many People are now familiar with the annual Reading Rush read-a-thon hosted by Ariel Bissett and Raeleen Lemay every year. It’s become one of the most popular read-a-thon’s out there and it’s a lot of fun! Inspired by our continued isolation, the creators of The Reading Rush have decided to host a mini Stay Home read-a-thon from 4/16-4/19. They’ve also created a tag! I’m going to answer the questions and then share my mini TBR with you all!
Q1 How is your reading going staying at home?
There hasn’t been much of a change in my reading since the quarantine started. I work in healthcare and am considered essential so my life really hasn’t changed all that much! I can say my reading has been a bit slower this year and that hasn’t changed, unfortunately.
Q3 What is the best book you’ve read during isolation?
I read and loved Us Against You by Fredrik Backman, the sequel to Beartown. Fredrik Backman can’t write a bad book. Or at least that’s been my experience and I’ve read many of his books now. I can’t recommend this author enough and I also think he writes extremely versatile books as well. Anyone can read them regardless of genre preference.
Q4 What is your favorite feel-good book?
I struggled a bit trying to think of an answer to this question. “feel-good” isn’t my go-to when looking for a book to pick up. I really prefer the dark and twisted stories, whether it be fantasy or contemporary. But a great book that I did read recently that definitely falls under the “feel-good” category is A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood. I never expected to love this book as thoroughly as I did. I do love how the 1920’s setting feels and it was because of the time period and the stunning cover that I picked this book up. It didn’t disappoint. It’s one of those books you enjoy like a dessert, savoring every page. I highly recommend it!
Q5 What book do you wish you could buy or borrow from the library if it’s not available?
Oh man, this I can answer very easily! Although, the reason I don’t have the book/s is not because I can’t buy them or because they’re not available. One of my favorite series of all time is the Nevernight series by Jay Kristoff. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered these books the UK hardbacks for both Nevernight and Godsgrave were long out of print. This broke my heart because I so badly wanted to own them in the UK editions. Needless to say, when Illumicrate announced that they would be working with the publisher to do a one-time-only reprint of the first two books I was literally hysterical. I vowed right then and there that I would get a set of those books even if I had to crawl to the UK to get them. I did end up getting a set and waited not-so-patiently for the shipping date in March to arrive. When the books showed up at Illumicrate’s warehouse, they noticed a finishing touch was missing from the books and they had to send them back. Am I grateful that their attention to detail means I will get the best possible quality book? Absolutely! Am I dying a little inside because I just want to have them in my hand? YEEEESSSS. As of right now we are still waiting for a new shipping date. Ho hum.
Q6 Who is an author that you want to shout out right now?
First I want to give a shout-out to all the authors out there offering up free e-copies of their books during this time of crisis, and also to companies like Scribd who are giving away free service so people with no access to books can still read while in isolation. I think it’s wonderful to see the community come together in this way to help each other!
As for an author I’d like to shout out… well I have several favorites that I could choose from, but the first author that came to mind when I read this question wasn’t one of my favorites, but a newly discovered author. Tessa Bailey. I want to shout her out for writing and releasing Reborn Yesterday because it’s literally been so much fun reading this book! I’m not quite done with it but I am loving it, and right now I’m very grateful for that! When I heard that a popular contemporary romance author was releasing a vampire love story, I was all-in! And let me tell you.. it’s been a fun ride!
And now for the long-awaited (probably not) TBR. There are four prompts to choose books for and they are:
Read a book with a house on the cover.
2. Read a book in the same room the whole time.
3. Read a book set somewhere you wish you could go.
Here are the books I am most excited for this year. I say ‘so far’ because as things are announced I may add to this list later on! There are 21 books on this list and 15 honorable mentions. I’m going to post the books in publication order instead of my personal excitement level… It’s simply too hard to rate them that way. Enjoy!
➼ I read and rated both volumes 1 & 2 five stars last year and have been waiting very impatiently for this 3rd volume to release. Luckily, it release in just days.. maybe even before this post goes up! If you love cinnamon roll, queer contemporary then this is the graphic novel for you!
Synopsis: (beware of minor spoilers for the first two installments andpossibly forSolitaire as well!)
In this volume we’ll see the Heartstopper gang go on a school trip to Paris! Not only are Nick and Charlie navigating a new city, but also telling more people about their relationship AND learning more about the challenges each other are facing in private…
Meanwhile Tao and Elle will face their feelings for each other, Tara and Darcy share more about their relationship origin story, and the teachers supervising the trip seem… rather close…?
➼ Rin Chupeco puts out books at the speed of light, which is great for us. Everything she writes really calls to me as if it’s written for me alone. This book is no different. Wicked As You Wish is a fairytale, alternative history story. It seems like a mish-mash of many different fantastical elements and I’m here for it! If you’re looking for fantasy with the found-family trope, look no further. This is also own-voices for Filipino representation.
Synopsis:
Tala Warnock has little use for magic – as a descendant of Maria Makiling, the legendary Filipina heroine, she negates spells, often by accident. But her family’s old ties to the country of Avalon (frozen, bespelled, and unreachable for almost 12 years) soon finds them guarding its last prince from those who would use his kingdom’s magic for insidious ends.
And with the rise of dangerous spelltech in the Royal States of America; the appearance of the firebird, Avalon’s deadliest weapon, at her doorstep; and the re-emergence of the Snow Queen, powerful but long thought dead, who wants nothing more than to take the firebird’s magic for her own – Tala’s life is about to get even more complicated….
➼ Listen, I’ve been dying to get my hands on this freaking book. I am so hyped to see what Maas does with adult urban fantasy. I bet it’s fantastic. And I need it. ASAP.
Synopsis:
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.
➼ I’ve been Shadowhunter trash since the beginning of time and I always will be trash for these books. I have absolutely zero shame about it. I think it’s funny how every popular YA series of all time eventually grows a mass of people that ‘hate’ them. Like it’s totally uncool to like that super popular series so I’ll just jump on the hate bandwagon instead. oi vey. These books are good and this one will be no different. Early buzz on this new series starter is very positive and I simply cannot wait for it!This series follows the children from the main characters of the Infernal Devices series. It will feature a Persian MC name Cordelia as well. This series is for anyone who loves historical fiction/fantasy and looking for themes of family, friendship, and love.
Synopsis: (beware of spoilers for the Infernal Devices trilogy and possibly other books in the Shadowhunter books as well!)
Chain of Gold is the first novel in a new trilogy that stars the Shadowhunters of Edwardian London.
Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.
James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love. (less)
➼ My Dark Vanessa is a book I’ve seen makingthe rounds in the book community. I was intrigued by the dark atmosphere of it’s cover and decided to check it out. This book ended up being about a bit of a taboo subject; a student having an inappropriate relationship with her teacher. This is not the only reason I’m excited to read this, though. The synopsis really drew me in and convinced me this is an author to watch out for. I guess we’ll see if that turns out to be true. I think this is going to be a great book and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Synopsis:
Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.
2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.
2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?
Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessais an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.
➼ I’ll be honest and say that I am not that familiar with Mandel. I know she wrote the very popular and award-winning Station Eleven, which I haven’t read yet. But her books are so strange and unusual and that’s something I find I’m really drawn to. The Glass Hotel differs from Station Eleven in that it is categorized as literary fiction. I’m definitely intrigued. I’ve read that even though this book is nothing like her most-loved prior book that if you enjoy Mandel’s writing style then you will most likely love this book as well. I’m excited for it!
Synopsis:
From the award-winning author of Station Eleven, a captivating novel of money, beauty, white-collar crime, ghosts, and moral compromise in which a woman disappears from a container ship off the coast of Mauritania and a massive Ponzi scheme implodes in New York, dragging countless fortunes with it.
Vincent is a bartender at the Hotel Caiette, a five-star glass and cedar palace on an island in British Columbia. Jonathan Alkaitis works in finance and owns the hotel. When he passes Vincent his card with a tip, it’s the beginning of their life together. That same day, Vincent’s half-brother, Paul, scrawls a note on the windowed wall of the hotel: “Why don’t you swallow broken glass.” Leon Prevant, a shipping executive for a company called Neptune-Avramidis, sees the note from the hotel bar and is shaken to his core. Thirteen years later Vincent mysteriously disappears from the deck of a Neptune-Avramidis ship. Weaving together the lives of these characters, The Glass Hotel moves between the ship, the skyscrapers of Manhattan, and the wilderness of northern Vancouver Island, painting a breathtaking picture of greed and guilt, fantasy and delusion, art and the ghosts of our pasts.
➼ I read an ARC of the first book in this series, Foundryside, last year and was blown away by it! I was instantly in love and waiting for the sequel and it’s finally coming this year! This is fantasy unlike anything else I’ve ever read, where inanimate objects have awareness and can be misdirected in order to think they are something else and in turn act like something else. It sounds strange but it’s SO good. If you’re looking for more unique adult fantasy in your life please consider picking up this series!
Synopsis: (Beware of spoilers for the first book in the series!)
The upstart firm Foundryside is struggling to make it. Orso Igancio and his star employee, former thief Sancia Grado, are accomplishing brilliant things with scriving, the magical art of encoding sentience into everyday objects, but it’s not enough. The massive merchant houses of Tevanne won’t tolerate competition, and they’re willing to do anything to crush Foundryside.
But even the merchant houses of Tevanne might have met their match. An immensely powerful and deadly entity has been resurrected in the shadows of Tevanne, one that’s not interested in wealth or trade routes: a hierophant, one of the ancient practitioners of scriving. And he has a great fascination for Foundryside, and its employees – especially Sancia.
Now Sancia and the rest of Foundryside must race to combat this new menace, which means understanding the origins of scriving itself – before the hierophant burns Tevanne to the ground.
➼ This is the third installment in the amazing The Black Witch Chronicles. Laurie Forest is such an underrated author. This series is simply brilliant. She manages to weave modern (and historical) issues of race and acceptance into this beautiful high fantasy series that features several different races of beings. It is so well done! The Black Witch created some heated controversy over the books subject matter and I landed 1,000 percent on the side of the author, as did so many fans of these books. If you love high fantasy with fantastical beings, the chosen one trope, friend groups, or enemies-to-lovers, then you will adore this series!
Synopsis: (beware of spoilers for the first 2 books!)
Elloren Gardner hides the most powerful secret in all of Erthia – she is the Black Witch of Prophecy, and destined to triumph…or be used as the ultimate weapon of destruction. Separated from everyone she loves, isolated and hunted, Elloren must turn to the last person she can trust, her fastmate, Commander Lukas Grey. With the Mage forces of Gardneria poised to conquer all of Erthia, Elloren has no choice but to ally with Lukas and combine their power to keep herself out of the hands of the Gardnerian leader Marcus Vogel…the holder of the all-consuming Shadow Wand. With just weeks to train to become a warrior, and no control over her magic, Elloren finds unexpected allies among those under orders to kill her. It’s time to step up. To fight back. And to forge onward through the most devastating loss yet.
➼ Stephen King has long been an auto-buy author for me. I heard recently that there was some controversy over something King said (I have no idea what was said) and I saw many people vowing to never purchase one of his books again. If you are one of these people than I hope it doesn’t offend you to see this book on my list. I simply do not subscribe to that type of thing and will continue to buy King’s books because I find immense enjoyment in them. If you choose not to do so than I totally understand and would never judge. To each their own! If It Bleeds is an anthology, of which Stephen King is famous for. His short works are known to be some of the best out there and I can’t wait to see if these ones will hold up under that mighty praise! I’d say if you don’t enjoy horror stay away from this title!
Synopsis:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author, legendary storyteller, and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary collection of four new and compelling novellas—Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story If It Bleeds—each pulling you into intriguing and frightening places.
The novella is a form King has returned to over and over again in the course of his amazing career, and many have been made into iconic films, including “The Body” (Stand By Me) and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” (Shawshank Redemption). Like Four Past Midnight, Different Seasons, and most recently Full Dark, No Stars, If It Bleeds is a uniquely satisfying collection of longer short fiction by an incomparably gifted writer.
➼ For some reason I am always super drawn to Jenn Bennett’s books. They always seem so whimsical and warm so when I see a new release by her I automatically want it! If you like contemporary romance, especially YA, then this would probably be the book for you.
Synopsis:
In this coming-of-age romance perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen, scandal and romance collide when an ambitious teen returns to her hometown only to have her plans interrupted after falling for the town’s “bad boy”—a.k.a. her childhood best friend.
Sometimes to find the good, you have to embrace the bad.
Budding photographer Josie Saint-Martin has spent half her life with her single mother, moving from city to city. When they return to her historical New England hometown years later to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it’s not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there.
What she doesn’t plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lucky Karras. Outsider, rebel…and her former childhood best friend. Lucky makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the newly returned Josie. But everything changes after a disastrous pool party, and a poorly executed act of revenge lands Josie in some big-time trouble—with Lucky unexpectedly taking the blame.
Determined to understand why Lucky was so quick to cover for her, Josie discovers that both of them have changed, and that the good boy she once knew now has a dark sense of humor and a smile that makes her heart race. And maybe, just maybe, he’s not quite the brooding bad boy everyone thinks he is…
➼ I’m pretty sure this is one title that will be found on many most anticipated lists in 2020. I was just as shocked as everyone else to hear a new book was coming out in The Hunger Games series. It’s always a gamble when an author adds a book to a completed series years later but I think the fact that this is a prequel does help the odds. I’m curious to see where this book goes!
Synopsis:
Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price.
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
➼ I can’t even begin to contain my excitement for Harrow the Ninth. I travelled to Bookcon in NYC with the sole purpose of acquiring and ARC of book 1 in this series and succeeded. I then read and fell head over heels in love. Gideon is the love of my bookish life and I need book 2 like yesterday. also, look at the cover. It’s so grim and beautiful. Be still my heart. This book is perfect for anyone looking for unique and queer adult fantasy.
Synopsis: (Beware major spoilers for book 1 in the series!)
Harrow the Ninth, the sequel to the sensational, USA todaybest-selling novel Gideon the Ninth, turns a galaxy inside out as one necromancer struggles to survive the wreckage of herself aboard the Emperor’s haunted space station.
She answered the Emperor’s call.
She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend.
In victory, her world has turned to ash.
After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman’s shoulders.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath — but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.
Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor’s Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?
THE LOCKED TOMB TRILOGY BOOK 1: Gideon the Ninth BOOK 2: Harrow the Ninth BOOK 3: Alecto the Ninth
➼ I am an absolute sucker for books that even whisper at a carnival- or magical games-type theme so of course this went on my most anticipated list immediately. This book sounds properly dark and awesome and is one of the most intriguing YA debuts of the year in my humble opinion. If you like this type of book too then I’d keep a look out for this one!
Synopsis:
In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.
The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost
The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told
The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide
Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.
➼ This title has two things that I love: Humor, and retellings of classics. Not to mention that Cynthia Hand can write her butt off and I’ve yet to read something by her that I haven’t liked. I don’t think I’ve read anything by the other two authors but I’m up for anything. This is book 3 in The Lady Janies series these 3 co-author together but I believe this is a standalone series and each book can be read on their own. I could be wrong here but I’m pretty sure that is the case! This series would be good for anyone who loves humor in their books and also just anyone who likes YA. I’m sure these books can be enjoyed even if you haven’t, and never intend to, read their classic counterparts.
Synopsis:
Welcome to 1876 and a rootin’-tootin’ America bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou.
JANE (a genuine hero-eene)
Calamity’s her name, and garou hunting’s her game—when she’s not starring in Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, that is. She reckons that if a girl wants to be a legend, she should just go ahead and be one.
FRANK (*wolf whistle*) Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler is the Wild West’s #1 bachelor. He’s also the best sharpshooter on both sides of the Mississippi, but he’s about to meet his match. . . .
ANNIE (get your gun!) Annie Oakley (yep, that Annie) is lookin’ for a job, not a romance, but she can’t deny there’s something about Frank she likes. Really likes. Still, she’s pretty sure that anything he can do, she can do better.
A HAIRY SITUATION After a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there’s been talk of a garou cure. But things ain’t always what they seem—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they’re a day late and a Jane short.
➼ I have been a fan of Amanda Hocking since she was self publishing her books on kindle and selling them for $1.00. The First book I ever read by Amanda was Switched, the first book in the Trylle series. I absolutely fell head over heels in love with the entire series so needless to say when I saw the whole set sitting on the shelf for sale at Walmart I was overjoyed for Amanda’s deserved success. Since then 2 trilogies have been released in the Trylle world and I never thought we’d be getting more… fortunately, I was wrong! The Lost City is the first book in a new trilogy following the Omte, another species of troll. Trolls in the series are not what most people probably picture and are much like humans. Enough so that they can be hidden successfully among us. If you love light but awesome YA fantasy romance than you will love this. It will bring you back to the earlier days of fantasy!
Synopsis😦May be minor spoilers for previous books in the Trylle universe)
New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking returns to the magical world of the Trylle with The Lost City, the first book in the final Trylle arc.
Nestled along the bluffs of the forested coast lays the secret kingdom of the Omte—a realm filled with wonder…and as many secrets.
Ulla Tulin was left abandoned in an isolated Kanin city as a baby, taken in by strangers and raised hidden away like many of the trolls of mixed blood. Even knowing this truth, she’s never stopped wondering about her family.
When Ulla is offered an internship working alongside the handsome Pan Soriano at the Mimirin, a prestigious institution, she jumps at the chance to use this opportunity to hopefully find her parents. All she wants is to focus on her job and the search for her parents, but all of her attempts to find them are blocked when she learns her mother may be connected to the Omte royal family.
With little progress made, Ulla and Pan soon find themselves wrapped up in helping Eliana, an amnestic girl with abilities unlike any they have ever seen before—a girl who seems to be running from something. To figure out who she is they must leave the city, and possibly, along the way, they may learn more about Ulla’s parents.
➼ Ever since falling in love with Alice Oseman’s work in Heartstopper and Radio Silence I’ve been on the lookout for anything she writes. I was super hyped to see that she was releasing yet another title this year and immediately added it to this list.Alice’s novels usually consist of fun and easy to read contemporary that also explore much deeper topics. I’m sure this one won’t be any different. You can also expect to find queer and diverse representation in most of her work, also!
Synopsis:
The fourth novel from the phenomenally talented Alice Oseman – one of the most authentic and talked-about voices in contemporary YA.
Georgia feels loveless – in the romantic sense, anyway. She’s eighteen, never been in a relationship, or even had a crush on a single person in her whole life. She thinks she’s an anomaly, people call her weird, and she feels a little broken. But she still adores romance – weddings, fan fiction, and happily ever afters. She knows she’ll find her person one day … right?
After a disastrous summer, Georgia is now at university, hundreds of miles from home. She is more determined than ever to find love – and her annoying roommate, Rooney, is a bit of a love expert, so perhaps she can help.
But maybe Georgia just doesn’t feel that way about guys. Or girls. Or anyone at all. Maybe that’s okay. Maybe she can find happiness without falling in love. And maybe Rooney is a little more loveless than she first appears.
LOVELESS is a journey of identity, self-acceptance, and finding out how many different types of love there really are. And that no one is really loveless after all.
➼ No, your eyes are not deceiving you! The second book in Amanda Hocking’s new trilogy is being released justone month after the first and I’m not mad about it! It’s so rare that we get the second book in a trilogy within a month of the first but it’s happening with this one and I’m anticipating it just as much as the first!
Synopsis😦Beware of spoilers for book one in this trilogy and other books in the Trylle universe.)
New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking returns to the magical world of the Trylle with The Morning Flower, the second book in the Omte Origins arc.
Nestled along the bluffs of the forested coast lays the secret kingdom of the Omte—a realm filled with wonder… and as many secrets.
When Ulla Tulin took her internship at the Mimirin, the only mystery she thought she’d have to solve was that of her birth parents. After a girl named Eliana gets kidnapped while in her care, Ulla knows she has to find out the truth of who Eliana really is—and the only way to do that means traveling to the Omte capital, the place she suspects her mother is from.
Ulla didn’t expect that when she arrived she would discover the identity of a Skojare man who crossed paths with her mother—a man who could very well be her father. When the head of the Mimirin learns Ulla’s father is connected to the Älvolk, a secret society who believes they were tasked with protecting the First City and the only ones who know its location, he sends Ulla and Pan to Sweden where they find him living among the Älvolk. But all is not what it seems with the Älvolk and their urgent quest to find the Lost Bridge to the First City leaves Ulla feeling uneasy—and possibly in danger.
➼ The Gilded Wolves got mixed reviews butI fell on the side of loving it. It was compared to Six of Crows which is what initially drew me to the book but after reading it I am not so sure I agree with that comparison. It does share a few elements; The found family trope and a heist does take place in both books. But the similarities end there. The magic system is extremely unique and very complex in The Gilded Wolves and it’s setting is much more luxurious and less street urchin. I adore Six of Crows, it’s one of my favorite books of all time.. and I also adore this series. I recommend both to anyone looking for YA Fantasy that heavily relies on found familyand is also very character driven.
Synopsis😦Beware major spoilers for the first book in the series.)
They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.
Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost ― one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumoured to grant its possessor the power of God.
Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.
As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.
A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.
➼ Let’s take a second to appreciate this stunningly creepy cover. I’ll admit that this is what drew my attention at first. But Katrina Leno is known for her contemporary books laced with magical realism and they’ve gotten rave reviews. That’s the second reason this book made this list. The third reason is that this book has been compared to Stephen King and Agatha Christy and put solidly in the horror genre. Enough said.
Synopsis:
From the author of You Must Not Miss comes a haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie.
Followingher father’s death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor’s doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone…and more tormented. As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident “bad seed,” struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane’s mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won’t reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the “storage room” her mom has kept locked isn’t for storage at all–it’s a little girl’s bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears….
Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more…horrid?
➼ Now here is the second volume to the most amazing and beautiful graphic novel I’ve ever laid eyes on. When I read Volume 1 of My Favorite Thing is Monsters I was completely blown away. It took me some time to get through the whole thing and it was a bit pricey (and worth every damn penny!) yet I was still aching to get my hands on the next installment. I wanted more immediately. I then learned there wasn’t even a release date for the next book. Needless to say, I am so damn happy to finally be putting this book on this list because it means I will have it in my hands before the end of the year! This is definitely for an adult audience and explores extremely heavy topics including sexuality, suicide, murder, abuse,drug use and addiction, and the list goes on. If you can handle these topics than I can’t recommend this enough!!
Synopsis😦Beware minor spoilers for the first volume.)
In the conclusion of this two-part graphic novel, set in 1960s Chicago, dark mysteries past and present abound, and 10-year-old Karen tries to solve them.
Karen attends the Yippie-organized Festival of Life in Chicago, and finds herself swept up in a police stomping. Privately, she wrestles with her sexual identity, and she continues to investigate her neighbor’s recent death. She discovers one last cassette tape, which sheds light on Anka’s heroic activities.(less)
➼ When Victoria Schwab says she’swriting a new book, that is literally all I need to hear. She can take all my money because I will buy every book she ever writes. She is a queen and writes some of the best books I have ever read. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what this is about. I don’t need to. But I’ll post it below just like all the others. 😎
Synopsis:
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever―and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name
2020 Honorable Mentions: (I’m interested and plan to add these to my collection!)
➼ Whew, that’s one heck of a list! 2020 is looking really promising for great books and this is just the tip of the iceberg! I hope you found something that sounds good here and that I could inspire you to pick something up. What is your most anticipated book of 2020? I’ll be back with more bookish content soon! 😘
Hey guys! Let’s wish Frankly in Love by David Yoon a warm Book Birthday today on it’s release day! If the name Yoon sounds familiar it’s probably because David Yoon is the husband of Nicola Yoon, who wrote the popular YA novels Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star, which was recently adapted to film. David’s book is similarly about a Korean-American boy who falls in love with someone who is not Korean, going against all his parents expectations of him. When he meets a Korean-American girl in a similar predicament they pretend to be dating each other to satisfy both their parents but things don’t go as planned. Franky in love promises to be a witty, fun, heartwarming book of self-discovery and first love.
Davids Yoon’s book is one of the biggest releases this fall! Its also a Book of the Month YA (@yasofthemonth) pick and you can get your copy today for just $9.99 (retail price $18.99) using the code GROW. Just click the BOTM YA link highlighted in this paragraph or click one of the adds on my blog.
I am a Book of the Month YA affiliate and when you use my links I make a small commission. Thank you kindly for stopping by and I hope you take advantage of this great deal. You won’t be disappointed! I’ll be back soon with more bookish content!
Hello, Friends!! In the month of August I participated in the Magical Readathon hosted by G from the YouTube channel Book Roast. This is a two-part read-a-thon that begins with the O.W.L.S. in April and finishes with the N.E.W.T.S. in August each year. The read-a-thon is themed after the wizarding tests taken in the Harry Potter books and they are so much fun! If you love to read, whether you are a Harry Potter fan or not, I enthusiastically recommend joining us in April of 2020 for the next round. It’s an amazing community and adds a bit of a challenge to your reading which just spices things up a bit! Ok, enough about that; let’s get to the books!
I actually found that I read a bit less than my average in August which is totally fine but surprising. Although, I did read a couple lengthier books! My Stats for August:
Reading Goal: 129/150 (28 books ahead of schedule)
Books Read: 14
Pages Read: 5,249
Longest Book: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4) By Sarah J Maas 645 pgs
Shortest Book: Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter 296 pgs
Genres Read: 8 YA/Adult Fantasy, 5 YA/Adult Contemporary, 1 Horror (of these 14 books 12 are physical books, 1 is Audiobook, and 1 is a Graphic Novel. 8 are Young Adult, 6 are Adult.)
And finally… here are the books from lowest rated to highest! 🖤
The Bookshop of Yesterdays completed the challenge: Herbology- Read a book between 350 and 390 pages.
This is the book that doomed my reading this month. I was so bored with it that it took up an entire week of my life and prevented me from reading anything else. I know I should have DNFed it but the mystery involved had me intrigued enough that I wanted answers. Once I got them I was pretty underwhelmed and regretted my decision to continue reading long past the ‘I’d rather go to the dentist than continue this book’ stage. No one is to blame but myself for this one! The writing isn’t bad but the main character is extremely annoying, the relationship between the MC and her boyfriend is completely unnecessary to the story and not even a good representation of what a relationship should be like. The MC is also spoiled rotten and terrible to her mother which was never addressed. Instead it was meant to be accepted because of the sad things that happened to her. BOO-HOO. No. You’re a crap person, Miranda. Please don’t show up in any more books.
Ironside completed the Challenge: History of Magic-Read a fantasy.
I read this book as part of the Faerie-A-Thon as well as the N.E.W.T.S. Faerie-A-Thon is hosted by the sweet and truly lovely Melanie from the YouTube channel Meltotheany. She can also be found at her blog of the same name. If you do anything at all today, visit Melanie. You will instantly love her! This read-a-thon is also hosted by the wonderful Alexa from the YouTube channel Alexa Loves Books, Kristin from the channel Super Space Chick, who is so sweet and gives me serious bookshelf envy, and Jane from the fantastic YouTube channel It’sJaneLindsey. If you’re ever looking for some BookTubers to follow these gals are a great place to start. As for the book; it was mediocre. Not bad but about what you’d expect from a YA Fantasy book published in 2007. It was entertaining, a super easy read, and a great introduction into Holly’s world of faerie which is the same world the The Cruel Prince (The Folk of Air, #1) is set along with the rest of the series and her other previous books!
Say You Still Love Me completed the challenge: Muggle Studies- Cover that includes an actual photo element.
I received this as an ARC for review from Netgalley and Atria books. To see my full review of this book visit this post. I was really hoping to love this book since I had heard such rave reviews for Tucker’s previous novel, The Simple Wild, which I have on my shelf and haven’t read yet. I found this book to be pretty average. It definitely wasn’t a bad book but it didn’t do anything special or manage to stand out in my mind in any meaningful way. If you like second chance romances with a female MC in a position of power I’d recommend this. I think there are a lot of people who will love this book; it just wasn’t for me.
Britt-Marie Was Here completed the challenge: Herbology- Read a book with green on the cover.
Fredrik Backman has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I’ll read anything he writes. He’s just so gifted with words and really specializes in human emotion. He just GETS people. All of Backman ‘s books tell poignant stories about self-discovery, self-reflection, and relationships. That being said this was my least favorite book I’ve read by Backman so far. Even so, this book is still really well done and funny. Britt-Marie is a character we first meet in My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry. In that book I pitied Britt-Marie but I didn’t like her. I found her to be meddling and annoying. This companion novel promised to tell her story and change the way you see her once you know who she really is at heart. It succeeded. I ended up caring about Britt-Marie and hoping for everything good in the world to happen for her. I’d recommend this book and anything else written by this author… even his grocery list.
Vassa in the Night completed the challenge: Astronomy- Read a book with the word night in the title or series name.
Vassa in the Night is an extremely strange retelling of the Russian folktale Vassilissa the Beautiful. This book made no sense at all and all the sense in the world. It’s twisty, weird, maniacal, and entertaining as hell. Even though this is possibly the strangest book I’ve ever read I still marveled at the authors imagination and ability to draw you in and keep you reading. The writing was spectacular. If you were to pull elements of this book apart and look at them separately you’d probably find that you weren’t interested in this book. Amputated hands that do their master’s evil bidding, a convenience store that dances on chicken legs, a talking wooden doll. All of these things seem so childish on their own but brought together they work seamlessly to create an extremely dark and creepy tale. This isn’t a book that can be explained, you just need to read it for yourself.
The Wicked Deep completed the challenge: Astronomy- Read a book with a moon on the cover or anywhere in the title.
This was the August pick for my reading group on Goodreads, The Reading Frenzy. There are 4 of us MODs and we create new read-a-thons and challenges each month to keep reading fun. Anyone can join, it’s a group for lover’s of all books and all genres. September’s Pick is A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab and we have something special and exciting planned for October 👻☠️🎃👀. As for the Wicked Deep, I went into this with very low expectations based on some of the reviews I had seen. Due to that I was pleasantly surprised. I quite enjoyed this witch-y book set on a spooky island, completely separated from the town. Ernshaw knows how to build up the atmosphere, that’s for sure. I love being surprised by a book and even though some of the plot twists were predictable there were some that I never saw coming. If you haven’t read this yet and want to I’d recommend holding off until we really get into Fall. It’s the absolute perfect book for the Halloween season.
The Right Swipe completed the challenge: Muggle Studies- Read a book set in our world.
I read this book with the Goodreads Dragon’s and Tea Book Club hosted by Melanie (meltotheany) and Amy (acourtofcrownsandquills). This reading group focuses on marginalized and own-voices authors. I’ve been reading with them for several months and have had a successful reading experience so far. This month they are reading Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson. Y’all should definitely check it out! For the first time since joining this book club I was wavering on whether to join in on The Right Swipe; mainly because I had such a lengthy TBR already and it just wasn’t a book that was on my radar. After seeing so many people getting excited closer to its release I decided to go for it. I’m really glad I did. This book was great. It features an intersectional MC, which is always refreshing to see represented. The book doesn’t explicitly say that the MC has any mental health issue but it’s clear that she does have something going on. It read to me like anxiety and I personally thought it was well represented and realistic. This book also features a woman of color in a position of power and she’s tough as nails. I felt she was too tough at times but was able to understand her better by the conclusion of the story. If you like diversity, second chance romance, feminism, or football players 😉 than I wholeheartedly recommend this book!
Origin is the only title I read outside of the Magical Readathon this month. I listened to this on audio.
What is there to say about this book? It’s an oldie but goodie that I just recently discovered! I’ve been slowly listening to this series from book one. It’s become my guilty pleasure when driving to and from work or running errands. Although, guilty pleasure is just a figure of speech; I’m not feeling guilty at all. 😉
Wilder Girls completed the challenge: Herbology- Read a book with a flower on the cover.
Ever since the day this cover was revealed I wanted to read this book. I didn’t even need to know anything about it. I’m exciting to do a post at the end of 2019 featuring my favorite covers of the year. This one will be at the top of the list, guaranteed. I read this book with my Goodreads book club, The Reading Frenzy, for the Bookish Treasure Hunt Read-a-thon that I created. This was another creepy island story but instead of witches and ghosts like you find in The Wicked Deep, this story features an all girls school quarantined to their island while a sickness called The Tox spreads from the plants to the wildlife to the girls and women who live there. Grotesque things are happening to their bodies and rarely are any two girls sharing the same symptoms. When one of the girls in a particular friend group disappears after a flare up it becomes clear more is going on than meets the eye and the story really takes off from there. This book was fantastically gory and creepy and twisted. I loved it. The only real criticism I have is a pretty big one and one that prevented me from giving this five stars and that is the ending. The ending was bad. Period. This is a stand-alone story and yet the book just abruptly ends with a lot of things still unanswered. This isn’t a spoiler as many things are cleared up and the way in which it ends is still a mystery if you haven’t read it but if you go to Goodreads and read any random review you will see the majority of people complaining about the same thing. The terrible ending. Maybe some people could see past it and maybe it’s supposed to have some metaphorical meaning, but I didn’t see it. I was just annoyed. I’d still recommend this though if you like body horror. it’s a damn good book.
The Grand Dark completed the challenge: Arithmancy- Read a book that ends on an even page number.
I reviewed an ARC of this book that was provided by Netgalley and Harper Voyager. To see my full review visit this post. This was the month of strange and unconventional books. This is another title that was so unlike anything else I’ve ever read. It felt like a mixture of steampunk, gothic architecture, 1920’s Noir, and a bit of a lovecraftian feel to polish it off. The world was brutal and dark. The characters range from savages, disabled, desperate, poor, rich, sick, healthy, powerful, and weak. The is a twisted story set in a twisted world and I definitely recommend it!
Legendary completed the challenge: Defense Against the Dark Arts- Read a book that’s black under the dust jacket.
Reading Legendary was so exciting since I had been waiting for what seemed like forever to get to it. I wasn’t disappointed. While this book was much darker than the more whimsical setting of Caraval, the main character’s had much better chemistry and the angst was palpable between them. I am so glad I have Finale already on my shelves after that kicker of an ending!
Heartstopper Vol. 2 completed the challenge: Transfiguration- Read a book with LGBTQ+ representation.
This graphic novel is everything. These characters were first featured in the full length novel, Solitaire, as side characters; this is the second volume of their back story. The MC’s are literally precious and I just want to hug them. Alice Oseman has a very distinct art style that I’m living for. The color scheme is beautiful as is the story she tells. If you’re looking for a queer graphic novel than look no further. This is a gem of a book!
An Easy Death completed the challenge: Defense Against the Dark Arts- Read the first book you remember from your TBR.
Charlaine Harris is an auto-buy author for me. She writes two of my favorite series, the Sookie Stackhouse series which is the inspiration for the HBO show True Blood, and the Midnight, Texas series, which was adapted into a T.V. show on NBC. I would never have picked up a book classified as a western under normal circumstances but all I needed to know before purchasing this book was that Charlaine wrote it. I was not disappointed. This book is so unique; I’ve never read anything even remotely like it. At first I was weirded out by the writing style because it was unusual and nothing like the author’s other books. But I quickly realized that she wrote the whole book in the way the MC thinks. It’s genius, honestly. The next book in this series, A Longer Fall, releases January 2020. I’ve requested an ARC so hopefully I’ll have a review up soon. Fingers crossed!
Queen of shadows completed the challenge: History of magic- Read a book that includes a map.
I’ve been slowly making my way through my reread of this series along with the girls hosting the #TOGreadalong, Kassie from MissSassyKassie & Brittni from Brittni’s Book Finds. Queen of Shadows was just as amazing the second time around. Shit. Goes. Down. in these books and I’m living for it! I’d lay down and die for my boy Rowan. I don’t think there’s much to say about this series. People either love it or hate it. How you could hate it is beyond me but hey to each their own! Next up is Empire of Storms and then there is only one book between me and Kingdom of Ash! I cannot wait to finally read the last book in this series… I’m sure it’s gonna kill me but sacrifices must be made.
That’s it for last month’s reading wrap-up. Also, I am now a Book of the Month YA affiliate! Click on the links on my page to sign up. I receive a small commission when you do, thank you kindly! I’ll see you soon for more bookish content!
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