Month: June 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish back in June 2010. It is currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and, as is stated on the blog, it was “born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.”

Hello, reader!

So today is the last day of June which means that we are over halfway through 2020. Even though the beginning of the year seemed to crawl by, I now feel like we’re flying towards the end! Which, ya know, I’m perfectly okay with at this point. Bring on 2021 and let us hope it’s better than what this year has had to offer 😅

That being said, there’s still six more months left of the year, and you know what that means? Six more months of shiny, new books! Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic (woo, alliteration!) looks at my most anticipated new releases for the rest of 2020. Though I usually have trouble filling up these lists, I actually had to cut back on this one! There are just so many books coming out between now and 2021 that sound amazing! So, with that being said, let’s take a look at my list.

  • Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (Pub date: July 7th)
  • The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter (Pub date: July 16th)
  • Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (Pub date: August 4th)
  • Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar (Pub date: August 11th)
  • The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen (Pub date: August 18th)
  • Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (Pub date: September 1st)
  • Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (Pub date: September 15th)
  • White Fox by Sara Faring (Pub date: September 22nd)
  • Well Played by Jen DeLuca (Pub date: September 22nd)
  • Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (Pub date: October 6th)

There’s a great mix of some highly anticipated sequels, new fantasy, spooky horror, and adorable rom-coms that I think will round out 2020 quite nicely. Though, let’s be honest, I probably won’t get to most of these before the new year. Because of who I am as a person.

What are some of your most anticipated new releases coming out in the last six months of 2020? What is one you hope to read before we ring in 2021? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

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Book Review: Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

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Title: Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

Author: Jessica Townsend

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Source: Bought (Bookshop.org)

Rating: ★★★★

Book Links: Bookshop::Indiebound::TBD::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

One Sentence Synopsis

Morrigan Crow, a cursed child who has been told her whole life that she will die on Eventide, finds herself whisked away to the enchanting world of Nevermoor and competing in a trial that could change her life.

Favorite Quote

“Death is boring. Life is much more fun. Things happen in life all the time. Unexpected things. Things you couldn’t possibly expect because they’re so very… unexpected.”

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Book Blogger Hop: Jun 26 – Jul 2

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The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Crazy-For-Books and is currently being hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Every Friday, a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer in the coming week. The purpose of the hop is connection and community. You can discover new blogs to follow, new books to read, and you may end up with some new followers, as well!

This Week’s Question

This week’s prompt submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver’s Reviews.

I mean, the reasonable answer would be I go through and unhaul the books I no longer want and try and find good homes for them.

But, when it comes to books, I am far from reasonable.

Currently, I just stack them on the available shelf space until the bookshelf looks like it is, itself, made of books 😅 And, once we’ve reached critical mass on the shelf, books start collecting on any flat and infrequently used surface in the house. Bedside table: check! Computer desk: check! Top of actual computer: check!

Now, in defense of my hoarding, I have made a conscious effort to not buy as many books this year and I was doing really, REALLY well… before lockdown happened. My local library closed and, suddenly, my wallet flew open. I did try borrowing books electronically, which is awesome and I completely advocate doing so if you are able, but I’m still one that prefers reading a physical book. That’s just me and I recognize that I’m pretty privileged to be able to indulge that preference.

That being said, the fact that we are in the process of moving (which is why I’ve been so quiet on the blog lately) has shown me that, perhaps, I need to reinforce that book buying ban… 😬

WWW Wednesday: Jun 24, 2020

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It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

  • The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix: I randomly borrowed this book from my library and have been listening to it on the Libby app. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this has definitely been a ride! I’m really enjoying this weird, horrifying story.
  • Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend: I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the Nevermoor series, so, when the Middle Grade Marvels book club chose it for the June book, I was incredibly excited! So far, I’m having a ton of fun following Morrigan’s story in the strange and whimsical Nevermoor. I’m not even done with the first book and I already can’t wait to read the next one!
  • A Threat From the Past by Paul Cude: I’m reading this one as part of the Reedsy Discovery program and, so far, it’s definitely interesting! There’s dragons and danger and a lot of exposition. A lot of exposition… Still, I’m enjoying myself, so far.

Recently Finished

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
  • The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant: I requested this book on Netgalley on a whim and I am so glad I did! It’s a Les Misérables retelling that had a whole lot of stabby fun. If you’d like to read my review, you can find it here.
  • Crossing in Time by D.L. Orton: I read this book for a blog tour run by #TheWriteReads. It was an intense, time-travelling romance that kept me interested the entire time! You can check out my blog tour post here.
  • Who Did You Tell? by Lesley Kara: This was another Netgalley e-ARC that I was super excited to read. A quiet and emotional thriller that had me on my toes from the first page. Lesley Kara has a way of writing women-focused thrillers that is incredibly enthralling. You can read my review here.

What’s Next

  • Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall: This is yet another book for a #TheWriteReads blog tour and I’m super excited to read it! This is a fantasy novel filled with magical creatures and it sounds like it’s going to be a wild ride. I can’t wait to dive in!

What are you currently reading? Read any new favorites lately? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Best Books From The Last Ten Years

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish back in June 2010. It is currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and, as is stated on the blog, it was “born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.”

Hello, reader!

Happy Tuesday to you all. I know I’ve been rather quiet these past few days, but there’s a good reason for that…

WE CLOSED ON OUR FIRST HOUSE!!!

That’s right, ya girl is finally a homeowner! This is something that I’ve been dreaming of for awhile and now it’s a reality. We aren’t doing the heavy moving until July 1st, but it’s ours and it already feels like home 💕

On that celebratory note, let’s talk about the fact that today marks 10 years of TTT! I’ve only recently been taking part of Top Ten Tuesday, but it’s one of my favorite posts to write. What can I say, I love lists! In celebration of the 10 year anniversary, you can pick any of the past prompts from the past ten years. Scrolling through them, there were a ton of interesting ones, but I decided to go with one that instantly grabbed my attention: My Favorite Books I Read During the Last Ten Years. Now, I started my Goodreads in 2011, so I’ve decided to tweak this a little and talk about my favorite books that were published in the last ten years!

With that said, let’s dive in.

2010

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I absolutely loooooved this book! As someone who worked in virology, which uses some of the cell line that was born from Henrietta Lacks, I found this book absolutely fascinating. As a Black woman, I found the way Henrietta and her children were treated by the medical community INFURIATING! Still, this is a wonderful read and I recommend it to anyone who has even an inkling of an interest in non-fiction.

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2020 Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

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Mid-Year Book Freak Out

Hello, reader!

We are well into June at the moment which means that 2020 is halfway over! Thank God! With that in mind, it’s time to take a look back at my reading from the past six months and what better way to do that than with the Mid-Year Book Freak Out tag? I was tagged by the lovely Liza @ The Inharmonious Heroine. If you’re into bookish blogs that are stunningly pretty, you should definitely give her a follow! I’m unsure who originally created this tag. If you know, give a shout in the comments!

Let’s get started, shall we?

#1. What is the best book you have read so far in 2020?

This is a no-brainer! The best book I’ve read so far is Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko! I adored absolutely everything about this story. The world-building is masterfully done. The plot is fast-paced and engaging. The characters have a bad habit of making you fall in love with them. And the writing is so rich and evocative that I could imagine myself in the Children’s Palace with Tarisai, fighting to gain the family she has never had. I love this book and I need everyone to read it when it comes out in August! And, once you read it, come back here so we can gush together 😁

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Can’t Wait Wednesday: Jun 17, 2020

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Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a meme where you get to flail about whatever upcoming book you’re excited to read. Though it is generally a new release, it certainly can be any book that’s on your TBR! This meme is currently hosted by Wishful Endings and it’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Hello, reader!

It’s already been a week since I featured a soon-to-be-released book that I can’t wait to get my hands on. I feel like this year is flying by. Which I’m pretty okay with because… I mean… *gestures at everything* As the year rushes pass, there is comfort in knowing that there are still so many amazing books to look forward to! Seriously, I have a ludicrous list of books I’m incredibly excited for in the second half of the year!

Of course, that can make choosing a book for Can’t Wait Wednesday a tad difficult. There are so many potential picks! In a small piece of kismet, I got an email that made my decision for me 😁 The book I’ll be featuring today contains:

  • A unique magic system!
  • A secret society!
  • Descendants of King Arthur!
  • And, as the synopsis mentions, Southern Black Girl Magic!

The book I’m talking about is…

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her previous life, family memories, or her childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at a local university seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure reveals Bree’s own, unique magic and unlocks a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that she knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, Bree will do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn by becoming one of their initiates. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur and his knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.”

Publication Date: September 15th, 2020

Pre-order here: Bookshop::Indiebound::TBD::B&N::Amazon

Why I’m Excited:

Here’s another little-known-Kerri-fact… I love Arthurian legends. I took a class in college that was centered around Arthurian legends. I have a couple books dedicated to King Arthur and his knights. It’s this random thing that I’ve been enamored with since I was a little girl! So when I heard that this book was a King Arthur retelling of sorts, I was instantly intrigued. Then I saw the cover 😍 How could I not be excited after seeing that magnificent cover?!

And now I’m doubly excited because I just got an email from Netgalley saying I was approved for the e-ARC!!! I know this book isn’t out til September, but I have a feeling it’ll find a way onto my July TBR.

What books are you looking forward to reading in the second half of 2020? Did you do your own Can’t Wait Wednesday post? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

ARC Review: Who Did You Tell? by Lesley Kara

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Title: Who Did You Tell?

Author: Lesley Kara

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publication Date: June 16th, 2020

Source: e-ARC (Netgalley)

Content/Trigger warnings: Suicide, suicidal ideation, alcoholism

Rating: ★★★★

Book Links: Bookshop::Indiebound::TBD::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

One Sentence Synopsis:

Astrid, a recovering alcoholic who is living with her mom in a small, coastal town, starts to fear for her life when she receives threatening messages linked to her past.

Favorite Quote:

This quote is from an uncorrected copy and may change in the final version

“Sometimes I think it’s like The Truman Show and all I’ve got to do is find the perimeter of the set and break out through the papery screen to the real world on the other side. The messy, chaotic world of noise and pain and sharp-faced strangers who look straight through you.”

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Blog Tour: Crossing in Time by D.L. Orton

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Hello, reader!

It’s time for another #TheWriteReads Ultimate Blog Tour! Today, I’m one of the stops on the tour for a time-travelling love story called Crossing in Time by D.L. Orton. I want to thank Dave @TheWriteReads, Rocky Mountain Press, and the author for sending me a free e-book in exchange for this honest review! I’m excited to give you my thoughts on this fast-paced tale.

That being said, let’s get to it!

Synopsis

“The past isn’t over, it’s an opening. The future isn’t hidden, it’s a trap.
If she ever wants to see him again, she’ll have to take the risk.

Fall into this “Funny, Romantic & Harrowing” (Publishers Weekly Starred Review) dystopian love story and prepare to encounter a finicky time machine, a mysterious seashell, and a very clever dog (some sex, some swearing, some violence, but no vampires and absolutely NO ditzes!)

When offered a one-way trip to the past, Isabel sacrifices everything for a chance to change the rapidly deteriorating present–and see her murdered lover one last time. When she arrives twenty years in the past, buck naked and mortally wounded, she has 24 hours to convince a stunned but enraptured nineteen-year-old to change their future. Definitely easier said than done, as success means losing him to a brainy, smart-mouthed bombshell (her younger self), and that’s a heart breaker, save the world or not.

This offbeat tale is about falling madly in love when one is too cynical for such things, letting go of pessimism when it’s the last life jacket on a sinking ship, and racing against the clock when one doesn’t have the proper footwear. It’s a coming-of-age story for old fogeys, a how-to-make-love guide for diehard celibates, and a laugh-out-loud tragedy with a hopeful twist.”

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ARC Review: The Court of Miracles

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Title: The Court of Miracles

Author: Kester Grant

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publication Date: June 2nd, 2020

Source: e-ARC (Netgalley)

Rating: ★★★★

Book Links:

Bookshop::Indiebound::TBD::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

One Sentence Synopsis:

Nina is the best cat burglar in all of an alternate 1828 Paris who, to save her sisters, considers starting a war within the underworld criminal guilds.

Favorite Quote:

This quote is from an uncorrected copy and may change in the final version

“Be useful, be smart, and stay one step ahead of everyone. Be brave even when you’re afraid. Remember that everyone is afraid.”

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