Month: August 2022

Sundays In Bed With… The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

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Sundays in Bed With… is a meme that dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

Hello, reader!

This is the first Sunday in a minute that I didn’t have to work and it has been glorious! Mostly because I slept for a good portion of the day, haha. Apparently, my body needed to catch up on some rest. Now that I’m feeling more restful, I’m definitely in the reading mood. I’ve picked a book from my various monthly TBRs that I’ve been wanting to read for awhile now. It’s been so hyped and I’m eager to see if I jump on the train, as well.

That being said, let me tell you more about it!

My Sunday Read Is…

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

I’m reading this book for the Magical Readathon because it has an animal companion. Thankfully, it’s also a book I’ve been wanting to read for a long time! I’m only a few chapters in, but I’m already falling in love with the world that Andrea Stewart is creating. I’m already rooting for both Lin, the daughter of the Emperor, and Jovis, a smuggler on a quest. And I’m definitely curious about the Tithing Festival and what sounds like a horrible tradition. In just a few short chapters, this book has sucked me in and I’m excited to continue!

Goodreads Synopsis

Magic. Revolution. Identity.

The Emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.

Lin is the Emperor’s daughter and she spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.

Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.

The Bone Shard Daughter is an unmissable fantasy debut – a captivating tale of magic, revolution and mystery, where a young woman’s sense of identity will make or break an empire.

What are you reading this Sunday? Are you enjoying whatever you are reading? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

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Blog Tour First Impressions: With Fire In Their Blood by Kat Delacorte

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Hello, reader!

I’m excited to be bringing you another blog tour stop hosted by The Write Reads today! In today’s post, I’ll be talking about an upcoming young adult fantasy that has a healthy dose of gothic vibes: With Fire In Their Blood by Kat Delacorte! This book drew me in with it’s gorgeous cover, but the eerie, spooky atmosphere is what is keeping me reading.

But before I tell you more about my first impressions, I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and all of the crew for giving me a spot on this tour! I also want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for my participation and eventual review! It is, as always, much appreciated.

Now, let’s get to the post!

  • Title: With Fire In Their Blood
  • Author: Kat Delacorte
  • Publication date: September 1st, 2022
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Suicide, parent death, war, fighting, grief

Book Links

TBD::Amazon::Goodreads

‘Startingly original… Readers will be lured into this tumultuous world of warring families, forbidden power, and heart-searing romance’ – Lyndall Clipstone (Lakesedge, Forestfall) 

From the word-of-mouth fantasy sensation Kat Delacorte – the standout debut star of 2022 YA Lit Con (YALC) – comes the first instalment in a new YA fantasy duology. 

Packed to the brim with bisexual and queer representation, With Fire in Their Blood is a simmering supernatural romance set in the crumbling Italian city of Castello, where mafia clans make the rules, dark magic pulses the streets and the sins of the past threaten to consume the present. . . 

When sixteen-year-old Lilly arrives in Castello, she isn’t impressed.
A secluded town in the Italian mountains is not where she saw her last years of high school playing out. 

Divided for generations by a brutal clan-family war, the two halves of Castello are kept from destroying each other by the mysterious General, a leader determined to maintain order and ‘purity’. . . whatever the cost. 

Lilly falls in with the rebellious Liza, brooding Nico and sensitive Christian, and sparks begin to fly. But in a city where love can lead to ruin, Lilly isn’t sure she can trust anyone — not even herself. 

And then she accidentally breaks Castello’s most important rule: when the General’s men come to test your blood, you’d better not be anything more than human… 

Perfect for lovers of Chloe Gong, Renée Ahdieh and V.E. Schwab, With Fire in Their Blood is quality YA storytelling at its best by an exciting new voice in YA fantasy.

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First Lines Friday #58

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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 (I cheat a little bit here *cough*)
  • Finally… reveal the book!

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

Hello, reader!

Happy Friday! I’m extra excited that it’s the end of the week because I finally get a full weekend off. We’re pretty short-staffed at work, so I’ve been picking up a lot of overtime. I’m ready to finally have a couple of days to just relax. Well… relax and visit my best friend so we can be stupid together ❤

Before all that, though, it’s time for another First Lines Friday post! The book I’m featuring today is one that wasn’t really on my radar, but I’m so glad I decided to give it a try. I’m loving it, so far! The first few lines certainly got me intrigued. Let’s see if they can pull you in, as well!

The Line(s):

“On the hospital bed, her delicate body cradled between thin white pillows, Rosita dreamed. Pictures in metal, plastic, and wooden frames surrounded her, displaying images of friends and family, giving the appearance of an audience. However, the only visitor in the room was Nina, who sat on a tin chair beside the hat rack-shaped IV pole.”

The Hints:

This is a young adult fantasy starring an Indigenous girl.

It also features a world populated by animal people.

The author also wrote Elatsoe.

The Reveal:

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Down the TBR Hole #36

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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 not gonna lie, I am a tired bean. Life has been a hectic pile of chaos lately and I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get to all the things I want to do. That’s why, for now, we’re gonna keep the truncated Down the TBR posts around. Five books at a time is all my over-taxed brain can handle at the moment 😂

That being said, I managed to make it to a new round without increasing my TBR! I ended last round with 717 books on my ‘Want to Read’ shelf and I’m currently sitting at 713 books. I have been reading quite a few backlist books this month, so that definitely makes sense.

Now, let’s get to the post!

The House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess

Let me be frank. I completely forgot what this book is even about, but I know without reading the synopsis that it’s getting the boot. Why? Because the author decided to go in on a Black woman educator because she deigned to question why schools seem to stick with teaching the same ‘classics’ all the time. It was ugly and I don’t feel like supporting someone who can act like that with the platform they have.

Verdict: Remove

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

I will fully admit I’ve forgotten what this book is about, as well. I remember there was a movie and it centered around a painting? Having read the synopsis, this sounds like it could be interesting, but I’m not nearly intrigued enough to keep it around. Honestly, I’d rather read The Secret History by this author to try her out. I don’t need to keep this one around just because I’ve always wanted to try a Donna Tartt novel. If I like the other one, maybe it can come back.

Verdict: Remove

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WWW Wednesday: Aug 17, 2022

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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 Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger: I’m reading this for one of my Goodreads groups and, so far, I’m really enjoying it! It has an interesting structure and I love both Nina and Oli. I might be a little partial to Oli, but that’s probably because I find the concept of animal people fascinating! Also, Oli is adorably sweet and I feel like I must protect him at all costs. I’m looking forward to getting more into this one.
  • The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I’ve finally started the second book in the The Inheritance Games series! Not gonna lie, I may have forgotten quite a few details from the end of the first book. Thankfully, the author does a great job of weaving a mini-recap into the narrative of this story. I’m enjoying getting to know Avery and the Hawthorne boys again and, though I’ve just started, there are already riddles on top of riddles. I will say that the audiobook narrator’s Texan accents are… not great, but I’m not gonna hold it against her 😂
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Top 5 Tuesday: Books With Swords

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Top 5 Tuesday is a fun, weekly meme that asks you to pick 5 books that fit that week’s theme. It was created by Bionic Bookworm and is currently being hosted by Meeghan Reads. You should check out their wonderful blog for more details and the list of prompts!

Hello, reader!

We’ve arrived at another lovely Tuesday, which means it’s time for a Top 5 Tuesday post! This week, I had a much easier time with the scavenger hunt. That’s because I had to find books with swords on the cover and, apparently, I read a lot of sword books 😂 I’ve trimmed the list down to five of my favorite books that feature a large piece of cutlery on the front.

That being said, let’s get to my list!

#1. Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

This is probably one of my favorite graphic novels, so I’m glad one of the characters is holding a sword so I could feature it! Lord Blackheart happens to be my favorite character, too. Nimona is a shapeshifter that is bound and determined to become the villainous Blackwell’s minion. This was such a wild ride with action and adventure on every page. It also made me get a bit teary-eyed with Nimona and Blackwell’s backstories. It was such an incredible read!

#2. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

There is quite an assortment of weapons on the cover of this one, but there’s definitely at least one sword. It makes sense as this book follows a nation at war and a man seeking revenge. The first book in The Burning series was such an intense ride! It’s an incredibly compelling story that has fantastic world-building. The characters have to be my favorite part of the story, though, especially Tau. He is single-minded yet complex and it’s fascinating watching his growth throughout this novel.

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Book Blogger Hop: Aug 12 – 18

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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

What are some of your favorite books?

Submitted by Julie @ Stepping Stone Book Reviews.

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Blog Tour: Hag of the Hills by J.T.T. Ryder

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Hello, reader!

I’m bringing you yet another tour stop today sponsored by The Write Reads! This time, I’ll be talking about an historical fantasy immersed in Celtic mythology and set on the Isle of Skye: Hag of the Hills by J.T.T. Ryder. If the gorgeous cover doesn’t pull you in, perhaps the promise of a well-researched story that blends historical fiction and fantasy will appeal to you!

Before we jump in, though, I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and all of the crew for giving me a spot on this tour! I also want to thank the author for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! It is, as always, much appreciated.

Now, let’s get into the post!

  • Title: Hag of the Hills
  • Author: J.T.T. Ryder
  • Publication date: March 1st, 2022
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Slavery, violence, gore, blood, suicide, child death

Book Links

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

“Nothing is unconquerable; even our gods can die.”

Brennus is destined from birth to become a warrior, despite his farmer’s life. But when the Hillmen kill his family and annihilate his clan, he now has the opportunity to avenge those who he loved.

Brennus must survive endless hordes of invading Hillmen and magic-wielding sidhe, aided by only a band of shifty mercenaries, and an ancient bronze sword.

Failure means his family and clan go unavenged. Victory will bring glory to Brennus and his ancestors.

Hag of the Hills is a heroic fantasy novel set in 200 B.C. on the Isle of Skye, steeped in Celtic mythology and culture.

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Blog Tour Spotlight: Advocatus by A.R. Turner

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Hello, reader!

Today, I’m participating in another blog tour hosted by the incredible The Write Reads tour company! I’ll be spotlighting a fantasy novel that has been getting some rave reviews: Advocatus by A.R. Turner! Come join me as I tell you more about this fascinating sounding book.

Before we jump into my post, though, I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and all the lovely people behind the scenes for allowing me to participate in this tour! It is, as always, very much appreciated. If you’re a book blogger looking to participate in book tours, you can’t go wrong with The Write Reads.

Now, let’s get to my post!

  • Title: Advocatus
  • Author: A.R. Turner
  • Publication date: January 17th, 2022
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Adult

Book Links

Amazon::Goodreads

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First Lines Friday #57

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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 (I cheat a little bit here *cough*)
  • Finally… reveal the book!

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

Hello, reader!

It’s Friday and I actually have Saturday off so I’m extra excited 🥳 It’s also time for another First Lines Friday! This week, I’m featuring a book that has been on my TBR for what feels like an eternity. I’m listening to the audiobook and I’m kind of in love. It’s fun, funny, and magical in a way that somehow feels nostalgic.

The first few lines certainly captured my interest. Now let’s see if they can capture yours, as well!

The Line(s):

“There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart’s Desire.

And while that is, as beginnings go, not entirely novel (for every tale about every young man there ever was or will be could start in a similar manner) there was much about this young man and what happened to him that was unusual, although even he never knew the whole of it.”

The Hints:

This is a fantasy that was released in the late 90s.

The audiobook is narrated by the author.

It features a young man trying to catch a star.

The Reveal:

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