Month: September 2022

Blog Tour First Impressions: Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen

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Hello, reader!

It’s time, once again, for another blog tour post. This time, it’s for one of my most anticipated reads of 2022! Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen is the thrilling sequel to Skin of the Sea, a book filled with stunning descriptions and Black mermaids. You can read my full review for that here. I was completely enraptured with the first book in this series, so you can imagine my excitement when I got to be on the tour for the sequel! Unfortunately, a pretty nasty head cold has slowed my reading to a near stop, but I still wanted to be able to shout about this book because what I’ve read so far has been incredible.

Fair warning: If you haven’t read Skin of the Sea, you might want to avoid reading further as there might be spoilers.

Before I get more into my stop, though, there are people I need to thank. First, all the wonderful people at TBR & Beyond Tours for giving me a spot! Second, to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC so that I could participate and (eventually) review the book! All opinions contained within this tour stop and my inevitable review are my own. One last but very important thing, make sure y’all check out the other incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers that will be participating in the Soul of the Deep tour! You can find the full schedule here.

Now, let’s dive in!

  • Title: Soul of the Deep
  • Author: Natasha Bowen
  • Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
  • Publication date: September 27th, 2022
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Depictions of violence, enslavement, and death

Book Links

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

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Skin of the Sea, in which the world must pay the price for one mermaid’s choice, and a dark force reverberates across realms. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and those eagerly anticipating the live-action film adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

One life.
One choice.
One sacrifice.

To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.

But when signs of demons begin to appear, it’s clear there are deeper consequences of Simi’s trade. These demons spell the world’s ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm.

With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.

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Down the TBR Hole #42

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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 Thursday, y’all. To celebrate the almost-end of the work week, I’m gonna do another round of Down the TBR Hole! I’m pretty impressed with the fact that I’ve managed to decrease my TBR instead of increasing it 😂 I went from 698 books on my ‘Want to Read’ shelf down to 697 books. I mean… it’s only one book, but I’m counting it as a win.

Now it’s time to continue the trimming!

The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet

Imma be honest… I have no memory of this book or adding it to my TBR. The cover is definitely drawing me in! The synopsis, however, has me feeling better meh. Couple that with the top two reviews being one star and saying this is 500+ pages of trauma without plot… and I think I’m gonna give this one a pass.

Verdict: Remove

Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown

This book sounds like such an experience, I’m not gonna lie. It’s a fantasy, but it’s also heavily autobiographical. I think it would be fascinating to see how the author navigates her past through the lens of a fantasy world. I’ve heard great things about this book, too, so that makes me more even willing to keep it on the TBR. Who knows when I’ll actually get to it, though.

Verdict: Keep

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WWW Wednesday: Sep 28, 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

Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen

So I’ve been sick for the last few days and that means my reading has taken a nosedive. I hate when a head cold gives me brain fog because I can’t focus on anything. That being said, though, the one book I’ve been trying to read through the haze is one. It’s the sequel to Skin of the Sea and, so far, it’s just as enthralling as the first book! I’m loving the development we’ve had so far and I’m eager to continue to see how it ends.

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#5OnMyTBR – Cozy

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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!

I hope you’ve had a great Monday so far. I’m currently sitting at my son’s soccer practice and enjoying the beautiful weather. We’re at the beginning of Fall, so it’s not too cold and not too warm. Just perfect! Soon, we’re gonna get into the colder weather, though, and that means cozy times. Which makes today’s 5 On My TBR topic very apropos because we’re talking all about cozy books!

I do love a cozy read, so I have quite a few on my TBR. It made picking just five quite a chore, but I got there! So let’s jump on in.

#1. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

I figured I would start with a classic. If this book is anything like the movie I loved as a kid, then it is the definition of ‘cozy’. I loved this movie when I was a kid and I watched it whenever I needed cheering up. That is part of what makes a book cozy to me, so I’m hoping this one has that same feel.

#2. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers is one of the authors I immediately think of when I think of cozy reads. The first book in this series features a tea monk that travels around bringing comfort to people. It was one of the coziest books I’ve read in awhile! I’m hoping that this book is more of the same. I really need to get to this one soon because I’m in the mood for a book that’s gonna give me all the good feels.

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Sundays In Bed With… The Midnight Guardians by Ross Montgomery

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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!

I hope you’re having a wonderful Sunday. I’ve spent the weekend celebrating my best friend at her bachelorette party, which consisted of chilling at a hotel pool and getting drunk 😂 It was great times! Now, however, I’m ready to relax and recharge before the impending work week. That means it’s time to curl up with one of my current reads!

My Sunday Read Is…

The Midnight Guardians by Ross Montgomery

This is such a cute middle grade fantasy! There is a lot going on in this book. There’s a Spirit World, imaginary friends that come to life, and a frightening bad guy that gives me the chills. And it’s all set on the backdrop of WWII, so there are definitely some intense moments. Still, it’s wonderful watching Col fight for his sister and his friends as he goes on this adventure. I love the Guardians and can’t wait to continue this story!

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Book Blogger Hop: Sep 23 – 29

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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 reread a book? If so, why did you decide to reread it?

Submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer.

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First Lines Friday #62

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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! For this week’s First Lines Friday post, I’m featuring a fantasy sequel that I have been eagerly anticipating. It’s got a gorgeous cover and I’m hoping the insides match the outsides! Now it’s time to see if the first few lines can get me even more pumped.

The Line(s):

“The bones are buried deep, white against the velvet dark water.

The Hints:

This is a young adult fantasy that is the sequel to one of my top reads last year.

The cover is even more stunning than the first book!

Two words: Black. Mermaids.

The Reveal:

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Encanto Book Tag

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Hello, reader!

It’s been a minute since I’ve done a book tag, hasn’t it? Let me remedy that real quick and do one that speaks to my Disney-loving soul! The Encanto Book Tag is exactly what it sounds like… a tag focused on the songs of the incredible Disney movie, Encanto. How many times have I seen it? Probably too many. How many times have I cried while watching it? Pretty much every time 😂 It’s a beautiful movie and the songs are absolute perfection, so this was an easy choice when looking for a tag to do today!

Before I jump in, I want to thank Danni @ _ForBooksSake for tagging me! You should definitely check out her blog if you’re a fan of thrillers. Even if you aren’t, Danni’s blog is a great, bookish spot on the internet! This tag was originally created by Passport To Eden.

With that said, let’s get to it!

The Family Madrigal

Name a book that explores multiple family generations

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray

This is a book I don’t talk about often, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a contemporary novel about a group of sisters who return home after their parents are arrested. There’s drama, there’s heart-wrenching emotion, and there’s a lot to unpack. It’s all told in such a tender way, though, that you can’t help but love it.

Waiting On A Miracle

What Is A Book You Enjoyed But Took Longer Than Expected To Finish

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

I ended up giving this book five stars because it was absolutely incredible. And yet it took me months to read it! Sure, most of those months I wasn’t actively trying to read it. I got distracted by blog tours and review copies. Once I buckled down and devoted my attention to this book, though, I knew it was something special. Definitely worth a read!

Surface Pressure

Name A Character Who Has To Do It All

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Gwen Proctor is probably one of the more badass characters I’ve read recently! I suppose, in the end, she doesn’t do everything by herself, but for most of the book she is struggling to keep herself and her kids hidden and safe all on her own. It’s freakin’ intense! I think Gwen would relate to this song on a deep, personal level, haha.

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WWW Wednesday: Sep 21, 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

  • This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone: I picked this book up because I needed a quick read involving time travel. Now I’m mad that I never thought to read this book before because, y’all, it has me in a chokehold. I need Blue and Red to meet each other and run away together immediately. The tension! The banter! The weirdly hidden missives! Also the audiobook is *chef’s kiss* A++.
  • Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: I have literally only read a few pages so I can’t give you a firm grasp of whether or not I’m liking it. I will say that I’m loving the format! I always forget how much I love mixed media format until I pick up a mixed media book. Again, I haven’t read enough to give a true update of how I feel about it, but I’m getting good vibes so far.
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Down the TBR Hole #41

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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 hope y’all had a great Tuesday. It’s almost 8:30 pm here in Massachusetts and I just got home from work. So, to wind down, I figured why not do a Down the TBR Hole post? I’ve got a posting streak going on and I don’t want to break it! Also, I’ve been, err, acquiring books on the TBR recently. Not a lot! I’m still at around 700 books on my ‘Want to Read’ shelf (701 books, to be exact), but I know I’m going to be adding more and more as 2023 releases get announced.

That said, let’s get to trimming!

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

I’ve wanted to read a Swanson mystery for awhile and this one is at the top of my list. But I’ve heard it also contains spoilers for some mysteries that I haven’t read yet. I definitely still want to read this, though, as it centers around books. So I guess it gets to stick around for now. Unless I read another Peter Swanson and find I don’t enjoy his writing 🤷🏾‍♀️

Verdict: Keep

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison

Hahaha, I don’t even remember adding this book to my ‘Want to Read’ shelf. Which happens more frequently than it should. According to the synopsis, this is a thriller set at a boarding school. There’s lies and popular kids and it sounds… kind of dull. I have so many thrillers on my TBR that I don’t have room for ones that don’t get me excited when I read the synopsis. So this one has to go.

Verdict: Remove

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