Month: October 2021

Down the TBR Hole #15

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It’s time for a new round of Down the TBR Hole! This is where I go through my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ shelf and do a bit of cleaning up. If you want to see the full description of what this post is all about, check out my first round HERE.

Hello, reader!

Happy Halloween! I’ve spent the day preparing for trick-or-treaters, but now it’s time to sit and do another Down the TBR Hole post. In the last round, I ended up with 651 books on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf. And, as the shock of the century, I’m actually still sitting at the same number! That never happens 😂 Let’s see if I can trim the list a bit more before I start looking ahead to 2022 books.

That being said, time to get into round fifteen!

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Well, I know this one is definitely staying. A book that brings together two mythical creatures from Yiddish and Middle Eastern folklore? I would like to consume that, please! This poor book has been on my TBR so long because I keep forgetting about it’s existence. One of the many benefits of doing these posts, right? I rediscover these incredible sounding books!

Verdict: Keep

The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood

I mean… it’s called The Summer *Dragon*! How could I not want to read it? Though the premise doesn’t exactly sound terribly unique, I am still willing to give it go simply because dragons. Yes, I am that easily swayed. No, I will not be taking questions at this time.

Verdict: Keep

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Well, I own this one, so that’s already a point towards keeping it. I’ve also always been intrigued by the premise. Time travel and politics from an author who’s forte is horror? I’m interested! Of course, like quite a few of King’s books, this is a thick one. Probably explains why it’s still on the TBR, if I’m honest. But one day I will get to it!

Verdict: Keep

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Book Blogger Hop: Oct 29 – Nov 4

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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

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Have you ever read a book on Halloween? If so, what was the title?

Submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer.

I’m always reading, so more than likely I have read a book on Halloween! Asking me to remember specific books, however… That’s why we go to Goodreads to check!

Apparently in 2019, I was reading The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup. Which, honestly, is a great book to read on Halloween! It’s a thriller that definitely had some creepy scenes. I enjoyed this one quite a lot. It read like a TV show, which makes sense as he author has previously written screenplays. And now this is a TV show on Netflix! I kind of want to give it a watch and see if it translates to the screen as well as I thought it would. Now would be the perfect time of year for it, too!

This story follows two detectives on the trail of a murderer who has a calling card: a small chestnut man left at each crime scene. There is another layer of mystery added when the fingerprint of a missing, presumed dead, young girl is found on one of these chestnut men. It’s a thrilling read that isn’t necessarily fast-paced, but keeps you in it’s grips from page one til the end. You can read my full review here.

Do you like to read on Halloween? What was the last book you read around this time? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Blog Tour: Journey to the Heart of the Abyss by London Shah

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Hello, reader!

Today is my stop on yet another fabulous tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours! The book in question is the second book in a duology that I’m so glad I found: Journey to the Heart of the Abyss by London Shah. If you’re into YA science fiction that has a lot of action, a lot of beautiful imagery, and a lot of heart, you’re gonna love this one!

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we get to my post, I want to thank the wonderful team at TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me a spot on this tour. Don’t forget that there are other incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers participating along the way! You can check out the full schedule HERE. I also want to thank the publisher, Little, Brown and Company, for not only sending me an ARC of this book, but a finished copy of the first book in this duology, The Light at the Bottom of the World, in exchange for my participation and my honest thoughts. It is always appreciated!

Now, I think it’s time we dive in 🐋

Book Details

  • Title: Journey to the Heart of the Abyss
  • Author: London Shah
  • Publication date: November 16th, 2021
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Animal cruelty, childhood trauma, racism, violence

Book Links

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

Synopsis

“The sequel to London Shah’s thrilling futuristic mystery The Light at the Bottom of the World, perfect for fans of Illuminae and These Broken Stars

Leyla McQueen has finally reunited with her father after breaking him out of Broadmoor, the illegal government prison—but his freedom comes at a terrible cost. As Leyla celebrates his return, she must grapple with the pain of losing Ari. Now separated from the boy who has her heart and labeled the nation’s number one enemy, Leyla must risk illegal travel through unchartered waters in her quest for the truth behind her father’s arrest.

Across Britain, the fallout from Leyla’s actions has escalated tensions between Anthropoid and non-Anthropoid communities, bringing them to an all-time high. And, as Leyla and her friends fight to uncover the startling truths about their world, she discovers her own shocking past—and the horrifying secrets behind her father’s abduction and arrest. But as these long-buried truths finally begin to surface, so, too, do the authorities’ terrible future plans. And if the ever-pervasive fear prevents the people from taking a stand now, the abyss could stay in the dark forever.”

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First Lines Friday #23

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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!

First, let me assure you that it is not, in fact, Friday. Although, perhaps by the time you read this, it will be 😂 It’s a Thursday night and I was racking my brain for something to post today. I’ve also been missing my First Lines Friday post because I’ve had tours on the last couple of Fridays. So I thought I’d celebrate Friday early! Besides, it’s been a long week and I’m ready for that Friday mood.

The book I’m featuring today is one I spoke of recently. I need to pick it up soon as it’s due back to the library in, like… two days. But let me not get too deep into it, eh? Let’s see if the first few lines can pull us into the story.

The Line(s):

“You ever seen a Klan march?
We don’t have them as grand in Macon, like you might see in Atlanta. But there’s Klans enough in this city of fifty-odd thousand to put on a fool march when they get to feeling to.”

The Hints:

This is a historical fiction novella...

… in which the Klan is populated with literal demons…

… and a band of resistance fighters must rise against them.

The Reveal:

Click the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page

Goodreads Synopsis

“Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns with Ring Shout, a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror

D. W. Griffith is a sorcerer, and The Birth of a Nation is a spell that drew upon the darkest thoughts and wishes from the heart of America. Now, rising in power and prominence, the Klan has a plot to unleash Hell on Earth.

Luckily, Maryse Boudreaux has a magic sword and a head full of tales. When she’s not running bootleg whiskey through Prohibition Georgia, she’s fighting monsters she calls “Ku Kluxes.” She’s damn good at it, too. But to confront this ongoing evil, she must journey between worlds to face otherworldly nightmares—and her own demons. Together with a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter, Maryse sets out to save a world from the hate that would consume it.”

Did those first few lines capture your attention? Did they make you want to read the rest of the story? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

WWW Wednesday: Oct 27, 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

  • Journey to the Heart of the Abyss by London Shah: I’m reading this one for a book tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours and I’m currently loving it! I recently finished the first book in this duology, The Light at the Bottom of the World, and was blown away by how much I loved it. It’s a fast-paced and intriguing book and the sequel is certainly living up to that. Also, the way this author describes the underwater world in which this book takes place is just *chef’s kiss*
  • The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch: This is another novella in the Rivers of London series and, so far, I’m having a great time! I wasn’t sure how I would feel reading a book that doesn’t focus on Peter and the Folly. I have to say, though, it’s exciting to see how their German equivalents work. And I really like Tobias. Not as much as Peter, but it’s close!
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Halloween Creatures Book Tag

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Hello, reader!

Halloween is at the end of the week, so what better time is there to do a Halloween-themed book tag? Besides maybe the day of… but I’ll be busy bringing the goblins to get candy that I will definitely be sampling. Speaking of goblins, the tag I’ll be doing today is the Halloween Creatures Book Tag! I was tagged by the wonderful Erika @ And On She Reads ❤ Y’all should definitely go check out her blog because it is an absolute delight! This tag was created by Anthony @ Keep Reading Forward and it seems like it’s gonna be a lot of fun.

That being said, let’s jump in!

The Rules:

The Prompts:

Witch – A Magical Character or Book

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Not only is our titular character, Amari, magical, but this entire book is magic! I fell in love with this book and it’s characters as soon as I read it. It’s such a fun and whimsical story with high stakes and a lot of heart. It also doesn’t shy away from issues of racism, but it doesn’t make the story all about The Struggle. I’m so excited to read the next book in the series when it comes out!

Werewolf – The Perfect Book to Read at Night

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

This book doesn’t make a lick of sense. Well… most of it doesn’t make a lick of sense. But the bits that are actually about the house are not only great, but quite nerve-wracking. I think that’s because the author does a great job of setting up an unsettling and spooky atmosphere. I can only imagine reading it at night would enhance that even more.

Frankenstein – A Book That Truly Shocked You

Changeling by Matt Wesolowski

Funny story with this one. As I was reading it, I had a thought… a guess about the end. But then I dismissed it because I thought it was too wild. Turns out, I was right! You would think that would make this less shocking, but the way my jaw hit the floor when the reveal came around would argue otherwise 😂 This remains my favorite of the Six Stories series so far!

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#5OnMyTBR – Spooky Vibes

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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!

Welcome to the beginning of the week and another 5 On My TBR! It’s also the week of Halloween, so the theme this week seemed very appropriate. It’s a Halloween freebie! I’ve chosen to go with five books on my TBR that give me that perfect spooky vibe in anticipation of the spookiest night of the year. I have quite a few horror and thriller books on the list, so this short list is just the tip of the iceberg!

But, for now, how ’bout I show you which ones I chose 🎃

#1. Kill Creek by Scott Thomas

Here we have a book about a bunch of horror authors staying in a supposedly haunted house as part of a publicity stunt. So you know it’s all going to go horribly wrong, right? This sounds like such a great concept for a horror story, which is why I want to pick it up! I’ve also been hearing a lot of rave reviews, so I’m even more intrigued 👻

#2. White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

And we have another book featuring a haunted house! Instead of horror authors inhabiting it, though, we have a blended family that was given the house. No strings attached! Cause we know how well that’s gonna go! I’m definitely getting the spooky vibes from this one. Not only from the synopsis, but just look at that cover! Gorgeous and giving off peak “Halloween read”.

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Down the TBR Hole #14

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It’s time for a new round of Down the TBR Hole! This is where I go through my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ shelf and do a bit of cleaning up. If you want to see the full description of what this post is all about, check out my first round HERE.

Hello, reader!

I’m on round fourteen of Down the TBR Hole and there’s not much of a dent to the Want to Read shelf, if I’m being honest. There’s just so many books out there to tempt a person, ya know? I ended the last round with 653 books on the shelf. Where am I at now? 655 books… which, honestly, is not too bad! I just know it’s about to blow up as we get closer and closer to 2022, so only two books added, for now, is not terrible 😂

Now, let’s see if I can trim that down even more.

The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin

Hahahaha… oh. This book. I mean, if it every actually comes out, I will be the first to pounce on it. Of course it gets to stay. But, at the same time, I’m beginning to lose hope that this will ever see the light of day. Fingers crossed, though! I loved all the other books in the series (some more than others) and I really would like to see the end. Probably because I’m hoping and praying it’s different from how the HBO series ended…

Verdict: Keep

End of Watch by Stephen King

I own this book, so it automatically gets to stick around. But, more than that, I’ve already read the first two books in this series and I am invested. Don’t ask my why it’s taken me so long to get to this one… I really enjoyed the other two and this one is promising to be a tad creepier. I’ll get to it eventually, though!

Verdict: Keep

The Fireman by Joe Hill

This is one of a few books by this author on my Want to Read shelf. I will fully admit that I originally added them based solely on the fact that Joe Hill is one of Stephen King’s sons. But there’s another Joe Hill book I want to read more. Until I’ve read his writing and decided whether he’s for me or not, I think I’ll whittle it down to just that one. And this ain’t it.

Verdict: Remove

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Book Blogger Hop: Oct 22 – 28

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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

Image by Coffee Addicted Writer

Have you ever considered dressing up as a book character? If so, which one?

Submitted by Julie @ Stepping Stones Book Reviews.

Um, of course! I’ve often thought it would be fun to dress up as a book character for Halloween or a con.

The second part of this question, however, is tough! There are so many iconic characters out there that I love. So I decided to pick three 😂

  • Tarisai from Raybeaer: I’m sure you knew Tarisai would make her way on to this list. First, I absolutely adore her. She’s an incredible character with a lot of heart. Bonus, though, is that fact that she wears such colorful clothing! The wraps that Jordan Ifueko describes sounds so beautiful and I want to wear them all! And I do have a fancy crown handcrafted by the author that would do perfectly with the costume.
  • Vin from the Mistborn series: Look. I like being barefoot and I want to wear a Mistborn cloak. Also, Vin is a badass! I love her character throughout the series and her character arc is definitely one of the best I’ve encountered in fantasy. But, yeah… I want the cloak!
  • Joniza from Little Thieves: This is a very recent favorite read, but Joniza is basically me in a book. She’s older than the main cast, she’s a smart-ass, and she loves all the young idiots she has to deal with. She’s also a bard and I do love to sing! Perform… not so much… but that’ neither here nor there! Also, she’s constantly wrapped in the warmest clothes she can find, which would come in handy for Halloween in New England, lol.

Those are just a few characters I would consider as viable costume choices, but there are so many more. Perhaps, one year, I’ll get my costume game in gear before, ya know, a week before Halloween and actually make one of these costumes a reality.

What book character would you dress up as? Have you ever gone as a book character for Halloween or other reasons? What character was it?  Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Blog Tour: Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

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Hello, reader!

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Little Thieves by Margaret Owen hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours! This is one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and, spoiler alert, it did not disappoint! A loose retelling of The Goose Girl, this is a young adult fantasy that blends the magic of a dark fairytale with the excitement of a heist novel. It’s atmospheric, it’s engaging, and it left me feeling like I immediately wanted to re-read it!

Before we get more into this post, though, we must do our thank-yous! Thank you so much to the team at TBR & Beyond Tours for giving me a spot on this one. Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, and Netgalley for providing me a free e-ARC in exchange for my participation and an honest review. It is always appreciated and even more so when I ended up loving the book as much as I did! Also, seeming as this is a tour, there are of course quite a few incredible blogger/bookstgrammers that are involved. If you would like to see the schedule so see their awesome content, just click HERE.

Alright, now let’s kick off this tour post!

Top Five Reasons To Read Little Thieves

  • Vanja is both a gremlin and an absolute treasure! Do you like your main characters to be smart, cunning, and with a flair for the sarcastic? You’re gonna love Vanja. She makes terrible choices and you find yourself caring about her so much that you just go along for the ride.
  • This nails dark, wintery vibes. This is the perfect book to get you in the mood for the later part of the year. The atmosphere is top-notch! NO THOUGHTS, JUST VIBES! (But actually quite a lot of thoughts… we’ll get to that later)
  • A dark fairytale at it’s finest. If you like dark fairytales, this is kind of a must-read. It hits that perfect feel of being told a bedtime story but one with a lot more blood and danger. If you’ve ever read German children’s fairytales from back in the day… you know what I mean.
  • The LGBTQIA+ representation! This book is filled with it, in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. I do love a story that casually weaves in LGBT characters because the fact that a woman has a wife should just be normal. Not some big to-do. But I also appreciate the more in-depth look at different communities that fall under the LGBTQIA+ banner.
  • The mental health representation! I did not expect this book to make me sob BUT HERE WE ARE. More on that later, but this book does an incredible job of showing how past trauma can affect someone.

Book Details

  • Title: Little Thieves
  • Author: Margaret Owen
  • Publication date: October 19th, 2021
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Discussions of child abuse and neglect, abusive environments, trauma, sexual assault (past), blood, violence

Book Links

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

Synopsis

“Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl…

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love–and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele’s dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back… by stealing Gisele’s life for herself.

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja’s tail, she’ll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.

Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow series, crafts a delightfully irreverent retelling of “The Goose Girl” about stolen lives, thorny truths, and the wicked girls at the heart of both.“

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