Hello, lovelies! It’s that time of year again, the always wonderful Vicky (from What Vicky Read) and I are back to host another end-of-the-year, last-minute readathon. Like all the previous years, the only thing we care about for this readathon is that you read with us to close out the year! But, for those of you like me, we have five prompts that we change a smidge each year. This year’s prompts are shared below. I’m also sharing the book I think I’ll read for this, but I’ve been mood reading so I might not follow them this year.
read a 2022 release One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig This was sold to me as a comp fir For the Wolf, which we all know is my favorite. I have high hopes for this book and it’s the perfect time of year to read it.
read a book with an lgbtqia+ character A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson I know two things about this book: something about Dracula and it’s queer.
read a book in a series The Name of All Things by Jenn Lyons I’m more than excited to continue this series.
read a book under 200 pages Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia This is cheating a smidge because it’s 207 pages, but it’s the shortest book on my physical tbr. Also, I make the rules and I say it’s allowed.
read a book with snow on the cover Beartown by Fredrik Backman Who doesn’t love an emotionally devastating book for the holidays? I’m rereading this because I’ve finally gotten my hands on a hardcover copy and I want to tab it. Also, the new book in the series is out now and I’d like to reread book two before reading the new release.
Are you participating? If yes, share your tbr with me! If no, what books are you reading to close out the year?
Hi, lovelies! I feel like I’ve been sharing mostly recommendation posts lately which made me start thinking about all of the fun books on my TBR that I haven’t been talking about. Dystopian is my favorite genre. I’ve had this post saved to my drafts until I could find enough books to share them with you all. I grew up as a teen at the height of the dystopian craze (think Hunger Games and Divergent). So, I’m always looking for new (or old!) dystopian books that I haven’t read yet.
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan “Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. What’s worse is she can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with their angelic daughter Harriet does Frida finally feel she’s attained the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she’s just enough. Until Frida has a horrible day. The state has its eyes on mothers like Frida — ones who check their phones while their kids are on the playground; who let their children walk home alone; in other words, mothers who only have one lapse of judgement. Now, a host of government officials will determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion. Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida must prove that she can live up to the standards set for mothers — that she can learn to be good. This propulsive, witty page-turner explores the perils of “perfect” upper-middle-class parenting, the violence enacted upon women by the state and each other, and the boundless love a mother has for her daughter.”
All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown “When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other? After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn’t adding up about Andrew’s story, and it could cost them everything. And Jamie has a secret, too. He’s starting to feel something more than friendship for Andrew, adding another layer of fear and confusion to an already tumultuous journey. The road ahead of them is long, and to survive, they’ll have to shed their secrets, face the consequences of their actions, and find the courage to fight for the future they desire, together. Only one thing feels certain: all that’s left in their world is the undeniable pull they have toward each other.”
Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate “The year is 2072. Soon a volcanic eruption will trigger catastrophic devastation, and the only way out is up. While the world’s leaders, scientists, and engineers oversee the frantic production of a space fleet meant to save humankind, their children are brought in for a weekend of touring the Lazarus, a high-tech prototype spaceship. But when the apocalypse arrives months ahead of schedule, First Daughter Leigh Chen and a handful of teens from the tour are the only ones to escape the planet. This is the new world: a starship loaded with a catalog of human artifacts, a frozen menagerie of animal DNA, and fifty-three terrified survivors. From the panic arises a coalition of leaders, spearheaded by the pilot’s enigmatic daughter, Eli, who takes the wheel in their hunt for a habitable planet. But as isolation presses in, their uneasy peace begins to fracture. The struggle for control will mean the difference between survival and oblivion, and Leigh must decide whether to stand on the side of the mission or of her own humanity.”
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa “On an unnamed island off an unnamed coast, objects are disappearing: first hats, then ribbons, birds, roses—until things become much more serious. Most of the island’s inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while those few imbued with the power to recall the lost objects live in fear of the draconian Memory Police, who are committed to ensuring that what has disappeared remains forgotten. When a young woman who is struggling to maintain her career as a novelist discovers that her editor is in danger from the Memory Police, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards. As fear and loss close in around them, they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past. A surreal, provocative fable about the power of memory and the trauma of loss, The Memory Police is a stunning new work from one of the most exciting contemporary authors writing in any language.”
Feed by Mira Grant “The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives—the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will get out, even if it kills them.”
Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe by Neal Shusterman and various authors “There are still countless tales of the Scythedom to tell. Centuries passed between the Thunderhead cradling humanity and Scythe Goddard trying to turn it upside down. For years humans lived in a world without hunger, disease, or death with Scythes as the living instruments of population control. Neal Shusterman—along with collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman—returns to the world throughout the timeline of the Arc of a Scythe series. Discover secrets and histories of characters you’ve followed for three volumes and meet new heroes, new foes, and some figures in between. Gleanings shows just how expansive, terrifying, and thrilling the world that began with the Printz Honor–winning Scythe truly is.”
The High House by Jessie Greengrass “Perched on a sloping hill, set away from a small town by the sea, the High House has a tide pool and a mill, a vegetable garden, and, most importantly, a barn full of supplies. Caro, Pauly, Sally, and Grandy are safe, so far, from the rising water that threatens to destroy the town and that has, perhaps, already destroyed everything else. But for how long? Caro and her younger half-brother, Pauly, arrive at the High House after her father and stepmother fall victim to a faraway climate disaster—but not before they call and urge Caro to leave London. In their new home, a converted summer house cared for by Grandy and his granddaughter, Sally, the two pairs learn to live together. Yet there are limits to their safety, limits to the supplies, limits to what Grandy—the former village caretaker, a man who knows how to do everything—can teach them as his health fails. A searing novel that takes on parenthood, sacrifice, love, and survival under the threat of extinction, The High House is a stunning, emotionally precise novel about what can be salvaged at the end of the world.”
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton “Augustine, a brilliant, aging astronomer, is consumed by the stars. For years he has lived in remote outposts, studying the sky for evidence of how the universe began. At his latest posting, in a research center in the Arctic, rumors of war arrive. The scientists are forced to evacuate, but Augustine stubbornly refuses to abandon his work. Shortly after the others have gone, Augustine discovers a mysterious child, Iris, and realizes the airwaves have gone silent. They are alone. At the same time, Mission Specialist Sullivan is aboard the Aether on its return flight from Jupiter. The astronauts are the first human beings to delve this deep into space, and Sully has made peace with the sacrifices required of her: a daughter left behind, a marriage ended. So far the journey has been a success, but when Mission Control falls inexplicably silent, Sully and her crew mates are forced to wonder if they will ever get home. As Augustine and Sully each face an uncertain future against forbidding yet beautiful landscapes, their stories gradually intertwine in a profound and unexpected conclusion. In crystalline prose, Good Morning, Midnight poses the most important questions: What endures at the end of the world? How do we make sense of our lives?”
Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin “Across the world, thousands of people are shocked by a notification that they once chose to have a memory removed. Now they are being given an opportunity to get that memory back. Four individuals are filled with new doubts, grappling with the unexpected question of whether to remember unknown events, or to leave them buried forever. Finn, an Irish architect living in the Arizona desert, begins to suspect his charming wife of having an affair. Mei, a troubled grad school dropout in Kuala Lumpur, wonders why she remembers a city she has never visited. William, a former police inspector in England, struggles with PTSD, the breakdown of his marriage, and his own secret family history. Oscar, a handsome young man with almost no memories at all, travels the world in a constant state of fear. Into these characters’ lives comes Noor, a psychologist working at the Nepenthe memory removal clinic in London. The process of reinstating patients’ memories begins to shake the moral foundations of her world. As she delves deeper into how the program works, she will have to risk everything to uncover the cost of this miraculous technology. A provocative exploration of secrets, grief, and identity—of the stories we tell ourselves—Tell Me an Ending is a sharp, dark, and devastating novel about the power of memory.“
Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace “Wasp’s job is simple. Hunt ghosts. And every year she has to fight to remain Archivist. Desperate and alone, she strikes a bargain with the ghost of a supersoldier. She will go with him on his underworld hunt for the long-lost ghost of his partner and in exchange she will find out more about his pre-apocalyptic world than any Archivist before her. And there is much to know. After all, Archivists are marked from birth to do the holy work of a goddess. They’re chosen. They’re special. Or so they’ve been told for four hundred years. Archivist Wasp fears she is not the chosen one, that she won’t survive the trip to the underworld, that the brutal life she has escaped might be better than where she is going. There is only one way to find out.”
And there you have it, ten dystopian books that I’m very interested in reading. Gleanings isn’t actually published yet, but I have it preordered and I know I’ll be reading it as soon as it’s delivered. I also read Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace which I’ve been told relates back to Archivist Wasp. So, I’m excited about that.
Do you have any dystopian books that you recommend?
Hello, lovelies! Welcome to the first day of Blogtober! It’s the third day of the month, I know, but I don’t post on the weekends anymore. This month I have some fun things planned. I have today a list of the books I’m likely to be choosing from to read for spooky season. I’m pretty behind with my NetGalley tbr, so I want to work on that. But I have some books on my physical tbr here too that piqued my interest for the reading mood I’m looking for this month.
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley The Yosemite Six by Tess Sharpe Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather The Walled City by Ryan Graudin The High House by Jessie Greengrass
NetGalley TBR
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal The River of Silver: Tales from the Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty Little Eve by Catriona Ward Built to Last by Erin Hahn The Scratch Daughters by Hannah Abigail Clarke
I will definitely not manage to read all of these as I’m planning to do some prep work for NaNoWriMo next month. But I’m feeling the itch to read again, and my husband will be gone for a bit this month so, I’ll have more time to myself. What spooky books are you reading this month?
Hey, lovelies! I’m back with another traveling library post. I’ve been absolutely devouring books lately. Part of that is a renewed attempt to read as much of my physical tbr as I can before we move. Another part of that is that I’ve been rereading some favorites, so I’m flying through my rereads. Let’s talk about what I’m going to read instead of what I have been reading.
So, I’m currently rereading The Emperium Trilogy by Claire Legrand. I am buddy reading Furyborn with Books in the Skye this month and then I’m continuing the series.
From my physical tbr, I have a few books I want to make a priority to read before everything gets packed up. Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May, and The Lost World by Michael Crichton are a few that I have my eye on to pack with me if I don’t read them before I leave.
I know I said this was a physical tbr but, I also have my NetGalley arc’s that I need to read as well. I’m not going to look at the publication date for any of these while I’m on my road trip. I’m just going to read whichever books I’m in the mood for. A few approvals that I have and am eager to get to are Built to Last by Erin Hahn, Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner, and Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young.
I’m going to leave myself enough options to have a variety to choose from, but not so many options that I don’t know which book to pick. I think because I have two or three for each format that I read, I’ll be all set. These books are in addition to whatever mmy monthly tbr books will be in August. I obviously haven’t picked those yet, so some of these might make it on there, but I’ll probably have more books to bring.
Do you plan out books to read ahead of time when you’re going on a trip?
Hello, lovelies! Another month down and we’ve reached July. My life is about to explode into chaos, so I’m making this post because it’s free content. I’m not putting any pressure on myself to read anything at all this month. But if/when I want to read, I can use this post as a guideline.
New Release Off the Grid by Tess Sharpe I love Jurassic Park and I’ve loved all of Sharpe’s books I’ve read, so I think I’ll love this.
Adult When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill I bought this for myself as a treat for Mother’s Day and a book where there’s a historical event where a mass of women turn into dragons? Yes, I would like that.
1st in a Series Furyborn by Claire Legrand I wanted to read this at the end of last month but it didn’t happen. So, I’m determined to read it this month.
Standalone The Man Ban by Nicola Marsh This was an impulse buy romance. Romances have been easy for me to read lately, so this is here to make my tbr easier.
Young Adult The Evolution of Claire by Tess Sharpe I recently learned that Sharpe has written IP for Jurassic Park, so obviously I had to buy it. I want to read it asap and binge the movies before I eventually see the newest movie. I also want to read it before I read Sharpe’s newest Jurassic Park book (which is middle grade and on my tbr above).
And, of course, I’ll share my upcoming NetGalley reads as well. There’s a lot because I’ve fallen a few books behind, but I’m doing the best that I can.
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa
Hello, lovelies! We have officially made it to the halfway point of 2022. Hopefully, the second half is as good as I’m expecting it to be! I hope 2022 has been treating everyone well and we’re all about to read some great books this month.
Romance Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Favorite Author Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
Reread Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
Young Adult The Genesis Wars by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Most Recent Purchase Book Lovers by Emily Henry
As usual, I’m going to share the books I need to read this month to try to keep up with my NetGalley eARCs.
Always Jane by Jenn Bennett An Unreliable Magic by Rin Chupeco Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White Breaking Time by Sasha Aslberg January Fifteenth by Rachel Swirsky
Clear Your Shit
Walkman // a book you’ve been avoiding the longest An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Breakfast Club // read a book with food themes or items Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Love & Food edited by Elsie Chapman
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun // read a book with multiple POVs Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
NES // read a sci-fi, or a book with technology in it The Genesis Wars by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Polaroids // read a book with characters on the cover Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
Care Bears // read a comforting book Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Manic Monday // read a book you can finish over the weekend to avoid a manic monday Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Rainbow Brite // read a book with LGBTQIA+ representation Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
I’m definitely being a little bit ambitious with this TBR, but I think if I get some of the audiobooks from the library I can manage it. What are you hoping to read this month?
Hi, lovelies! Happy May! Last month, I actually did pretty well with my TBR jar picks. I’m not pushing myself to focus only on these TBR books, because I’m just trying to read steadily so I don’t get into a reading slump. So, these are books that I want to read this month, but might possibly completely ignore.
Gifted to You The Suite Spot by Trish Doller
Reread The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Middle Grade The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody
Romance From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata
Standalone Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
As usual, I also have some NetGalley books to read for this month.
Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah Hide by Kiersten White Primal Animals by Julia Lynn Rubin Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper
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 Authors I Haven’t Read, But Want To (Submitted by Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse).
Ursula K. Le Guin
Robert Jordan
Rebecca Roanhorse
Kwame Mbalia
Akemi Dawn Bowman
Graci Kim
Sarwat Chadda
Lori M. Lee
J. C. Cervantes
Anna James
What authors would you like to read for the first time?
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 ten authors that I haven’t read but would like to.
Jenn Lyons I have the first four books in the Chorus of Dragons series and I really want to read them this year.
Emily Tesh I have Silver in the Wood as an ebook. I am eager to read it and I’m also very much looking forward to her 2023 novel, Some Desperate Glory.
Alexandria Bellefleur I’ve heard great things about her Written in the Stars series. I’ve been on the lookout for new romance. So, I have added this author to my collection.
C.J. Tudor On a trip to Barnes & Nobel, I found The Burning Girls. I almost bought it but added it to my library TBR instead. I’ve since seen some good reviews for Tudor’s other books as well and I’d like to try the audiobooks sometime soon.
Martha Wells I want to read the Murderbot Diaries so badly.
Octavia E. Butler I bought Parable of the Sower last year. It’s definitely higher up on my TBR list.
Robin Hobb I don’t know that I’ll actually read Hobb any time soon, but I do want to eventually try some of her fantasy stories.
Mariana Zapata Target compelled me to buy some books from them and I found From Lukov with Love while browsing. I’ve seen great reviews for Zapata’s books.
Nina Varela I want to read Crier’s War and its sequel. I have the ebook and I’m pretty sure my library has the sequel.
Ann Leckie I really want to take some time to read some older science fiction like Ancillary Justice.
Hi, lovelies! I somehow managed to read three of my five TBR jar picks last month, so I have decided to continue picking prompts from my TBR jar. These are the prompts I’ve picked for April and the books I’ve picked to read for them.
LGBTQIA Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Favorite Author Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi
Backlist Book The Devil’s Thief by Lisa Maxwell
1st in a Series The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Thriller Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf
As always, I’m including the NetGalley books I need to read for the month.
The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller The Jade Setter oof Janloon by Fonda Lee The Button Box by Bridget Hodder, Fawzia Gilani-Williams, & Harshad Marathe Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T.L. Huchu Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power To Marry and To Meddle by Martha Waters This May End Badly by Samantha Markum Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf
I might have bitten off more than I can chew this month. But I’m going for it. Check out my wrap-up at the end of the month to see how many of these I manage to read. What are you hoping to read this month?
Hello, lovelies! March is absolutely blessing us with exciting new book releases. I have a few of these preordered, but I’m hoping to borrow the rest from my library in an attempt to curb my book buying. I don’t know that I’ll manage to read all of these (or any of them, honestly) right away. But I thought it would be fun to share the books coming out in March, and their details, that I’m excited about.
March1st Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey “King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time–in bed and out–and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is. Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she’s nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can’t deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost. Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he’s all in, she’ll choose him instead?”
March1st Gallant by Victoria Schwab “Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways. Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from. Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?”
March1st Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli “No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions. When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching. Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself drawn to the court of the fabled Wood King himself. She makes a deal—her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into the middle of a curse much bigger than herself, one that threatens the existence of this eerie world she’s trapped in, along with the devastating boy who feels so familiar. With the help of Hawthorne—an enemy turned reluctant ally who she grows closer to each day—Emeline sets out to not only save her grandfather’s life, but to right past wrongs, and in the process, discover her true voice.”
March8th Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore “Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia are the only ones who’ve been there. Bastián grew up both above the lake and in the otherworldly space beneath it. Lore’s only seen the world under the lake once, but that one encounter changed their life and their fate. Then the lines between air and water begin to blur. The world under the lake drifts above the surface. If Bastián and Lore don’t want it bringing their secrets to the surface with it, they have to stop it, and to do that, they have to work together. There’s just one problem: Bastián and Lore haven’t spoken in seven years, and working together means trusting each other with the very things they’re trying to hide.”
March8th Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T.L. Huchu “Ropa Moyo’s ghostalking practice has tanked, desperate for money to pay bills and look after her family she reluctantly accepts a job to look into the history of a coma patient receiving treatment at the magical private hospital Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments. The patient is a teenage schoolboy called Max Wu, and healers at the hospital are baffled by the illness which has confounded medicine and magic. Ropa’s investigation leads her to the Edinburgh Ordinary School for Boys, one of only the four registered schools for magic in the whole of Scotland (the oldest and only one that remains closed to female students). But the headmaster there is hiding something and as more students succumb Ropa learns that a long-dormant and malevolent entity has once again taken hold in this world. She sets off to track the current host for this spirit and try to stop it before other lives are endangered.”
March15th The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis “Tress Montor murdered Felicity Turnado—but she might not have to live with the guilt for long. With an infected arm held together by duct tape, the panther who clawed her open on the loose, and the whole town on the hunt for the lost homecoming queen, the odds are stacked against Tress. As her mind slides deeper into delirium, Tress is haunted by the growing sound of Felicity’s heartbeat pulsing from the “best friend” charm around her fevered neck. Ribbit Usher has been a punchline his whole life—from his nickname to his latest turn as the unwitting star of a humiliating viral video. In the past he’s willingly played the fool, but now it’s time to fulfill his destiny. That means saving the girl, so that Felicity can take her place at his side and Ribbit can exact revenge on all who have done him wrong—which includes his cousin, Tress. Ribbit is held by a pact he made with his mother long ago, a pact that must be delivered upon in four days. With time ticking down and an enemy she considers a friend lurking in the shadows, Tress’s grip on reality is failing. Can she keep both mind and body together long enough to finally find out what happened to her parents?”
March15th The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout “From the desperation of golden crowns… Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable. And born of mortal flesh… Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace. A great primal power rises… Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most. As the Harbinger of Death and Destruction.”
March15th The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James “In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion. Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes. They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?”
March 22nd The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller “Charm is a witch, and she is alone. The last of a line of conquered necromantic workers, now confined within the yard of regrown bone trees at Orchard House, and the secrets of their marrow. Charm is a prisoner, and a survivor. Charm tends the trees and their clattering fruit for the sake of her children, painstakingly grown and regrown with its fruit: Shame, Justice, Desire, Pride, and Pain. Charm is a whore, and a madam. The wealthy and powerful of Borenguard come to her house to buy time with the girls who aren’t real. Except on Tuesdays, which is when the Emperor himself lays claim to his mistress, Charm herself. But now–Charm is also the only person who can keep an empire together, as the Emperor summons her to his deathbed, and charges her with choosing which of his awful, faithless sons will carry on the empire—by discovering which one is responsible for his own murder. If she does this last thing, she will finally have what has been denied her since the fall of Inshil — her freedom. But if she does, she will also be betraying the ghosts past and present that live on within her heart. Charm must choose. Her dead Emperor’s will or the whispers of her own ghosts. Justice for the empire or her own revenge.”
March 22nd Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell by Taj McCoy “Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma—who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. But when Savvy’s world starts to crash down around her, she knows it’s time for some renovations. Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work–life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of friends. But as any home-reno-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can’t seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest “upgrade.” Savvy begins to realize that maybe she should’ve started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts.”
March29th Until the Last of Me by Sylvain Neuvel “Over 100 generations, Mia’s family has shaped Earth’s history to push humanity to the stars, making brutal, wrenching choices along the way. And now Mia finds herself about to help launch the first people into space. She can’t take them to the stars, not quite yet. But with her adversary almost upon her, and with the future of the planet at stake it’s becoming clearer that obeying the First Rule is no longer an option. For the first time since her line’s first generation, Mia will have to choose to stand her ground, knowing that the overwhelming odds mean that she risks not only her bloodline, but also the future of the human race. A darkly satirical thriller, as seen through the eyes of the women who sacrifice all to make progress possible and the men who are determined to stop them… Always run, never fight. Preserve the knowledge. Survive at all cost. Take them to the stars.”
March29th Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto “Meddy Chan has been to countless weddings, but she never imagined how her own would turn out. Now the day has arrived, and she can’t wait to marry her college sweetheart, Nathan. Instead of having Ma and the aunts cater to her wedding, Meddy wants them to enjoy the day as guests. As a compromise, they find the perfect wedding vendors: a Chinese-Indonesian family-run company just like theirs. Meddy is hesitant at first, but she hits it off right away with the wedding photographer, Staphanie, who reminds Meddy of herself, down to the unfortunately misspelled name. Meddy realizes that is where their similarities end, however, when she overhears Staphanie talking about taking out a target. Horrified, Meddy can’t believe Staphanie and her family aren’t just like her own, they are The Family–actual mafia, and they’re using Meddy’s wedding as a chance to conduct shady business. Her aunties and mother won’t let Meddy’s wedding ceremony become a murder scene–over their dead bodies–and will do whatever it takes to save her special day, even if it means taking on the mafia.”
What new releases are you looking forward to this month?
Hi, lovelies! I decided that 2022 is going to be the year of comfort when it comes to reading. I have a pretty tough year ahead of me, emotionally, and I’m going to need all the comfort I can get. So, to assist with that, I’m going to be rereading all of the things and I thought I would share what ten books or series are on my TBR to reread this year. All my reviews are linked in the titles if you want to know what I thought the first time I read them.
The Trials of Morrigan Crowby Jessica Townsend “A cursed girl escapes death and finds herself in a magical world – but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination. Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she’s blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks–and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart – an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests – or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.”
The Bone Seasonby Samantha Shannon “The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing. It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.”
The Night Circusby Erin Morgenstern “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.”
The Ten Thousand Doors of Januaryby Alix E. Harrow “In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.”
This is How You Lose the Time Warby Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone “Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.”
The Calculating Starsby Mary Robinette Kowal “On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process. Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too. Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.”
The Last Magicianby Lisa Maxwell “In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives. Esta is a talented thief, and she’s been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future. But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.”
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas “After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her … but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead … quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.”
Dryby Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman “When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing story of survival. The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers. Until the taps run dry. Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbors and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.”
Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts “Recently widowed Stella Rothschild has found a new love in Logan Kitridge. But there is someone who isn’t happy about Stella’s growing feelings for Logan: the Harper Bride, an unidentified woman whose grief and rage have kept her spirit alive long past the death of her body.”
These are just some of the books that I want to reread this year. I’m sure I’ll find others to add to this list, but these are the ones that are speaking to me at the moment. Do you like to reread books?
Hello, lovelies! End of Year-A-Thon has arrived! Check out my announcement post or Vicky’s announcement post for all the details. This readathon starts the day after Christmas, the 26th, and will run right up until 11:59pm on the 31st. We have some totally optional prompts if you like to have prompts to create a TBR list. That’s what I’m going to be sharing with you all today. I like to have prompts to pick options from my unread books, so let’s get into the books I’ve picked to go with our five prompts.
A book that was published in 2021
Float Plan by Trish Doller
A book from a series you’ve already started, but haven’t finished
Tarnished Empire by Danielle L. Jensen
A book by an own voices author
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
Your most recently acquired book (bought, borrowed, gifted, etc.)
The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities by Rick Riordan & other authors
A book with gold on the cover
Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria
There we have it. These are the five books that I’m hoping to read in this final week of 2021. Are you participating in my readathon? If you are, share your TBR list in the comments so I can see them!
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