first lines friday

First Lines Friday #38

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 donโ€™t give anything else about the book away just yet โ€“ you need to hook the reader first (I cheat a little bit here *cough*)
  • Finallyโ€ฆ reveal the book!

If youโ€™re using Twitter, donโ€™t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!


Hello, reader!

I hope your Friday is treating you well. If not, how about a little First Lines Friday post to help forget your woes? Or at least distract you for a couple of minutes, haha. I have to work this weekend and I’m not excited about it, but I’m still happy that we’ve made it to the end of the week!

But on to the bookish stuff! The novel I’ve picked for today’s First Lines Friday post is a contemporary novel that has been on my Netgalley shelf for… an embarrassingly long amount of time. Especially since it’s a book that I’ve really wanted to read! I think what has me hesitating is the fact that I don’t really pick up contemporaries a lot, but this one has elements that definitely appeal to me.

Now, let’s see if the first lines can appeal, as well!


The Line(s):

“Everyone has a story about the first time they read the Orman Chronicles. This is mine.”


The Hints:

This YA contemporary was released in February of 2021.

It has one of my favorite tropes: bookish themes!

It also takes a close look at grief and love.


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday #38”
blog tour · book reviews

BBNYA Finalist Blog Tour: Odriel’s Heirs by Hayley Reese Chow

Hello, reader!

I’ve got yet another blog tour for you today, this one featuring one of the 10 finalists from last year’s Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA)! This YA fantasy is a quick, exciting read that had me completely wrapped in the story. It’s easy to see why Odriel’s Heirs by Hayley Reese Chow made it to the finals! But, first, let me tell you more about BBNYA.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website www.bbnya.com or twitter @bbnya_official.

The sign-ups will soon be open for the 2022 BBNYA competition, be it for authors to enter their books, or for bloggers wanting to be part of the new panel, so keep your eyes peeled!!

As a note, I received this book to read and review as part of the 2021 BBNYA tours organised by the TWR Tour team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest. Now, letโ€™s get into the post!


Book Details


  • Title: Odriel’s Heirs
  • Author: Hayley Reese Chow
  • Publication date: March 1st, 2020
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: For a list of potential content and trigger warnings, check out this bookโ€™s page on BookTriggerWarnings.com

B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

Synopsis


The brave, burning with fire, harnessed the Dragon’s Rage….

As the Dragon Heir, seventeen-year-old Kaia inherited the power of flame to protect her homeland from a godlike necromancerโ€™s undead army. But after centuries of peace, the necromancer has faded to myth, and the Dragon Heir is feared by the people. Persecuted and cast out, Kaia struggles to embrace and control her seemingly useless gift while confined to her familyโ€™s farm.

But when the necromancerโ€™s undead terrorize the land once again, Kaia runs away to join the battle.

With the help of her childhood rival, the handsome Shadow Heir, and a snarky, cursed cat, Kaia must figure out how to control both her fire and her confidence in time to save Okarria. If she fails, she will sacrifice her family, her new friends, and the enchanting world she has only just begun to see.

And time is running out.

Continue reading “BBNYA Finalist Blog Tour: Odriel’s Heirs by Hayley Reese Chow”
blog tour · book spotlight

Blog Tour Spotlight: Princess Ever After by Connie Glynn

Hello, reader!

Remember my review last week for Undercover Princess? And how I said there would be more Rosewood Chronicles content coming soon? Well, here it is! Today, I have a spotlight for the fifth and last book in this YA fantasy series, Princess Ever After by Connie Glynn! Now, after loving the first book so much, I knew I was going to want to continue with the series. I also knew that there was no way I was going to read three other books before it was time for me to post this, so I opted for a spotlight instead. If you haven’t read any of the Rosewood Chronicles series, I would suggest checking out my earlier review instead.

Of course, I want to thank The Write Reads team and the publisher, Penguin, for giving me a spot on this tour. I always appreciate it!

Now, let’s get to the spotlight ๐Ÿ‘‘


Book Details


  • Title:ย Princess Ever After
  • Author:ย Connie Glynn
  • Series:ย The Rosewood Chronicles #5
  • Publication date:ย February 17th, 2022
  • Genre:ย Fantasy
  • Age group:ย Young Adult

TBD::Amazon::Goodreads

Continue reading “Blog Tour Spotlight: Princess Ever After by Connie Glynn”
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

Hello, reader!

I’m excited to bring you a review today as part of my stop for a book tour run by Turn the Page Tours! This tour is celebrating a book that I actually picked up in my recent Book of the Month club box. It sounded so fascinating, I couldn’t resist. The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd is a mystery that is also a fantasy and it absolutely blew me away!

Before I get into the post, however, I want to send thanks to the Turn the Page Tours team and the publisher with providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my participation with this tour and an honest review. It is always appreciated! Also, if you’d like to check out the other bookish creators helping out with the tour, you can find the full schedule here. Make sure to check out my Instagram post, as well, for a giveaway!

Alright, let’s get to the post!


Book Details


  • Title: The Cartographers
  • Author: Peng Shepherd
  • Publication date: March 15th, 2022
  • Genre: Mystery/Fantasy
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Blood, violence, stalking, mental heath issues, obsession, cheating, fire, death, strained parent/child relationship

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

Synopsis


What is the purpose of a map?

Nell Youngโ€™s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field, and Nellโ€™s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.

But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell canโ€™t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable, and also exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existenceโ€ฆ because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last oneโ€”along with anyone who gets in the way.

But why?

To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret, and discover the true power that lies in maps…

Continue reading “Blog Tour: The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd”
down the tbr hole

Down the TBR Hole #26

Itโ€™s time for a new round of Down the TBR Hole! This is where I go through my Goodreads โ€˜Want to Readโ€™ 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!

Welcome to a new week for more bookish content! I thought today would be a good day for another round of Down the TBR Hole. Mostly because I’m trying to stay ahead of my obsessive need to add new books to my TBR shelf, haha. Case in point, in the time since I did my last round, I’ve gone from 734 books on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf to 738 books. Admittedly, 4 books isn’t that bad, but when you already have over 700 on the list… sigh…

There’s just so many incredible sounding books popping up on my radar and I can’t resist!

Let’s see if we can trim a little bit this round before I, inevitably, add more ๐Ÿ˜‚


The World of Tomorrow by Brendan Mathews

I couldn’t remember adding this book and, after reading the synopsis, I think I must have done it while in an altered state. Because this book does not sounds appealing to me at all. Did I add as a possible book for a reading challenge? Was I trying to get more into historical fiction? Who knows, but it’s definitely not staying.

Verdict: Remove


Dear Martin by Nic Stone

In contrast, I remember adding this one to my TBR and I still really want to read it! I actually own a copy, as well, so it’s not leaving the TBR any time soon. This is one of those books where I know I’m going to have to prepare myself to be angry probably the entire time I’m reading. Still, I’ve heard nothing but great things and am excited to read it when I finally get around to the book.

Verdict: Keep


Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen

Ahhh, yet another YA fantasy series that I thought sounded interesting, then never started. Honestly, at this point, though this sounds like this could be thrilling, I’m just not interesting in diving into yet another series. Perhaps when I’ve gotten through the multiple ones I’m currently reading, I’ll revisit this. For now, though, it’s time to part ways.

Verdict: Remove

Continue reading “Down the TBR Hole #26”
book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Mar 4 – 10

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 Weekโ€™s Question

What inspired you to start book blogging?

Submitted byย Julie @ย Stepping Stone Book Reviews.

Continue reading “Book Blogger Hop: Mar 4 – 10”
readathon

WomenInMyth-athon TBR

Hello, reader!

What’s this? Another TBR? That’s right because, in March, I’ll be taking part in not one, but two readathons! The WomenInMythAThon is a readathon that speaks to my Greek mythology loving heart. It’s also put on by one of my favorite bookish people, Livy @ Shelves Of Starlight! There was no way I wasn’t going to give it a go. Check out her post to see all the rules and prompts for this fun readathon!

Now, if you read my Trope-ical Readathon TBR, you’ll probably noticed a lot of carryover from that one to this one. That’s because there ain’t no way I’m reading 12+ books this month! Maybe I took the entire month off from work I could make it happen. As it is, I’m going to try and make books I’m already planning on reading work for this readathon.

With all that said, let’s get to the TBR!


Athena – Read a book focused on academia.

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

So this doesn’t necessarily focus on academia. A big part of the story, however, is about a woman who is both witch and wizard delving into the world of the Unseen University… so I think that counts! It’s also short, so I could probably squeeze it in with all my other reads.


Aphrodite – Read a romance book.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

This romance about two roommates that share a bed but have never met is not only on my other readathon TBR, but it’s on my 12 friends, 12 recs TBR. So it makes the most sense to stick it on this one! That just makes it more likely that I’ll actually read it! I’m so excited to give it a try.


Artemis – Read a book with ace and/or are rep.

Bloody Spade by Brittany M. Willows

I received a copy of this book forever ago from the author for review and I’m embarrassed that I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. Life has certainly gotten in the way, but this seems like the perfect excuse to finally get to this one! I’ve heard great things about the novel and its rep, so I’m looking forward to diving in.

Continue reading “WomenInMyth-athon TBR”
first lines friday

First Lines Friday #37

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 donโ€™t give anything else about the book away just yet โ€“ you need to hook the reader first (I cheat a little bit here *cough*)
  • Finallyโ€ฆ reveal the book!

If youโ€™re using Twitter, donโ€™t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!


Hello, reader!

It’s Friiiiidaaaay and, as you might be able to tell, I am very excited about it. It’s been a long week at work and I am tired. I’m ready for a bit of laziness and, most importantly, tons of reading time. Speaking of which, this week’s featured book for First Lines Friday is one I’m planning on picking up this weekend! Funny story with this one, I saw the author tweet about it on release day and thought “Huh, that sounds interesting.” The very next day, I went to the library to pick up a hold and happened to find this book on the New Releases shelf! Felt like a sign, ya know?

Now, let’s see if the first few lines make me happy with my random library find!


The Line(s):

“The scent of death is sweet. A cologne of something chilling and saccharine – like spoiled figs, and honey, and mud. I know this because all my memories of Arrow’s Edge will forever be tainted with it.”


The Hints:

This recently released thriller is set in Boston.

It has a morally grey MC bent on revenge.

There is promise of gothic vibes aplenty!


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday #37”
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Already Owned

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


Hello, reader!

It’s a bit late in the week for 5 On My TBR, but I really wanted to join in on this week’s theme! Why? Because it’s all about books I already own that are still chilling on my TBR. Which is… a lot. Like, over 300 a lot ๐Ÿ˜ฌ I wanted to take this opportunity to not only shame myself into reading more of my own books (#BeatTheBacklog, Kerri!) but to talk about some books I really want to read, but don’t mention nearly enough on the blog.

So, without further ado, let’s get to the post!


#1. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

I’ve been meaning to start this series for what feels like forever now. I genuinely have enjoyed everything I’ve read by V.E. Schwab, so I can’t see why this would be different! Plus, it’s a dark look at superheroes which sounds right up my alley. Should I be starting a new series when I’m in the middle of so many series? Probably not, but when has that ever stopped me before ๐Ÿ˜‚

#2. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

After reading Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson, I instantly became interested in reading everything else she’s ever written. Loved that freakin’ book! On that note, I picked up An Enchantment of Ravens off of Book Outlet. And then I shoved it one my bookshelf and promptly forgot about it, haha. Ah well… it’s still something I would love to read and I’m sure I’ll get to it soon.

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – Already Owned”
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir/Illustrated by Myisha Haynes

Hello, reader!

Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours book tour for a middle grade graphic novel that absolutely captured my heart: Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir (author) and Myisha Haynes (illustrator)! This book is a graphic retelling of Anne of Green Gables set in modern day West Philly and it is an absolute delight.

Before I start gushing about this book, though, I want to thank some folks. First, I want to thank the team at TBR & Beyond Tours for letting me be a part of this tour. Second, I want to thank the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for sending me a free copy of the book in exchange for my participation and an honest review. It is very much appreciated! One last thing; mine is just one stop on this magical mystery tour, so make sure you check out the other fabulous bloggers and bookstagrammers that will be celebrating this beautiful book! You can find the full schedule here.

Alright, let’s get to the post!


Book Details


  • Title:ย Anne of West Philly
  • Author:ย Ivy Noelle Weir
  • Illustrator: Myisha Haynes
  • Publication date: March 1st, 2022
  • Genre:ย Contemporary Graphic Novel
  • Age group:ย Middle Grade

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

Synopsis


Anne of Green Gablesย with a twist: in this follow-up toย Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amyย andย The Secret Garden on 81st Street, this full-color graphic novel moves Anne Shirley to modern-day West Philadelphia, where where she finds new friends, new rivals, and a new family.

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where sheโ€™s going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasnโ€™t looking for: a family.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir/Illustrated by Myisha Haynes”