Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This weekโs topic is:
Happy Monday! I’ve always seen this book meme around and wanted to try it so I’m putting it in rotation on my blog starting today.
Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted byย Budget Tales Book Blog.
Title: The Atlas Paradox (The Atlas, #2)
Author: Olivie Blake
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 10/24/22
Synopsis: โDESTINY IS A CHOICEโ
The Atlas Paradox is the long-awaited sequel to dark academic sensation The Atlas Sixโguaranteed to have even more yearning, backstabbing, betrayal, and chaos.
Six magicians. Two rivalries. One researcher. And a man who can walk through dreams. All must pick a side: do they wish to preserve the worldโor destroy it? In this electric sequel to the viral sensation, The Atlas Six, the society of Alexandrians is revealed for what it is: a secret society with raw, world-changing power, headed by a man whose plans to change life as we know it are already under way. But the cost of knowledge is steep, and as the price of power demands each character choose a side, which alliances will hold and which will see their enmity deepen?โ
Have you read this book? What’s on your TBR?
My Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Title: Ledge (The Glacian Trilogy, #3)
Format: ebook (own)
Author: Stacey McEwan
Pages: 271
Publication Date: 10/30/21
Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy
After being randomly selected as a human sacrifice, instead of death, Dawsyn finds herself on a quest to save her people from their icy prison…
—
In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside โ mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meagre rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.
Dawsyn, ax wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?
Fortunately, a half-Glacian called Ryon offers to help them both escape, but how can she trust one of the very creatures that plagued her life? Dawsyn is a survivor, and she is not afraid to cut anyone down to live.
With a slow-burning romance, high stakes and even higher rewards, this richly created new fantasy series by popular TikToker Stacey McEwan will keep you gripped to the very end.
*Content warnings* gratuitous violence & death; death of a minor; suicide; attempted sexual assault
Content Warning: gratuitous violence & death; death of a minor; suicide; attempted sexual assault
Why did I choose to read this? I was on the east coast – cold…and saw this cover, read the synopsis and bought it on a whim. Why not read a book about the cold, while I’m cold? ๐ Here’s what I thought:
+ I enjoyed the beginning of this story a lot – the setting is cold, raw, and you get a really good sense of this place called the Ledge where people are dying, starving and trying hard to survive before these creatures called The Glacians come to take them away. I thought it was pretty unique.
+ This story of Dawsyn who is this ax wielding, strong young woman turns into a romantasy pretty fast. It’s a book under 300 pages, but once Ryon comes into the picture, you know where this is going, so it’s a bit insta-lovey but I didn’t mind it. I won’t call it a fated mates trope book because they don’t come out and say it – but if you like fated mates tropes, you will enjoy this one. Ryon and Dawsyn are meant to be and I like how they take care of one another. They have great chemistry in and out of bed!
+ Life on the Ledge is brutal and it makes sense that Dawsyn is always up for a fight and violent with no qualms about it. She has to deal with sexual assault, physical challenges when it comes to living in the brutal cold and it was interesting to see how much softer Ryon was than she is.
~+ I feel like there were some similarities to SJM books when it came to the pool of magic the Glacians used to get power – it reminded me of the Cauldron in ACOTAR. Also the Glacians have wings and can fly which reminds of Rhys – so although the Ledge part of the story felt unique, the rest reminded me of SJM stories, so if you are a fan of her books, you may enjoy this one.
~ I love Ryon and Dawsyn’s attraction to one another and yes they definitely have chemistry but I wish he would stop calling her “girl”. It annoyed me for some reason, even though I knew he said it to get under her skin.
~ I think there could have been more world building because the Ledge setting is fascinating and a lot of what made Dawsyn was because she survived this setting. I just needed more of it and especially when she and Ryon make the trek down the slope.
Tropes: survival of the fittest, instalove, secret bloodline
Spice Level: ๐ถ๐ถ๐ถ
Why you should read it:
Why you might not want to read it:
My Thoughts:
I read this one pretty quick and it helped that it’s under 300 pages. I love the setting and the brutal winter which shows just how amazing Dawsyn is for her to survive as long as she did alone. I enjoyed that it is a romantasy because that’s what I was looking for at the time I got this book and it delivered with Ryon and Dawsyn’s growing relationship and wild attraction to one another. I do think the story could use more world-building but other than that I look forward to reading book two.
Here is Turquoise, Tanzanite and Zircon:
Let’s find some book covers in this color:
I nominate everyone! It’s a fun and easy tag to do so try it out. โบ๏ธ
Aloha friends!
Well it happened – my family and I survived out first family trip together! We flew into JFK airport in New York – where my son threw up during the descent. It was an 8 hour flight and my daughter’s first time on a plane – I was exhausted but we still had to get to Philadelphia. So we get our rental where my hubby freaks out because he thinks he left his phone on the airplane. Let’s just say…it was a tense moment – so tense that he didn’t realize until 15 minutes later after having someone help him at the rental place to call the airlines and asked if there was a lost phone…that said phone – had fallen to the floor under the car’s steering wheel. ๐คฆ๐ปโโ๏ธ After that we made the 2 hour drive to Philly, hungry, anxious – trying to listen to my husband’s old GPS device (dunno why he just didn’t use his phone – seriously…) -made it to our air bnb after getting turned around a few times, and dealing with aggressive drivers. My son barfed one more time when we reached our final destination – thank god I took the extra barf bags from the plane!
Oh and we went from 85 degrees in Hawaii to like 40 degrees. So that was fun! ๐ I did not pack enough warm clothes – we learned to layer! Our air bnb was an old house but close to where my husband grew up so it was the perfect place and not too far from Center City in Philadelphia. We had a busy week in Philly. We went to The Philadelphia Zoo, the Please Touch Museum, The Academy of Natural Sciences and the kids favorite The Franklin Institute! We even drove down to Delaware to visit my husband’s cousin and visited a best friend of his as well. Philadelphia was lots of fun, just super cold while we were there.
The day before Thanksgiving we made the trek almost 5 hours up to Poughkeepsie, New York where my sister and mother-in-law lives. For the most part it was a nice drive – kind of long but we made it. I wish we had seen fall leaves but they had fallen by then. I can imagine how beautiful a drive it would be with the changing leaves. Thanksgiving was a family affair and a success despite all the chaos of 3 families in the house. We did one activity in Poughkeepsie which was the Walkway Over the Hudson. It was a lovely walk on a bridge over the Hudson river until it got super cold and I felt like I couldn’t get warm enough – I think that’s when I actually caught a cold. The rest of the week we hung out at the house with family and my daughter had a wonderful time playing with their cat, Harry.
The day before our flight we drove from Poughkeepsie to Tarrytown (or Sleepy Hollow) to visit another best friend of my husband’s. I was feeling pretty poorly – my throat hurt but I had no fever or body chills thank goodness. I wish it was day time so we could actually see the town but it was night time. After that we drove another hour into New York City to a hotel next to the airport. I barely survived – barely got any sleep before it was morning and we had to eat breakfast, and get to the airport. Our flight home was 11 hours long and of course my period decided to come 6 days early! I bought some bottled water, wore my mask on the plane – tried to sleep. I was so proud of my kids for surviving that long of a flight. ๐๐ผ We got home with me barely having a voice. I’m still trying to recover my voice. I have some coughing but glad there is no fever and body aches or chills!
My dog, Atlas, is back to trying to figure out his routine. They had fireworks going on in my parents’ neighborhood so he was freaked out over that and lost some weight – he needed to lose weight anyway lol. My family said Atlas shadowed my mom a lot around the house. He picked up some interesting new behaviors – I think my dad let him run wild. So I’m trying to retrain him on some things! But other than that – my kids went back to school, I’m trying to deal with jet lag and waking up too early. Trying to blog! I finished the laundry and unpacking, I even wrapped xmas gifts. I still have half my xmas list to finish! ๐ And my hubby leaves for Okinawa at a later date, Dec. 18th…but still…so much to do, so little time.
But it’s nice to be home! How have you all been? I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving if you celebrated!
I managed to finish only 2 books while on vacation – there was just too much to do and family to meet with.
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
I managed to go on a two week trip with my husband and kids and survived it! I did come back with a cold, but at least it’s not covid or the flu. I’m trying to get back in my routine and helping my dog get back into his also but the holidays are here and there is so much to do! Anyway it was nice to actually take a break from reading – here’s how my month went:
5 Star Reads โ โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ:
4.5 Star Reads – โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ๐ซ:
4 Star Reads โ โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
3.5 Star Reads โ โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ๐ซ:
3 Star Reads โ โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ:
2.5 Star Reads – โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ๐ซ
2 Star Reads – โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Not much reading at all on vacation! But that’s a good thing and it was much needed. Anyway how did you do?
Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:
New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns to the world of The Narrows with Saint, a captivating prequel to Fable and Namesake.
As a boy, Elias learned the hard way what happens when you donโt heed the old tales.
Nine years after his lack of superstition got his father killed, heโs grown into a young man of piety, with a deep reverence for the hallowed sea and her fickle favor. As stories of the fishermanโs son who has managed to escape the most deadly of storms spreads from port to port, his devotion to the myths and creeds has given him the reputation of the luckiest bastard to sail the Narrows.
Now, heโs mere days away from getting everything his father ever dreamed for him: a ship of his own, a crew, and a license that names him as one of the first Narrows-born traders. But when a young dredger from the Unnamed Sea with more than one secret crosses his path, Eliasโ faith will be tested like never before. The greater the pull he feels toward her, the farther he drifts from the things heโs spent the last three years working for.
He is dangerously close to repeating his mistakes and heโs seen first hand how vicious the jealous sea can be. If heโs going to survive her retribution, he will have to decide which he wants more, the love of the girl who could change their shifting world, or the sacred beliefs that earned him the name that heโs known forโSaint.
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
An illness cursing the land forces a teen girl astronomer to venture across the wilderness in search of the starsโ message that will, hopefully, save them all.
If magic lives anywhere, itโs in the starsโฆ
Vega has lived in the valley her whole lifeโforbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But after her mother dies, and Vega sees the fabled twin stars in the sky, itโs an omen she can no longer ignore, forcing her to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. But the outside world turns out to be much more terrifying than Vega could have imagined. People are gravely sickโthey lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives.
What Vega keeps to herself is that she is the Last Astronomerโa title carried from generation to generationโand she is the only one who carries the knowledge of the stars. Knowledge that could hold the key to the cure. And so when locals spot the tattoo on Vegaโs neck in the shape of a constellationโthe mark of an astronomerโchaos erupts as the threats her mother warned her about become all too real.
Fearing for her life, Vega is rescued by a girl named Cricket who leads her to Noah, a boy marked by his own mysterious tattoos. On the run from the men who are hunting her, Vega, Cricket, and Noah set out across the plains in search of the cure the stars speak of. But as the lines between friend and protector begin to blur, Vega must decide whether to safeguard the sacred knowledge of the astronomer. Or if she will risk everything to try to save them all.
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Itโs been two years since Maya’s ex-boyfriend cheated on her, and she still canโt escape him: his sister married the crown prince of a minor European country and he captured hearts as her charming younger brother. If the world only knew the real Jordy, the manipulative liar who broke Mayaโs heart.
Skye Kaplan was always cautious with her heart until Jordy said all the right things and earned her trust. Now his face is all over the media and Skye is still wondering why he stopped calling.
When Maya and Skye are invited to star on the reality dating show Second-Chance Romance, theyโre whisked away to a beautiful mansionโalong with four more of Jordyโs exesโ to compete for his affections while the whole world watches. Skye wonders if she and Jordy can recapture the spark she knows they had, but Maya has other plans: exposing Jordy and getting revenge. As they navigate the competition, Skye and Maya discover that their real happily ever after is nothing they could have scripted.
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Are you getting any new books this week?
Happy Reading!
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This weekโs topic is:
The atmosphere of this story is cozy! It is set in a northern island – think cold, warm plaids, warm stews. Definitely cozy and magical. Perfect read for a rainy day.
Christmas in a small town and a cat cafe? How much more cozy can it get? Well…I guess it could get more cozy if there was snow in the setting but that’s ok, at least there is pastries!
A Miami Cuban girl goes to England and meets a boy who brews her tea. So cozy!
A family holiday tradition at a cabin – there is family, family hijinks and drama, snow, presents, hot cocoa and romance.
A winter escape to Lapland! It’s a winter wonderland and the perfect setting for a cozy holiday read.
Small town romance on an island – heartwarming and lovely cast of characters.
What’s more cozy than a bookshop in Paris?
I thought this was a cute read and I think it’s cozy because of how her family tries to hook her up with a new boy after her ex cheated on her. There is family, food and a sweet romance. Maybe it’s more comforting than cozy but I’m adding.
I find a lot of holiday reads cozy – what’s on your list?
My Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Title: The Poison Season
Author: Mara Rutherford
Format: eBook (NetGalley)
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 12/6/22
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Outsiders are always given a choice: the Forest or the lake. Either way, theyโre never heard from again.
Leelo has spent her entire life on Endla, coexisting with the bloodthirsty Forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. But as much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles to accept that her younger brother will be exiled by his next birthday, unless he gains the magic of enchanted song so vital to Endla.
When Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake, she knows exactly what sheโs supposed to do. But in a moment that will change everything, Leelo betrays her family, her best friend, and Endla by making an unthinkable choice.
Discovery could lead to devastating consequences for both Leelo and the outsider, Jaren, but as they grow closer, Leelo realizes that not all danger comes from beyond the lakeโand they can only survive if Leeloย is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself.
Content Warning:
This one is a DNF for me. I love the cover and I enjoyed some other books from this author but this one just wasn’t doing it for me. Here’s what I thought:
+ Interesting concept, was intrigued about the Forest and mysterious island.
~ I felt no connection to the characters and kept wondering what is happening and wishing the story would move faster.
~ I think it would appeal to teen readers. For me, I just wanted more. I was bored and didn’t want to struggle to finish it.
Tropes: secret island
Why you should read it:
Why you might not want to read it:
My Thoughts:
I tried many times to finish this book but I think it was clear I was just not interested and it wasn’t for me. I think this will still appeal to young adult fantasy fans though.
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:
Fairy tales have been spun for thousands of years and remain among our most treasured stories. Weaving fresh tales with unexpected reimaginings, At Midnight brings together a diverse group of acclaimed YA writers to breathe new life into a storied tradition.
Fifteen celebrated authors reclaim classic fairy tales for a new generation:
Dahlia Adler, โRumplestiltskinโ
Tracy Deonn, โThe Nightingaleโ
H.E. Edgmon, โSnow Whiteโ
Hafsah Faizal, โLittle Red Riding Hoodโ
Stacey Lee, โThe Little Matchstick Girlโ
Roselle Lim, โHansel and Gretelโ
Darcie Little Badger, โPuss in Bootsโ
Malinda Lo, โFrau Trudeโ
Alex London, โCinderellaโ
Anna-Marie McLemore, โThe Nutcrackerโ
Rebecca Podos, โThe Robber Bridegroomโ
Rory Power, โSleeping Beautyโ
Meredith Russo, โThe Little Mermaidโ
Gita Trelease, โFitcherโs Birdโ
and an all-new fairy tale by Melissa Albert
Once upon a time . . .
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The conclusion of the epic trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Awakening and The Becoming.
Talamh is a land of green hills, high mountains, deep forests, and seas, where magicks thrive. But portals allow for passage in and out–and ultimately, each must choose their place, and choose between good and evil, war and peace, life and death…
Breen Siobhan Kelly grew up in the world of Man and was once unaware of her true nature. Now she is in Talamh, trying to heal after a terrible battle and heartbreaking losses. Her grandfather, the dark god Odran, has been defeated in his attempt to rule over Talamh, and over Breen–for now.
With the enemy cast out and the portal sealed, this is a time to rest and to prepare. Breen spreads her wings and realizes a power she’s never experienced before. It’s also a time for celebrations–of her first Christmas in both Talamh and Ireland, of solstice and weddings and births–and daring to find joy again in the wake of sorrow. She rededicates herself to writing her stories, and when his duties as taoiseach permit, she is together with Keegan, who has trained her as a warrior and whom she has grown to love.
It’s Keegan who’s at her side when the enemy’s witches, traitorous and power-mad, appear to her in her sleep, practicing black magick, sacrificing the innocent, and plotting a brutal destruction for Breen. And soon, united with him and with all of Talamh, she will seek out those in desperate need of rescue, and confront the darkness with every weapon she has: her sword, her magicks–and her courage…
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Opposites become allies to fool their matchmaking friends in this swoony reimagining of Shakespeareโs beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.
Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realize they have something else in common after allโan undeniable need for revenge.
Soon their plan is in place: Fake date obnoxiously and convince the meddlers theyโre madly in love. Then, break up spectacularly and dash their hopes, putting an end to the matchmaking madness once and for all.
To convince everyone that theyโve fallen for each other, Jamie and Bea will have to nail the performance of their lives. But as their final act nears and playing lovers becomes easier than not, they begin to wonder, what if Cupidโs arrow wasnโt so off the mark? And what if two wrongs do make a right?
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
An interior designer learns to rebuild her love life from the ground up with zero blueprints in this new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care.
For Astrid Parker, failure is unacceptable. Ever since she broke up with her fiancรฉ a year ago, sheโs been focused on her careerโher friends might say sheโs obsessed, but sheโs just driven. When Pru Everwood asks her to be the designer for the Everwood Innโs renovation that will be broadcasted on a popular home improvement show, Innside America, Astrid knows this is the answer to everything that is wrong with her life. Itโll be the perfect distraction from her failed love life, and her perpetually displeased mother might finally give her nod of approval.
However, Astrid never planned on Jordan Everwood, Pruโs granddaughter and lead carpenter for the innโs renovation, who despises every modern design decision Astrid makes. Jordan is determined to preserve the history of her familyโs inn, particularly as the rest of her life is in shambles. When that determination turns into a little light sabotage, ruffling Astridโs perfect little feathers, the showrunners ask them to play up the tension. But somewhere along the way, their dislike for each other turns into something quite different, and Astrid must decide what success truly means. Is she going to pursue the life that sheโs expected to lead, or the one she wants?
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Struggling to find her modern-day Mr. Darcy, a Jane Austen fan gets more than she bargained for when she swears off men and adopts an adorable puppy.
Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez is singleโagainโand she blames Jane Austen. She made brooding, aloof men sound oh sodreamy. But after years of failing to find her own Mr. Darcy, Charlotte decides itโs time to swear off dating. Sheโs going to lavish all her love and affection on someone who actually deserves it: her new puppy, Bingley.
And thereโs no one better to give her pet advice than her neighbor and coworker George Leneghan. Heโs quiet and patient and, best of all, way too sweet to ever be her type. But as their friendly banter turns flirty, the unimaginable happensโCharlotte starts catching feelings.
Just as Charlotte is trying to untangle what it is she truly wants, George announces heโs contemplating a cross-country move. Suddenly, Charlotte wonders if sheโs kept her soulmate in the friend zone so long that sheโs entirely missed her chance at a happily ever after. Dear Reader, could it be possible sheโs had it wrong all this time?
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Are you getting any new books this week?
Happy Reading!
