Tag: chloe gong

Top 5 Tuesday: 2022 Reads

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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!

It’s a lovely Tuesday here in New England and I’m with another Top 5 Tuesday post! And this one is focused on a great topic: my top five reads of 2022 (so far). Now, I did an entire post at the end of last year just listing all my five star reads because I didn’t want to have to choose. I’m bad at making decisions when it comes to favorite books, okay?! However, the tiny caveat of ‘so far’ works to make me feel less guilty about picking up five books to feature.

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

#1. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

I gotta give a shout out to my first five star read of the year! Actually, this was the first book I read in 2022. Talk about starting my reading year off with a bang! This duology has been everywhere and I had an e-ARC that was staring at me accusingly from my Netgalley shelf. I’m so glad I finally picked it up because it was phenomenal! It was a fast-paced thrill ride through 1926 Shanghai and I fell in love with our two main characters, Juliette and Roma.

#2. The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

This is probably one of my biggest surprises of the year, so far. I had seen the cover of this book and that was enough to make me want to read it. I knew very little about the book before picking it up, so I had no idea what I was getting into. I then proceeded to devour it in one day! Which is an accomplishment for me as I’m typically a slow reader. This fantasy wrapped in a mystery was truly captivating and made me want to read everything this author has written.

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#5OnMyTBR – Duologies I Need To Finish

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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 to you all! Today is a very special 5 On My TBR. Why? Because it’s the 2 year anniversary of this wonderful, bookish meme! The theme this week is a freebie, so, to celebrate a whole 2 years of 5 On My TBR, I figured I would talk about some duologies that I need to finish. Not to say that there are only five still on my TBR buuuuut we’ll not talk about that 😂

Alright, let’s get to the list!

#1. A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown

This is one of the newer duologies on my TBR and one I’m very eager to continue. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin was one of my favorite reads last year! It has a tense plot that is built around a gorgeous world and fantastic characters. Karina and Malik are fascinating to watch as they navigate all the dangers throughout this story. And I need to know whether or not they’re gonna be okay! Also, the covers are just incredible 😍

#2. Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

Here’s another sequel that I’m eager to read and just keep putting off, heh. I had such a great time reading Spin the Dawn! It’s an engaging read that pulls you into the fantasy world that Elizabeth Lim has created. I loved the quest, the contest, and all the intriguing aspects of the story. So I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to pick this one up! I feel like Unravel the Dusk is going to be just as good as the first one, so I really need to prioritize picking it up.

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The Cat Markings Book Tag

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Cat Markings Book Tag

Hello, reader!

Today, I’m bringing you a tag that combines two of my favorite things: cats and books! This is The Cat Markings Book Tag, which was created by Laura @ The Corner of Laura. If y’all don’t know, I have three cats and my family has had cats since I was around five years old. I’ve grown up with this furry little predators all my life and I can’t picture myself ever not having a cat in the house. So, when I was tagged by Riddhi @ Whispering Stories to do this, I jumped at the chance! You should definitely go check out her answers to the tag and her blog, as well 😊

Alright, let’s get the post!

The Rules:

  • Link back to the original creator (The Corner of Laura) and link back to this page (otherwise, the original creator won’t get a notification).
  • Thank whoever tagged you and link back to their post (Thanks for the tag, Riddhi!)
  • (Optional) Use the graphics and don’t forget to credit the original creator (The graphics were also created by Laura @ The Corner of Laura)
  • (Optional) Tag 5 or more other people.

The Prompts:

Black Cat Banner

Black Cats: Pick a book that doesn’t get the love it deserves.

I’m going with Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine but, honestly, the entire Great Library series deserves so much more love than it gets! I’ve not met many people who have read it and that is a shame. It’s an incredible start to a fantastic series that centers around the concept of what the world could look like if the Library of Alexandria never burned down. It’s a fantasy, so it takes this idea in some intriguing directions. The best thing about this book/series, though, is the found family element. You’ll find yourself rooting for these characters in a surprisingly short amount of time!

White Cat Banner

White Cats: Pick a book with great disability rep

A book I read recently that jumps to mind is Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn. The main character in this story is a siren whose tail was crushed by a cruel sea captain. As a result, she no longer has any feeling below the waist. She has to learn how to manuver around in this new body and I think the author did an excellent job of conveying the feelings that can go with that situation. Of course, I would take my opinion with a grain of salt as I’m not part of the disabled community! I do think it was well done and it was great to see a MC with a disability being featured in a fantasy novel. I need and am going to make reading more books with disability rep a top priority.

Ginger Cat Banner

Ginger Cats: Name your favourite male character

Now I know The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern was not for everyone, but I adore this book. One of the reasons I adore it is because of the main character, Zachary Ezra Rawlins. I connected with him so much! He reminded of myself in college (although his experiences turned out to be vastly more interesting) and he had a lot of mannerisms that I share. He’s just such a quiet and unassuming protagonist and I thought it was compelling to see such an “ordinary” person get tossed into extremely extraordinary circumstances. Also, gotta love a fellow bookworm who loves gaming, as well.

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22 Reads In 2022

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Hello, reader!

A couple of weeks ago over on Instagram, I shared a post about another reading challenge I want to accomplish in 2022. I picked 22 books that I want to prioritize reading this year. Now, to keep myself accountable, I wanted to bring it over to the blog, as well!

Now I tried to wiggle out of my comfort zone a bit and now choose all fantasy novels. Fantasy is definitely a significant portion of the stack, but I wanted to make sure I had a bit of variety. I’m really happy with the books I’ve chosen and I think it’ll make for an even more exciting reading year! Let’s go through my choices by genre.

Fantasy

Though I tried to choose more than just fantasy, it doesn’t mean I can’t start with my favorite genre! It also makes up the majority of my list because, being a fantasy lover and someone who loves completing challenges, I want to give myself a fighting chance of finishing this, lol. Twelve of my 22 books fit in the fantasy genre and they are as follows:

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Jade City by Fonda Lee
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

These Violents Delights by Chloe Gong
Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown

The Part About the Dragon was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
Equal Rights by Sir Terry Pratchett

Mystery/Thriller

The rest of the genres that make up my stack of 22 are sprinkled throughout in smaller numbers. The next highest would be the mystery/thrillers! I found three that I’m desperate to read and I’m hoping I’ll love them! The three books I chose from this genre are as follows:

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Science Fiction

This is another genre that is high up on my favorites list. You wouldn’t really know it with as little sci-fi I read in a year, though 😅 I don’t know why I don’t pick it up more… I tend to really love the books I do read in this genre. Hence it being one of my favorites! I’m hoping the same holds true for the two science fiction books I picked. Although one could be considered fantasy, but I felt like it had more of a sci-fi feel. The two books I chose from this genre are as follows:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Romance

As I may or may not have mentioned before on the blog, I’ve been feeling the urge to read romance rising as of late. I’m not sure where this urge is coming from as I’m really not a big romance reader. No shade, it’s just not a genre I gravitate towards. I blame my generally apathetic attitude towards most rom-com movies. Lately, though, I’ve noticed that if the rom-com is in book form, then I am totally on-board! That being said, I’ve chosen two romance novels for my stack, and those are as follows:

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Well Played by Jen DeLuca

Horror

There was no way I was making a list of books to read in 2022 and not including any horror novels! What would I read during the spooky season? Or whenever I feel like a good scare? Horror is a genre that can be pretty hit or miss for me, so I tend to be a little wary when I pick them up. I’m hoping that the two I chose will be hits! The two horror novels I picked are as follows:

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

Poetry

Rounding out my list is a genre that I rarely, if ever, pick up: poetry I talked about this in a recent Book Blogger Hop, but poetry is definitely on the low end of genres I willingly choose to read. But I honestly think I just haven’t found the right poetry for me! So, though there is only one poetry book on this stack, it hopefully won’t be the only one I read in 2022. I really want to give this genre the chance it deserves. That being said, the one poetry book that made it on my stack is as follows:

The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman

Did you make a list of 22 reads you want to read in 2022? Have you read any of the books I’ve included in my stack? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

ARC Review: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

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Title: These Violent Delights

Author: Chloe Gong

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Fantasy

Content/Trigger Warnings: For a list of potential content and trigger warnings, check out this book’s page on BookTriggerWarnings.com

Rating: ★★★★★

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

One Sentence Synopsis

Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov are the heirs to two rival gangs in 1926 Shanghai who must work together, despite their difficult past, to save their city.

Favorite Quote

“Memories were beastly little creatures, after all – they rose with the faintest whiff of nourishment.”

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WWW Wednesday: Jan 12, 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

  • Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips: This is the sequel to one of the funniest middle grade books I read in 2020! I’m reading it for my first The Write Reads tour of 2022 and I’m so excited to participate. So far, this is just as tongue-in-cheek and engaging as the first book. I’ve only read a couple chapter, but I’m loving it!
  • Frostheart by Jamie Littler: I’ve been wanting to read this middle grade novel for ages! Winter seems like the perfect time to do it, as well. This is the January pick for Middle Grade Marvels. I love discussing middle grade novels with this group and I’ve found some new favorites because of them! I’ve just started this one, too, and, so far, I’m having a great time.
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WWW Wednesday: Jan 5, 2022

kerrimcbooknerd7 Comments

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

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

My first read of 2022 is going quite well, so far! I’m about a third of the way into this one and I’m absolutely loving it! Juliette is an incredible character and I guess Roma ain’t bad, either. I do love how much these two hold each other at gun/knife-point, so far 😂 Looking forward to taking my day off to read a good chunk of this book!

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