Month: January 2021

Blog Tour: Wench by Maxine Kaplan

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Hello, reader!

It’s time for another blog tour and this is for a most unusual book which takes the concept of Medieval tavern wench and twists it into knots. I’m happy to be joining in on the tour for Wench by Maxine Kaplan! This tour is hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours, who are always a complete pleasure to work with. If you are a book blogger/bookstgrammer/Booktuber, you should definitely give their website a peek. You can find information about upcoming tours and, most importantly to this post, a schedule for the Wench book tour!

I want to give a hearty thank you to both TBR & Beyond Tours and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my participation with the tour. It is greatly appreciated! It sometimes still boggles my mind that I’m lucky enough to participated in opportunities such as these and I’m forever grateful.

All that said, let’s jump into the post!

Synopsis

“A funny, fiercely feminist YA epic fantasy—following the adventures of a tavern wench

Tanya has worked at her tavern since she was able to see over the bar. She broke up her first fight at 11. By the time she was a teenager she knew everything about the place, and she could run it with her eyes closed. She’d never let anyone—whether it be a drunkard or a captain of the queen’s guard—take advantage of her. But when her guardian dies, she might lose it all: the bar, her home, her purpose in life. So she heads out on a quest to petition the queen to keep the tavern in her name—dodging unscrupulous guards, a band of thieves, and a powerful, enchanted feather that seems drawn to her. Fast-paced, magical, and unapologetically feminist, Wench is epic fantasy like you’ve never seen it before.”

Book Details

  • Author: Maxine Kaplan
  • Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
  • Publication date: January 19th, 2021
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger warnings: Self-harm, blood magic

Book Links

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

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The New Year Book Tag

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Hello, reader!

Look at me, finally trying to catch up on some tags, haha. I figured I should probably get to this one before the end of the first month of the year 😅 I think I’m still recovering from my blogging slump, not gonna lie. And I, of course, overcommitted myself for January, so ya girl is scrambling! I’m getting to a good place, though, and I’m trying to not bury myself in blog tours and review requests for the next few months so I can kind of relax a bit. I’ll find that balance eventually!

Today, I’ll be doing the New Year Book Tag, which is all about talking about what bookish things I’ll be doing in 2021. I was tagged by the lovely Ashlee @ Books Are 42. Ashlee is a wonderful blogger and I absolutely love her blog name! You should definitely check her out when you have the chance. I promise you won’t be disappointed. I’m sorry it took me forever to get to this, Ashlee!

Now, let’s get to the tag!

How Many Books Are You Planning on Reading in 2021?

Since I’ve been tracking my reading on Goodreads, I’ve had a thing where I will up my Goodreads goal by at least five if I achieve it. I set my goal for 60 in 2020 and ended up reading over 75 books. Then I noticed I read over 75 books in 2019, as well. So, instead of just bumping it up the usual five, I’ve decided to set my 2021 reading goal at 75 books. It’s clearly doable!

Name Five Books You Didn’t Get to Read in 2020 But Want to Make a Priority in 2021?

  • A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton
  • Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
  • Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
  • You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
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#5OnMyTBR – Challenging Reads

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#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that week’s theme. If you’d like more info, head over to the announcement post!

Hello, reader!

It feels like the weekend sped by, didn’t it? We’ve come to another Monday, which means it’s time for another 5 On My TBR! And today we’re talking about books that have been dogging my TBR for months, if not years. We’re talking about the chonky classics, the non-fiction novels, and all the challenging reads that have found their way to my to be read shelf. Well… not all of them. Just the five 😉

#1. It by Stephen King

This chonky classic horror novel has been on my TBR for longer than I can remember, tbh. I avoided it for a long time as the original movie scared the crap out of me when I was a kid! But, as I got more into reading horror, I knew that I wanted to read this. One day, at least. The main thing I fnd challenging about this book is it’s sheer size! It’s thicc and I never feel like I’m in a good place to dedicate that much time to reading through it. I’ll get to one day, though! Perhaps this year for Halloween?

#2. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

In contrast, this contemporary novel is a fairly new addition to the TBR! I was intrigued by the premise and have heard a lot of great things about this book since it was released last year. The reason I consider this a “challenging” read isn’t because of it’s size, though. It’s because this sounds like it’s going to make me hurt. The story of a young woman coming to terms with the fact that she was groomed by her teacher definitely doesn’t make for light reading, I’d imagine. This is something you want to check trigger warnings for before diving in!

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Blog Tour Spotlight: The Unadjusteds by Marisa Noelle

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Hello, reader!

Are you a fan of YA dystopian novels? Do you have a Panem-shaped hole in your heart left there after finishing all the Hunger Games books? Then I think you’ll enjoy the spotlight I’ll be doing today as part of another The Write Reads tour!

The Unadjusteds by Marisa Noelle is the first book in a new YA dystopian series. It’s got everything you might want: a feisty heroine, a resistance against a corrupt ruler, and a motley crew of fighters willing to take on the government. The twist in this one is that many of the people in this world have been genetically modified to have superhuman abilities, like the power of flight or impenetrable skin. Though this book wasn’t my cup of tea, I can definitely see the appeal for folks who generally enjoy the genre!

I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and the author for providing me a free e-ARC in exchange for participation in this tour. It is, as always, much appreciated! Now, let’s get to the spotlight!

Synopsis

“Sixteen-year-old Silver Melody lives in a world where 80% of the population has modified their DNA. Known as the altereds, those people now possess enhancements like wings, tails, and increased strength or intelligence. Although Silver’s parents created the nanite pill used to deliver these genetic modifications, Silver is proud of her unadjusted state.

However, when the president declares all unadjusteds must take a nanite, Silver has no choice but to flee the city with her father and some friends to prevent the extinction of the unadjusteds.

With Silver’s mother in prison for treason, Silver’s father is the unadjusteds’ only hope at finding a cure. But time is running out as Silver’s father is captured by the president’s almost immortal army. Vicious hellhounds are on Silver’s trail, and her only chance to recover her father involves teaming up with a new group of unlikely friends before all humanity is lost.”

Book Details

  • Author: Marissa Noelle
  • Series: The Unadjusteds #1
  • Publisher: Write Plan
  • Publication date: November 1st, 2019
  • Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopia
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: For a full list of content and trigger warnings, check out BookTriggerWarnings.com

Book Links

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

About the Author

Author Links

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Goodreads

MARISA NOELLE is the writer of middle grade & young adult novels in the genres of science-fiction, fantasy & mental health. Her books include THE UNADJUSTEDS, THE RISE OF THE ALTEREDS, THE MERMAID CHRONICLES – SECRETS OF THE DEEP & THE SHADOW KEEPERS. She is a mentor for the Write Mentor program that helps aspiring MG & YA authors. When she’s not writing or reading or watching movies, she enjoys swimming. In the pool she likes to imagine she could be a mermaid and become part of some of her make-believe words. Despite being an avid bookworm from the time she could hold a book, being an author came as a bit of a surprise to her as she was a bit of a science geek at school.

Marisa had plenty of ideas for career and still regrets not moving to Hawaii to train dolphins and pretend the real world didn’t exist. Struggling with anxiety led her to the field of psychology. Heavily influenced by underdog movies such as The Karate Kid she realized her mission in life was to help other people, through any medium. Embarking on a psychology degree, she wanted to emulate her hero, Jodie Foster, from Silence of the Lambs and actually tried to secure work experience at Broadmoor. Thankfully she left the idea of criminal profiling behind, but uses many of these aspects in her novels.

Now a full-time novelist, she lives in Surrey, UK with her husband and three children.

Book sound intriguing but you want more thoughts? Check out these reviews by some awesome bloggers:

Gina Rae Mitchell
Ellie @ Read to Ramble
Hannah @ Han Loves to Read
Jenny @ JenJenReviews
Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den

WWW Wednesday: Jan 20, 2021

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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

  • A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison: This is the January pick for Middle Grade Marvels and I’m so glad that it won the poll! I’ve been wanting to read this book for quite some time and now I get to read it with a bunch of great, bookish people 💕 So far, I’m really loving this book and especially our three main characters. I do love a book with a good family dynamic and the three Widdershins sisters are wonderful! I’m also enjoying that this book is a bit darker than I was originally anticipating. It makes for a great reading experience!
  • The Unadjusteds by Marisa Noelle: I’m reading this book for a blog tour hosted by The Write Reads cause I can’t say no to Dave 😂 I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one beyond the fact that it was sci-fi and was being compared to The Hunger Games. So far, I can definitely where that comparison comes from! This is super fast-paced and I’m enjoying the ride!
  • The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross: In attempt to actually listen to the many audiobooks I have downloaded through Audible, I randomly picked one and started listening. Thus discovering this interesting dramatization! I’m enjoying the story, so far, but the best thing about this book is definitely the cast. They are doing an incredible job! The main female character kinda makes me want to shake her, but perhaps that urge will lessen as the story goes on.

Recently Finished

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Rating: 3 out of 5.
  • The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang: I started the year with a strong one, y’all. Well, I technically started this in 2020, but I finished it in early January. And it was so gooooood 😭 I don’t know if it hurt me as much as The Poppy War, but it certainly made me want to fight a few characters! The writing was just as incredible and immersive as the first book. Now I just have one more book is this amazing trilogy to read and I’m nervous, y’all. It promises nothing but pain and I’m willingly gonna read it, lol.
  • Fly Free by Allison Rose: I read this book for my first blog tour of 2021! This one was with Storytellers on Tour and I found myself enjoying this interesting faerie story. It has a lot of politics and a lot of intrigue, which I really enjoyed. I wish there we delved a bit more into the magic of the world, but I still found myself having a good time. You can read my full review here!
  • Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: My first romance of 2021 (a genre I’m slowly dipping into) and, y’all, I loved it so much! This was just as cute, if not cuter, than the first book in the series, Get a Life, Chloe Brown. I think I loved it even more because both of our main characters are bookish in one way or another and just, yes, give me more. It also had the perfect amount of steaminess for me. I can’t wait to read about the last Brown sisters love story in Act Your Age, Eve Brown, which comes out sometime this year.
  • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie: This was our Write Reads gang book club pick for January (well… one of them) and reading this with the group was so much fun! I super didn’t guess who the murder was and I think it was very cleverly wrought. The ending left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, but this was still an intriguing read. It made me want to read more Christie, that’s for sure!

What’s Next

  • The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie: Speaking of wanting to read more Christie… I may have joined in a readalong because I have no self controoooool 😂 Honestly, though, I want to read more books with the ridiculous genius that is Poirot and now I have people to read along with me! I think it will make the experience that much more enjoyable.
  • Wench by Maxine Kaplan: This is a book I’ve been wanting to read for awhile and I was lucky enough to be accepted for the TBR & Beyond Tours blog tour for it! It features a tavern wench fighting to keep control of the tavern where she’s worked since she was a child. There’s a quest, there’s magic, and it sounds like it will be a Medieval good time! I’m highly looking forward to reading it.

That’s it for another WWW Wednesday! What have you read recently? What are some books up next on your TBR? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

#5OnMyTBR – White Cover

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#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that week’s theme. If you’d like more info, head over to the announcement post!

Hello, reader!

Happy Monday and Martin Luther King Jr day for those in the United States. I’ve spent the day with my family, playing with our puppy and generally relaxing as much as possible. It’s been really nice taking time to just unwind. Now it’s time to get to my 5 On My TBR post for the day! This week’s theme focuses on books with white covers. I have a surprising amount of white books on my TBR, so picking out five that I wanted to feature was… a bit tough, lol. But here are five books on my TBR with white covers that I can’t wait to pick up!

#1. The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

This one is kind of a no-brainer. After being destroyed in 2020 by The Poppy War and starting 2021 being destroyed by The Dragon Republic, this book is very high on my TBR! Because I like pain, apparently. Seriously, though, this series has been incredible, so far, and I can only imagine what this final installment has in store. Beyond heartbreak. I know there will be heartbreak. I’m sure to get to this one sooner rather than later.

#2. Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

Though admittedly the cover that I actually own isn’t white, I had to include this book on my list! This is one of those “That cover is so pretty I have to read it” books, lol. It sounds like something I would love, though. There’s a mysterious woods and adventure, so I’m in! I haven’t really heard a lot about this book from my bookish friends, so I’m going into this not knowing what to expect, but I’m excited to give it a try!

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First Lines Friday #4

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First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

We’ve made it to Friday and, even though I’m working this weekend, I’m pretty stoked! This week has been such a blur it feels like. Partly because I got my first dose of the Covid vaccine on Tuesday and one of the possible side effects is fatigue. I’m tired all the time anyways, so of course the one side effect I get makes me even more sleepy! I was a zombie all day Wednesday and have slowly been getting back to normal. Still, I’m excited to be on my way to being vaccinated!

Annnnyways, let’s get to the post, shall we? For today’s First Lines Friday, I’ve picked a middle grade that has recently captured my imagination. All of you that are a part of the Middle Grade Marvels group will instantly know what I’m talking about 😉 For everyone else A) you should totally come join us and B) let’s see if you can guess which book it is!

The Line(s):

“The prisoner gazed out her window. It was one of four in Crowstone Tower, the tall stone cage in which she was being held.
Here, if she kept her eyes up, she could pretend that the prison walls far below did not exist, and that she was looking upon the world from a castle, or perhaps a mountain.
But today she was done with make-believe; pretending she was in a dream, pretending someone was going to save her.”

Any Guesses?

This is a middle grade fantasy featuring three sisters…

…three magical items…

…and a family curse

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Blog Tour: Fly Free by Allison Rose

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Hello, reader!

Welcome to my first blog tour of 2021! It seems fitting that my first tour would be with the first tour company I ever joined. Storytellers on Tour does a fabulous job of highlighting indie fantasy and science fiction writers and I’ve always enjoyed working with them. Those are two of my favorite genres, after all! Today on the blog, I’ll be highlighting a fantasy story focused on the twisty world of faeries called Fly Free.

Before I jump into my post, I want to thank Storytellers on Tour and the author, Allison Rose, for providing me with a free copy of her book in exchange for participation with this tour! It was much appreciated, as always! I’m only one stop on this tour, of course. There are a lot of incredible bloggers and Bookstagammers participating from January 10th – 16th! You can check out the banner below to see the schedule or click it to be taken to the SoT website where links should be available.

Synopsis

“In the land of Faerie, lies are easily disguised as truths.

They were raised like sisters, the heir to the Court of the Day and her guardian.

And as rebellion darkens the land of the Day—and the faeries of Court fall under a dark magic that disconnects them from the land, dooming them to a slow, agonizing death—they will question all they know to be true.

Sevelle, the Light of the Day, is destined to rule one day. She possesses a rare form of magic, the ability to heal the powerful connection between faeries and the magic in the land, the connection that gives them life—if only she could figure out how to use this magic, or even find it within herself.

Jae lives in the shadows, watching over Sevelle as her guardian and listening to the whispers of Court brought to her by the winds. She longs for a life outside of Court, but knows her duty to Sevelle is more important than her own desires.

But when an unexpected proposition comes from none other than Lex, son of the rebel leader, Sevelle and Jae realize their lives will never be the same—and that evil may be within their own court more so than in the rebels that oppose them.

Walking paths far different than they imagined separates the sisters, but then a secret is revealed that may break them apart forever.

Fly Free is the first installment of the Light of Faerie series. Enter a land of magic in the midst of a power struggle, where all is not as it seems and love may be found in the most unlikely places.”

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#5OnMyTBR – Graphic Novels

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#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that week’s theme. If you’d like more info, head over to the announcement post!

Hello, reader!

It’s time for my first 5 On My TBR of 2021 😁 I was pretty excited when I saw the theme for this week because it’s a genre that I’ve been getting into more and more lately. We’ll be talking about graphic novels! I was almost afraid I wouldn’t be able to do this post, though, because my TBR is woefully lacking. I literally only have five graphic novels currently on there, lol. I would like to blame the fact that, as I mentioned, I’m newer to the genre and I’m still getting a feel for what I like. That being said, I am totally up for any suggestions you all might have!

As it is, here are the five graphic novels that have already made the list.

#1. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, David Lloyd (Illustrator)

I’ve definitely mentioned this graphic novel on the blog before. I’ve wanted to read it since seeing the movie and discovering that it existed! I had no idea it was a thing before the movie. I also enjoy the story and the art looks like something that will appeal to my tastes. I’m not really sure what’s prevented me from picking this up before now. Besides my massive TBR of books I can’t possibly get through before I die, lol. Perhaps I’ll try and make it more of a priority this year. I do want to delve into the graphic novel genre more!

#2. Bloom by Kevin Panetta, Savanna Ganucheau (Illustrator)

I will fully admit that I saw pictures of this on someone’s Booktube and immediately wanted to read it just because I liked the art! It’s just so cute and I love the blue tones. That aside, I’ve also heard great things about the story told in the novel. There’s a cute romance and the backdrop is a bakery! This is just built for me to love it. It looks summery, too, which is always a vibe I enjoy. Hopefully I’ll be getting to this one sooner than later.

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First Lines Friday #3

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First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

It’s my first First Lines Friday of 2021! In an attempt to get on more of a blogging schedule but not burn myself out at the same time, I’ve decided I’m going to try and post at least three times a week. And, having started doing these posts, they are definitely ones I want to keep.

This week’s post is focused on a mystery that I’m rather excited to read. Let’s see if you can guess which one it is!

The Line(s):

“Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th-17th September — Thursday. I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th. There was nothing to be done. She had been dead some hours.”

Any Guesses?

Seeming as this is a mystery novel, I thought I would drop my own clues to what it may be.

This was written by one of the most famous mystery authors out there.

It is part of a series featuring a famous detective.

Murder is not only in the book, but in the title.

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