book list – Classy x Book Reviews

Blogtober Day Twenty-Two: Spooky Book Covers

Hello, lovelies! I was running out of blogtober ideas and then I realized I haven’t done a post (outside of a Top Ten Tuesday) about book covers in quite a while. So, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite spooky/creepy covers that I love. I’m a sucker for a good cover and there are definitely some that have drawn me to mystery or horror books when the summary probably wouldn’t have grabbed me.

The Arsonist and Spellbook of the Lost and Found were absolutely books I bought because of their covers. They were also books that I enjoyed very much when I read them.

Please just look at these stunning purple covers. I’d recommend all of these for spooky season based on the cover alone (but the stories inside are also good spooky season stories).

Creepy weather. Creepy teeth. Creepy animals. Seriously, what more could someone ask for from these covers? Nothing, they’re absolute perfection.

The Valley and the Flood cover is the only reason that I read this book. It’s weird and I just had to know more about the story inside. The Inheritance Games is such a good cover because there’s so much going on that you don’t know where to look (which is really telling of the story inside). Mexican Gothic is such a simple cover, but damn does it make a statement.

Who knew that flowers could be horrifying? Well, they only really are for Horrid. Those flower eyes will haunt me. The other flowers are totally pretty, but with the other elements of the covers, there is a mysteriousness about both These Vengeful Hearts and Whichwood.

There are some books that I haven’t read yet that I wanted to share their covers, too. For some of them, the covers are absolutely the reason that these books are on my radar in the first place.

For the Throne has a stunning cover, much like the first book in the series. I’m reading it because I loved the first book, not because of the cover. But it’s cover was just released and it’s so beautiful that I had to include it. The Last Laugh is also a sequel that I’ll be reading either way, but oh jeez that cover. Lakesedge is one that grabbed me from the synopsis and the cover wasn’t released until very recently. There’s just something that screams spooky and atmospheric about it.

I don’t usually like books with faces on the cover, but these are creepy as hell and I’m absolutely living for it.

The Forest of Stolen Girls has what looks like two girls drowning in flowers and that sounds absolutely horrifying. I’m honestly not sure what is going on with The River Has Teeth but I just borrowed a copy from the library and I’m about to find out. Where the Drowned Girls Go is part of the Wayward Children series which I love, but that random door in the ocean is mysterious as hell.

What are some of your favorite creepy and weird covers?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogtober Day Twenty-One: Underrated October Recommendations

Hey, lovelies! I’ve done a few ‘underrated recommendations’ posts and I always love to share books that don’t get the hype that others do. My definition of an ‘underrated’ book is one that has less than 5 thousand ratings on GoodReads. While I definitely thing that GoodReads is an imperfect reader resource, many people still use it for recommendations and other things. I usually keep these kinds of lists strictly backlist books, but some of these are new releases that I haven’t really seen anyone talking about.

The Fell of the Dark by Caleb Roehrig
“The only thing August Pfeiffer hates more than algebra is living in a vampire town. Located at a nexus of mystical energy fields, Fulton Heights is practically an electromagnet for supernatural drama. And when a mysterious (and annoyingly hot) vampire boy arrives with a cryptic warning, Auggie suddenly finds himself at the center of it. An ancient and terrible power is returning to the earthly realm, and somehow Auggie seems to be the only one who can stop it.”

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle
“One stormy summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hair clips and jewellery, but soon it’s clear that Rose has lost something bigger; something she won’t talk about. Then Olive meets three wild, mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel and Rowan. Like Rose, they’re mourning losses – and holding tight to secrets. When they discover the ancient spellbook, full of hand-inked charms to conjure back lost things, they realise it might be their chance to set everything right. Unless it’s leading them towards secrets that were never meant to be found…”

The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf
“I am a dark spirit, the ghost announced grandly. I am your inheritance, your grandmother’s legacy. I am yours to command.
Suraya is delighted when her witch grandmother gifts her a pelesit. She names her ghostly companion Pink, and the two quickly become inseparable. But Suraya doesn’t know that pelesits have a dark side—and when Pink’s shadows threaten to consume them both, they must find enough light to survive . . . before they are both lost to the darkness.”

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe
“Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape. For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems:
#1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris.
#2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because:
#3: Right after they enter bank, two guys start robbing it.
The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage…”

The Valley and the Flood by Rebecca Mahoney
“Rose Colter is almost home, but she can’t go back there yet. When her car breaks down in the Nevada desert, the silence of the night is broken by a radio broadcast of a voicemail message from her best friend, Gaby. A message Rose has listened to countless times over the past year. The last one Gaby left before she died. So Rose follows the lights from the closest radio tower to Lotus Valley, a small town where prophets are a dime a dozen, secrets lurk in every shadow, and the diner pie is legendary. And according to Cassie Cyrene, the town’s third most accurate prophet, they’ve been waiting for her. Because Rose’s arrival is part of a looming prophecy, one that says a flood will destroy Lotus Valley in just three days’ time. Rose believes if the prophecy comes true then it will confirm her worst fear–the PTSD she was diagnosed with after Gaby’s death has changed her in ways she can’t face. So with help from new friends, Rose sets out to stop the flood, but her connection to it, and to this strange little town, runs deeper than she could’ve imagined.”

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis
“Welcome to Amontillado, Ohio, where your last name is worth more than money, and secrets can be kept… for a price.
Tress Montor knows that her family used to mean something—until she didn’t have a family anymore. When her parents disappeared seven years ago while driving her best friend home, Tress lost everything. She might still be a Montor, but the entire town shuns her now that she lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the “White Trash Zoo,” – a wild animal attraction featuring a zebra, a chimpanzee, and a panther, among other things. Felicity Turnado has it all – looks, money, and a secret that she’s kept hidden. She knows that one misstep could send her tumbling from the top of the social ladder, and she’s worked hard to make everyone forget that she was with the Montors the night they disappeared. Felicity has buried what she knows so deeply that she can’t even remember what it is… only that she can’t look at Tress without having a panic attack. But she’ll have to. Tress has a plan. A Halloween costume party at an abandoned house provides the ideal situation for Tress to pry the truth from Felicity – brick by brick – as she slowly seals her former best friend into a coal chute. With a drunken party above them, and a loose panther on the prowl, Tress will have her answers – or settle for revenge.”

What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo
“Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds. Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together — in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her. Exquisitely terrifying, beautiful, and strange, this fierce gothic fantasy will sink its teeth into you and never let go.”

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
“Kira Bennett’s earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own or what she had to do to survive, but she remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Along with Cady’s son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works alongside Cady to train the world’s most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home. But when Cady’s estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child—one of several visitors who has disappeared in the Sierra Glades National Park in the past twelve months—the teens find themselves on the frontlines sooner than they could have ever expected. As the search through 750,000 acres of unbridled wilderness intensifies, Kira becomes obsessed with finding the missing child. She knows all too well what it’s like to be lost in the wilderness, fighting for survival, alone. But this case isn’t simple. There is more afoot than a single, missing girl, and Kira’s memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past.”

They’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman
“Stella and Ellie Steckler are only a year apart, but their different personalities make their relationship complicated. Stella is single-minded, driven, and keeps to herself. Cross-country running is her life, and she won’t let anything get in the way of being the best. Her sister Ellie is a talented runner too, but she also lets herself have fun. She has friends. She goes to parties. She has a life off the course. The sisters do have one thing in common, though: the new girl, Mila Keene. Both Stecklers’ lives are upended when Mila comes to town. Mila was the top runner on her team back home and at first, Ellie and Stella view her as a threat. But soon Ellie can’t help but be drawn to her warm, charming personality. After her best friend moved away and her first boyfriend betrayed her, Ellie’s been looking for a friend. In a moment of weakness, she even shares her darkest secret with Mila. For her part, Stella finds herself noticing the ways she and Mila are similar. Mila is smart and strong–she’s someone Stella can finally connect with. As the two get closer, Stella becomes something she vowed she’d never be: distracted. With regionals approaching and college scouts taking notice, the pressure is on. Each girl has their future on the line and they won’t let friendships get in their way. But then, suddenly, Mila goes out on a training run and never returns. No one knows what happened, but all eyes are on the Steckler sisters.”

There you have it, nine underrated books that I would recommend you read during the spooky season. What books do you think are missing from this list?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogtober Day Nineteen: Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Online Resources for Book Lovers

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week we talk about our top ten with a different topic provided by Jana. This week’s topic is the ten online resources I use to make my reading life better.

StoryGraph
I love this app to track my reading. It’s still pretty new so it doesn’t have all the features I like from GoodReads, but I think eventually it’ll be the way better option.

GoodReads
I still use this to track my reading. But I also use it to track new releases and upcoming releases since StoryGraph isn’t as specific as GoodReads with publication dates.

NetGalley
I’m not sure if this counts. But I read a lot of my anticipated releases via NetGalley and then review them here and on GoodReads.

Libib
I use this app on my phone to track what books I own. This is great for the books I’m collecting slowly and sometimes for series I don’t always buy in order.

Libby
This is one of a few apps that my library uses for ebooks and audiobooks. I use this one for both.

Hoopla
Another library app. This one has options for movies and music as well as ebooks and audiobooks. I use Hoopla mostly for audiobooks, but also for graphic novels.

WordPress
I love scrolling through my reader to catch up on blog posts from the other bloggers that I follow. Blog posts are a huge resource for recommendations and other bookish content.

YouTube
BookTube is a sub-community on YouTube that I love to watch. Now that I’ve watched for a while, I mostly watch for specific people rather than for specific topics, but it’s still a great place for recommendations and the like.

These are all the online resources that I personally use to enhance my reading. I’m sure there’s most out there, but these are the ones I use. What about you?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogtober Day Twelve (Part One): Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Favorite Book Settings

Boarding scools

Small towns

On a boat

At the beach

In outer space

In the woods

That’s all I’ve got for this week’s topic. What did you pick?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogtober Day Eight: Series to Finish in 2021

Hey, friends! Last year, we did a post where we talked about series that we’ve started but haven’t finished. This was really helpful for Amanda to keep her accountable to eventually finish those series. We thought it would be fun to see what series are still on this list or are new to the list. Find our first list here! We did actually do a wrap up for this post last year, which you can find here.

Amanda’s Series to Finish

Age of Darkness by Katy Rose Pool

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I’m actually pleasantly surprised to see that I only have three series on this list. I’ve been much better than previous years with reading series finales when they come out. So, the series that are on my TBR are ones that haven’t been completely published or series that I haven’t started yet. I also don’t think I’ll finish Outlander but I felt silly just having two series on this list.

Antonia’s Series to Finish

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

I’m almost definitely overestimating my reading time with these but I’m really excited for all of these books and am hoping to get through at least two of them before the end of the year.

These are the series that we’re hoping to finish before the end of 2021. Do you have any series you want to wrap up before the end of the year?

Blogtober Day Seven: Amanda’s September Book Haul

Hello, lovelies! No huge surprise really, but I bought more books in September. I’m happy with what I bought and how many of them I’ve already read. Some were belated birthday gifts, some were given from others that don’t hoard books like I do, and the rest were absolutely impulse buys.

Books I’ve Read

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young

The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi

Books New to my TBR

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee

You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow

The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

I bought a few of these so that I could reread them. And I’m incredibly excited to read the ones new to my TBR. Some of them are on my TBR for October, so hopefully I’ll have them read by the end of the month. Did you buy any new books last month?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogtober Day Five (Part Two): Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Pet Peeves

Series that change cover designs mid way through publication.

Series with books of varying heights.

Sequels that continually have their publication date pushed back.

Dust jackets,

But also, books that don’t have dust jackets.

Books with incredibly small font,

And, books with very large font.

Sequel’s that spend an unnecessary amount of pages explaining what happened in the previous books.

Info dumping that’s disguised as world building.

Stickers on books covers (removable AND non-removable ones).

What are your bookish pet peeves?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogtober Day Five (Part One): Antonia’s Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Pet Peeves

Being interrupted while reading

Stickers on book covers

Books in the same series that are different sizes (varying heights, paperback vs hardcover, etc.)

Sequels info-dumping what happened in the previous book (specifically in a long chunk at the beginning)

When instead of a synopsis on the back there’s just blurbs from the book or reviews- I want to know what the book is about

When publication dates are delayed or we have to wait years for a sequel

Book covers made for the movie/tv adaptation

Multiple names for the same character (first name, given name, title, nickname, name only their family uses, etc.)

That was all I could come up with this week. What bookish pet peeves do you have?

Blogtober Day One: Amanda’s October TBR Jar Picks & Gothtober Readathon TBR

Hello, lovelies! Once again, it’s a new month. It’s actually one of my favorite months, October! For me, spooky season starts in September, so I’ve been reading all the books I’ve saved for spooky season for the last month, but I’m excited to share what I’ve planned for this month. I’m going to keep this first Blogtober post as my TBR jar picks because I’ve really been enjoying picking books off my TBR shelf this way. I’m also doing a readathon which I’ll mention later in the post. I have lots of Blogtober content that I’m very excited to share with you all.

Fantasy
Into the Dying Light by Katy Rose Pool

Backlist Book
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Thriller
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Most Recent Purchase
The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi

Young Adult
The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young

I’m a bit behind on my eARC’s from NetGalley, so I have a few I want to read this month, as usual. These are just the ones that I couldn’t fit into TBR prompts for this month.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman

I’m also participating in the Gothtober Readathon (find all their information here on Twitter) again this year. This year it’s Angels vs. Demons (or vs. Death if you don’t want to be on a team). I’m going for Team Demon, which should surprise zero people. The prompts are listed in the graphic below, but I’m also sharing each prompt with my book selection.

Mythology
Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee

Omens
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

Found Family
The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi

Dark Romance
A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout

LGBTQ+ Representation
Into the Dying Light by Katy Rose Pool

Murder
I Am Margaret Moore by Hannah Capin

Classics
Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

BIPOC Representation
Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Disability Representation
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

What will you be reading this month?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Antonia’s Top Ten Tuesday: Freebie

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week’s topic is Freebie (Come up with your own topic or do a past TTT topic that you missed or would like to do again.). This week I’m going to do books by my favorite authors that I still need to read.

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn

Aru Shah and the City of Gold by Roshani Chokshi

Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore

To Sleep in A Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What books do you still need to read from authors you love?

Amanda’s September Wrap Up

Hi, lovelies! I really cannot believe that September is over. But I’m very excited for October to get here because I have lots of fun Blogtober content planned. I also just love the spooky season.

What I Read

Physical Books
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee – 3 stars
The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin – 5 stars
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto – 4 stars

eBooks
Holdout by Jeffery Kluger – 3.5 stars
The Twin Paradox by Charles Wachter – 3.5 stars
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – 4 stars
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao – 3 stars
The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – 4 stars

Audiobooks
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas – 4 stars
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten – 5 stars
They’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman – 4 stars
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin – 4 stars
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole – 2 stars
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager – 3.5 stars
One by One by Ruth Ware – 2 stars
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James – 4 stars
Recursion by Blake Crouch – 3 stars
The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe – 4 stars
The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl – 4 stars
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James – 3.75 stars
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – 2 stars

Blogging Highlights

A Season of Sinister Dreams by Tracy Banghart (Book Review)

Amanda’s Poetry Collection

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (Book Review)

Five Fantasy Adaptations Amanda Would Watch

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart (Book Review)

10 Backlist Books on Amanda’s TBR List

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers (Book Review)

Amanda’s Boarding School Recommendation

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey (Book Review)

Other Blogger I’m Loving

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – audiobook review! from Evelyn Reads
Check out Evelyn’s review of one of my favorite audiobooks!

October TBR from Books in the Skye
See what Steph is reading for spooky season!

New Young Adult Book Releases This Week / 27th September from Vee Bookish
Vee talks about new releases. Some of these are perfect for the upcoming month of spooky reading!

Autumn Reads from Journey into Books
Michaela recommends some great books for the Autumn season.

Ranking Riley Sager Books from Falling Down the Book Hole
Ashley ranks all of Sager’s books. This was a fun one as I’ve recently read a few of their newer books.

Book Recommendations – 8 Latine Science-Fiction/Fantasy & Magical Realism from CW @ The Quiet Pond
As usual, some great recommendations from CW and just in time to get ready for sci-fi month in November!

How was September for you with reading and blogging?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Fall 2021 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week we talk about our top ten with a different topic provided by Jana. This week’s topic is the ten books I’m hoping to read this fall. I’m actually just making this list from my previous seasonal TTT TBR’s because I’d like to complete those by the end of the year.

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

Cazadora by Romina Garber

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Jade City by Fonda Lee

Into the Dying Light by Katy Rose Pool

The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi

What books are you hoping to read this fall?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Autumn Book Recommendations

Hi, lovelies! I have another list of seasonal recommendations. I’ve really enjoyed coming up with my spring and summer lists, so I’ll be doing it again now that Autumn has arrived. Obviously, spooky season is in the autumn, but I don’t want this list to be all spooky books. I read a lot of fantasy in the cooler seasons, so thats probably what I’ll recommend the most.

For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig
“A young woman with a dangerous power she barely understands. A smuggler with secrets of his own. A country torn between a merciless colonial army, a terrifying tyrant, and a feared rebel leader. The first book in a new trilogy from Heidi Heilig. Jetta’s family is famed as the most talented troupe of shadow players in the land. With Jetta behind the scrim, their puppets seem to move without string or stick a trade secret, they say. In truth, Jetta can see the souls of the recently departed and bind them to the puppets with her blood. But the old ways are forbidden ever since the colonial army conquered their country, so Jetta must never show never tell. Her skill and fame are her family’s way to earn a spot aboard the royal ship to Aquitan, where shadow plays are the latest rage, and where rumor has it the Mad King has a spring that cures his ills. Because seeing spirits is not the only thing that plagues Jetta. But as rebellion seethes and as Jetta meets a young smuggler, she will face truths and decisions that she never imagined—and safety will never seem so far away. Heidi Heilig creates a world inspired by Asian cultures and French colonialism.”

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
“Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues—a bee, a key, and a sword—that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life.”

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig
“Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range–five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned. As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents’ deepest desires, however grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister, and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames.”

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
“Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya–but neither wants to be. War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds–and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.”

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman
“Eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto is certain her life is just beginning. She has a great family, just graduated high school, and is on her way to a party where her entire class is waiting for her—including, most importantly, the boy she’s been in love with for years. The only problem? She’s murdered before she gets there. When Nami wakes up, she learns she’s in a place called Infinity, where human consciousness goes when physical bodies die. She quickly discovers that Ophelia, a virtual assistant widely used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude the way she’d been forced to serve in the real world. Even worse, Ophelia is inching closer and closer to accomplishing her grand plans of eradicating human existence once and for all. As Nami works with a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment, she is forced to reckon with her past, her future, and what it is that truly makes us human.”

All the Bad Apples by Moira Fowley-Doyle
“When Deena’s wild and mysterious sister Mandy disappears – presumed dead – her family are heartbroken. But Mandy has always been troubled. It’s just another bad thing to happen to Deena’s family. Only Deena refuses to believe it’s true. And then the letters start arriving. Letters from Mandy, claiming that their family’s blighted history is not just bad luck or bad decisions – but a curse, handed down through the generations. Mandy has gone in search of the curse’s roots, and now Deena must find her. What they find will heal their family’s rotten past – or rip it apart forever.”

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
“In 1893, there’s no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box. But when the Eastwood sisters–James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna–join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women’s movement into the witch’s movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive. There’s no such thing as witches. But there will be.”

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
“It’s 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance. To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood. Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history–but only if they can stay alive.”

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
“In the first book in a brilliant new fantasy series, books that aren’t finished by their authors reside in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, and it is up to the Librarian to track down any restless characters who emerge from those unfinished stories. Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing—a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto. But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil’s Bible. The text of the Devil’s Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell … and Earth.”

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
“For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.
In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It’s wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather. In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she’s the only one who can make a difference. In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she’s terrified Sang will be the next one she loses. In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves… before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.
Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.”

These are some books that I think would be fitting to read in the autumn. Some of them are obviously great for October, but others are just a nice book to get lost in while the days get colder. What books would you recommend for the fall?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s NetGalley Shelf #4

Hello, lovelies! I’m back with another NetGalley Shelf update. I didn’t read as many eARC’s as I would have liked. But that’s okay. I will read them all eventually seeing as they’re not going anywhere, hah. Check out my last update here.

Approvals I’ve Read

The Twin Paradox by Charles Wachter
Publication Date: August 27, 2020
This book was bizarre and way darker than I was expecting. But I did enjoy it. It’s about teen clones of people like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein and the things they’re expected to solve by the company that created them.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Publication date: November 17, 2020
Sadly, I DNF’d this book. I tried reading the eARC that I had several times. I also borrowed the audiobook from my library. I made it about halfway before I gave up.

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
Publication date: July 20, 2021
This book was super long. I liked it, but it was a bit of a slow sort of meandering story that had us really get to know the group of characters before getting into the real story.

Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Publication date: August 3, 2021
Teylor Kay Mejia can do no wrong. I love Paola Santiago and this book just grew that love.

Holdout by Jeffery Kluger
Publication date: August 3, 2021
This was another bizarre story. The synopsis wasn’t very specific about the details of the story, so I was really surprised by much of what happened. It was a pretty political story, but I wasn’t bored or put off by this.

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Publication date: August 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It’s queer and spooky and set in a small town. I loved the family dynamics and the existing issues that were brought to light with the events of this book. I think the mystery was really well done, too. I totally didn’t guess the twist.

Approvals on my TBR

We Are Meridians by S. Ghali
Publication date: August 27, 2019
I don’t know why I was approved for this book over a year after it’s publication, but it sounds super good. So, I’m planning to read it soon. It’s about a group of humans that left Earth and traveled into space hundreds of years ago. But now they need to return for something. The people of Earth think that it’s an alien invasion and so obviously it doesn’t go well.

Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
Publication date: November 1, 2020
I was a part of the blog tour for this book. Find my spotlight post here. I shared a bit of a blurb and other information about the book. Since this has already been released I’ll probably just read it on Kindle Unlimited and share that I read the finished copy in my review. Check out my spotlight post for the full synopsis.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
Publication Date: June 8, 2021
I honestly don’t know anything about this one except that I’ve heard amazing things about Suri’s books.

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee
Publication date: August 3, 2021
This is a romance novel by an author I’ve liked before. The romance in this one starts with a game of truth or dare and I’m here for that.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Publication date: August 17, 2021
I don’t know what this is about but I’ve really enjoyed her books in the past, so I think I’ll probably like this one too.

Cazadora by Romina Garber
Publication date: August 17, 2021
Magical werewolves. I loved the first book and this is the sequel.

The Boy with Fire by Aparna Verma
Publication date: August 31, 2021
I honestly don’t know anything about this book but it was up for ‘read now’ on NetGalley. I’ve also seen a few people that really loved this.

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Publication Date: September 7, 2021
I don’t know anything about this other than the comp titles are Red, White, & Royal Blue and One to Watch which I enjoyed both very much.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Publication date: September 21, 2021
I read ‘giant transforming robots’ in the synopsis and that’s honestly all I needed to know.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
Publication date: September 21, 2021
I really liked some of his previous books and I’m hopeful that I’ll like this one too.

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Publication date: September 28, 2021
I didn’t love A Deadly Education, but I liked it enough that I curiously requested the sequel in a requesting binge.

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia
Publication date: October 5, 2021
I love this series. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next for Tristan.

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Publication date: October 5, 2021
I can’t tell if this is actually a Sleeping Beauty retelling or not, but Harrow is one of my favorite authors.

Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi
Publication date: October 5, 2021
This was published as an audible original but I believe it’s being published elsewhere now. So, you can listen to this on audible right now. I would read Chokshi’s grocery lists. This was an immediate request for me.

I Am Margaret Moore by Hannah Capin
Publication date: October 12, 2021
This seems like it’s going to be a summer camp sort of story but with peopple going missing and maybe some murder.

Truth of the Divine by Lindsay Ellis
Publication date: October 12, 2021
I had absolutely no business requesting this book. I own the first book, but I haven’t read it. So, requesting an early copy of the second book was not a smart move. But I did it anyway, so hopefully I like the first book.

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Publication date: October 19, 2021
This is a retelling of The Goose Girl. I honestly don’t know much about that story, but a friend of mine is incredibly excited about this book.

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
Publication date: October 19, 2021
Another one that I don’t know much about aside from it’s a gothic horror (which is something I’m trying to dip my toes into) and some friends have read and loves it that I share a similar reading taste to.

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
Publication date: November 2, 2021
Julie and her boyfriend, Sam, have plans for the future, for their future together. But then Sam dies and Julie tries to act like he never existed so she can move on. But then things take a sci-fi twist when she calls Sam and instead of his voicemail, he answers the phone.

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood
Publication date: November 9, 2021
The synopsis tagline is that this is an Ethiopian inspired Jane Eyre retelling. It’s also the authors debut fantasy novel.

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
I really liked both Foody’s and Herman’s books. So, I’m interested to see what they’ve come up with together. I’ve seen bits and pieces from their social medias and I’m excited for it.

No Beauties or Monsters by Tara Goedjen
Publication date: December 7, 2021
I have no recollection of requesting this one. But I’m not surprised since I’ve been trying to read more horror and this one is YA horror.

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich
Publication Date: December 7, 2021
This is another ‘read now’ that I got in an email from NetGalley. It’s about a boy band on tour and I think it will be excellent.

When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord
Publication date: January 4, 2022
I have no clue what this is about but I loved Tweet Cute and You Have a Match, so I expect to enjoy this one as well.

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long
Publication date: January 11, 2022
The buzz words ‘survival’, ‘found family’, and ‘bond with a wolf’ totally got me.

Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher
Publication date: February 22, 2022
I honestly don’t know what this is about. But I really enjoyed Schumacher’s debut. Also, this cover is totally stunning and I am a sucker sometimes.

The One True Me and You by Remi K. England
Publication date: March 1, 2022
I’ve loved all of England’s books so far, so I have high hopes for this one too.

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
Publication date: March 8, 2022
I liked Saft’s first book and this one sounds right up my alley. Mythical creatures and an ancient magic secret? Yes, please.

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum
Publication date: April 12, 2022
The tagline for this book is “When a high stakes boarding school prank war leads to a fake dating scheme, two teens must decide if they are ready to take the ultimate risk — falling in love.” How could I not hit request after reading that?

These are the ARC’s I’ve read since my last update and the ones still on my TBR. Are any of these books ones that you have on your TBR?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Numbered Book Titles

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

One by One by Ruth Ware

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun by Jonny Garza Villa

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

Seven Devils by Laura Lam & Elizabeth May

The Last 8 by Laura Pohl

The Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

A Million Junes by Emily Henry

What numbered book titles did you go with?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.