Hi everyone! I think this may be the first cover reveal on my blog, which is exciting for me. ☺️Today I have a cover reveal for an upcoming release by Jill Williamson! The book is called Thirst. Check it out!
Book Summary:
The end of the world is only the beginning.A waterborne disease has contaminated the world’s fresh water, decimating the human race. Seventeen-year-old Eli McShane and his friends flee the chaos and violence in Phoenix and journey north toward the rumored location of a safe water source. They add several to their number, including the mysterious Hannah, who is being hunted by a dangerous man. Desperation brings out the worst in many of the travelers, infecting even those closest to Eli. When division comes, will he be able to hold his group together or will each fall victim to their own thirst for survival?
Join some old friends from Glenrock and Jack’s Peak in this thrilling first book of the Thirst Duology. Best-selling author Jill Williamson has brought back the breathtaking suspense of the The Safe Lands series in this chilling prequel that will leave readers panting for the next installment.
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.
Books On My Fall TBR List
Perfect topic! I have a stack of these right on my desk, so let’s get to it.
I’m starting this SOON…like sometime this week since it’s officially Fall now. Haha…no I’ve been meaning to get to it, I just had others I had to finish up!
I won a copy of this arc! Yay, so I just got it in the mail and will get to it before it publishes in October.
I just got this in the mail with my OwlCrate box! So excited!!
Another arc I won on Bookishfirst! The blurb sounds interesting, cupid and a dating service?
Finally got my hands on this from my library. It’s been awhile since I read the first book though so I hope I can remember details when I start reading this one.
Been saving this one for Fall just to get into a spooky mood! It’s been sitting on my shelf for awhile.
I have a copy of this eARC in my NetGalley shelf but I want to read it closer to publication (which is next year), but I may just read it before Halloween because look at that cover! I mean…come on…🤷🏻♀️
Another NetGalley and yes the cover caught my eye plus I was requesting all kinds of things when I was done with my reading list last month! Haha…now I got all these random books to read.
I loved the cover, but reviews on it are average on NetGalley – so we shall see what I’m getting myself into!
And I had to at least have one contemporary ya book on my NetGalley shelf right?! I get approved for most ya fantasy, but I do love contemporary book as well!
That’s 10 but I have so much more for Fall because I need to clear up some NetGalley reads. What is on your list? I have a feeling I’ll be adding more on my TBR after reading other blogger’s lists! 😊
Categories: Dystopian, Fantasy, Western, Young Adult, Human Trafficking, Addiction
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Aster, the protector Violet, the favorite Tansy, the medic Mallow, the fighter Clementine, the catalyst
THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS
The country of Arketta calls them Good Luck Girls–they know their luck is anything but. Sold to a “welcome house” as children and branded with cursed markings. Trapped in a life they would never have chosen.
When Clementine accidentally murders a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape and harrowing journey to find freedom, justice, and revenge in a country that wants them to have none of those things. Pursued by Arketta’s most vicious and powerful forces, both human and inhuman, their only hope lies in a bedtime story passed from one Good Luck Girl to another, a story that only the youngest or most desperate would ever believe.
It’s going to take more than luck for them all to survive.
Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
In this dystopian/fantasy western world of Arketta, we have a group of females who are living in a “welcome house”, basically it’s a brothel. They are raised to be sex slaves in The Scab, a mining town in what seems like the worst part of Arketta. But when Clementine, one of the girls, accidentally kills her brag (customer), she, her sister and friends make a run for it. This story then follows these girls on the run from the law, supernatural monster called vengeants, raveners who mess with their minds and other powerful men. What a wild ride this story took me on!
I was so impressed with the world building. I’m not a big fan of westerns so I went into this book just mildly interested. But as I kept reading, I realized this world kept drawing me in deeper. Families in The Scab sell their girls for shine (money) and girls then sell their bodies. ☹️ It’s a tough world for women in Arketta and for the other dustbloods. Dustbloods, are a group of people who had their shadows torn from them because of a debt to be paid. Their children are born with no shadows, and these people are oppressed in a land where landmasters rule. Subject matter wise, it’s a tough one. I got angry about the welcome houses and how the girls are drugged to do their “job”. I was angry at the men and raveners. 😠
But landmasters and raveners are not the only evils out there. Arketta is teeming with vengeants, supernatural like monsters that prowl in the dark. We follow Aster, Clementine, Tansy, Mallow and Violet (yes all named after flowers), as they escape the welcome house. They travel to different towns on horses, navigating dirt trails, camping out at abandoned mines and even catching a ride on a train. Along the way they come across many dangers, meet new people, they plan heists and robberies to survive! All they want is real freedom! 😔 The cast of characters is diverse with people of color and with LGBT+ representation.
I loved Aster, who is the main character and takes a roll as leader of this runaway crew. She’s never been a leader and she makes mistakes along the way but she admits her wrongdoings and tries to fix things. I love how her character leaps off the page. And another thing I enjoyed was finding out the original names of the girls as their journey continues. It was empowering to see them shed their personas from the welcome house and reclaim the names they were born with!
This story is a strong debut from author Charlotte Nicole Davis. It is engaging, exciting and empowering. I look forward to the sequel!
Hi everyone, let’s take a break today from book reviews and do something fun. I saw this floating around the blog world and thought it was super cute. Plus it comes with adorable graphics – thanks to the creator kat @ novelsandwaffles.
Feel free to use any of the waffle graphics in this post, just make sure to credit Kat
Tag away if you want.
I always say Pride & Prejudice is my favorite classic novel but…I’ll change it up and say Jane Eyre. I love the moment when Mr. Rochester’s secret is revealed and Jane decides to leave him. Such angst, I felt horrible for both of them.
Wholesome goodness vibes is what Peter K and Lara Jean always give me. And not only because of the two of them. I think it’s because Lara Jean is always baking something and she and her sisters are so cute together.
I read this when it was first published in the 90’s and I was in love with the whole series. This reminds me of middle school! For years after I left middle school, every time I reread this series it reminded me of my middle school library.
I’m cheating LOL…I cannot think of ANY character right now in the recent books I’ve read or am reading who is SWEET. 😆 But I read a lot of children’s books to my kids and Hattie and Horace are the sweetest!!!
The perfect book for this category. Broke my heart but it made me smile too.
A dystopian western?! Yup and with paranormal aspects in it too! Review coming soon for this one, but for me it was different – but good different!
Even though I wasn’t into it by the end – I finished the series.
My favorite accessory? A bookmark-or whatever I use for a bookmark, my cellphone, a receipt, one of my kids’ drawing laying around, a hair tie, etc…😂
Such a super short and sweet tag! I enjoyed doing this one – and definitely help yourself to doing this tag if you like! Would love to see your answers. 😘
Categories: Coming of Age, Young Adult, Food, Romance, Teenage Parent, Contemporary
Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.
Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.
This book gave me the FEELS I wasn’t expecting! And yes, I may be a little biased because I was pleasantly delighted when finding out as I was reading it was set in North Philly (Philadelphia). My husband grew up just outside Philadelphia and my mother in law still lives there. I remember the North Philly area when my husband drove me around and yes even my hubby would tell me about how rough a neighborhood North Philly is. So I’m glad I got another view of it through this wonderful book! Plus look at that lush cover. 😍
Emoni Santiago is a teen mom making ends meet by working a part-time job and going to highs chool full-time. With the help of her grandmother, or abuela, and even help from her daughter’s father, it seems like she’s balancing things pretty good until the question of her future keeps bothering her. She wants to be a chef, but can she do college, raise a child, work and still reach her dreams? An opportunity arises in school that she just can’t pass up and she takes on more than she expected. Can Emoni rise to the challenge?
Emoni is pretty mature for a teenager because she’s had to grow up faster under her circumstances. She coparents with her ex-boyfriend but he only has their daughter for a few days so she’s the main parent most of the time. When dealing with her daughter’s father and his mom, she was very patient. The story covers a lot of Emoni’s internal struggles and questions – is she allowed to still dream big while caring for her child? What is the right path for her after graduation? She also has feelings about missing a mother she never knew and needing a father who doesn’t want to stay. Thank goodness she had her abuela to raise her and who helps raise her daughter Emma. And what about dating? Is it okay for Emoni to like someone else or because she’s a mom now, she’s not allowed? So many questions, some she can’t answer so what does she do – she cooks. She pours all of herself into her cooking and it has magical results for the people eating her recipes.
And not everything is impossible for Emoni in this story, it just seems that way but opportunities come to her. It was only about having the courage to take them. She has a chance to learn more about cooking through an elective at school and she also meets a boy, Malachi, who is a “friend-but not friend-but you know they are going to be more than friends”…and I was a such sucker for the author throwing in a reference to my favorite song from one of my favorite hip hop groups, The Roots…who is yes…from Philly. You got me. My heart melted at that. It’s a super cute slow burn romance for Malachi and Emoni.
This book felt way real to me. I grew up in the 90’s and it felt like teenage pregnancy was rampant around me. I grew up with friends and family who were teenage mothers and fathers. I saw my friends work and juggle going to school, many of them skipping college to go straight to a job. And I will say all of them are success stories! So I felt this book was realistic.
I think that’s why I love how happy this book made me feel in the end. Emoni has support from her abuela, her ex and in the end even her father comes through. And her best friend Angelica was amazing as well, giving her the emotional support she needed. There was LGBT+ representation in this book with Angelica and her girlfriend Lauren, cultural diversity with Emoni being Afro-Latinx and a whole lot of Philly love. (Go Eagles! 😁)
Overall this is a feel good story about food, family, courage, overcoming struggle, and going after your dreams and passions. I love this book!
Categories: Young Adult, Family, Contemporary, Suicide
When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.
Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.
When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship…
This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?
This book was not a light read, but I love Brigid Kemmerer’s writing and before I knew it, I was done with it in a few hours. It covers some heavy topics like failed attempted suicide, cheating at school, pregnancy and stealing from people. Yeah, that’s a lot right?
Rob used to be one of the popular boys in school until his dad was involved in a financial scheme that resulted in a failed suicide attempt and losing the trust of the community. Maegan, a policeman’s daughter, got caught cheating on the SATs which meant her reputation at school wasn’t stellar either. They pair up for a calculus project and things start change for the both of them.
I felt for both of these kids. Rob is suffering from his dad’s mistakes and Maegan is suffering from her own, but they eventually learn it’s not only about them. Other people out there in their school, and in their families are going through something tough times too.
Rob’s home life is not pretty. What his dad did and its ramifications on their family is not glossed over in this story. People think Rob is not trustworthy and he’s lost friends, his social life, and soon his home. Maegan’s life is different, she actually has supportive parents, but she’s dealing with the pressures of having a sister who takes the limelight and who returns home taking the attention again. But Maegan is not a vindictive sister or person in general. She’s really nice and made a mistake. I like how real these kids lives are – families are complicated. Life is complicated, everyone makes mistakes and nothing is picture perfect.
I love how friendship builds between Rob and Maegan, kind of shakily, but eventually a mutual attraction occurs that turns kinda steamy (but there is no sex, FYI, haha). But I get the feelings of desperation between Rob and Maegan, the need for one another because they felt like such outcasts. They were tired of being alone. As things escalate, Rob has to figure out what’s going on with him and some of his actions. Maegan’s sister has to decide what to do about her baby and Maegan has to decide if Rob is a good person, or not, is she in a place to be judgmental? Truths are revealed and nothing is black and white.
There is a bittersweet ending, and I was relieved for Rob and Maegan. This is the third contemporary young adult book I’ve read from Brigid Kemmerer and she does so well writing about complicated characters dealing with conflicted emotions. I start to care about the characters and I always root for a happy ending for them!
I look forward to reading more books from this author, she’s becoming one of my auto-buy authors or should I say auto-borrow, since I borrow more than buy. 😊 Definitely an author who’s books I always look forward to reading.
Categories: Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Gulag, Rape, Survival Story
Disclaimer: I won a copy of this ARC from Bookishfirst for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, in 1942. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.
After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to Siberia. But what choice did she have? And where did the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was sent to Auschwitz when still a child?
In a Siberian prison camp, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she makes an impression on a woman doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing. Cilka begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions.
Cilka finds endless resources within herself as she daily confronts death and faces terror. And when she nurses a man called Ivan, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Bookishfirst for giving me a chance to win an arc of this book, Cilka’s Journey.
I did not read The Tattooist of Auschwitz but it is on my TBR list. I had a chance to win an arc of Cilka’s Journey and was pleasantly surprise to see I did win a copy. I knew right away this would be a difficult read. My husband is Jewish through his father’s side, and from what I’ve learned, his ancestors from that side of his family came from Russia. So this is a part of my kids history now…but anyway…I knew this would be a hard subject to read.
We follow Cilka out of Auschwitz, and being someone who didn’t read the first book, I believe I followed pretty well because this book has flashbacks of Cilka’s time in the concentration camp. All of it is horrible. Everything she went through, what she had to do to survive, what it does to her psyche, and how she stays strong to keep on living. But she leaves Auschwitz and ends up a prisoner (accused of sleeping with the enemy-Nazis) and ends up going to the Gulag in Siberia. Like how much worse can things get for Cilka?! I wanted to scream at the heavens for this woman.
She’s not at a concentration camp but she is at a prison labor camp, where she is still raped by strange men, still fighting for survival in the hierarchies that are formed within the places she tries to survive, whether it’s in the hut she’s condemned to live it, or the place she’s sent to work at. This is not an easy journey for Cilka. And I kept wondering as I read, will it get better?
This book is an engrossing and quick read but I read it in three days because I needed a break from the horror. I would stare at my kids while they slept, wondering what part of them someone could hate…😢💔. There were many moments my heart hurt so bad reading this book.
What makes this story incredible is how she survives, because I don’t think I could have. Her will to survive and search for hope is beyond admirable. And though she questions herself quite often, she finds a way to keep going. Did her looks save her? Her curse and her luck was her beauty. But I love how smart she is, she is a survivor, works hard, cares for others even when most people would have given up or been past caring.
She survived Auschwitz. And the Soviet Gulag in Siberia. After the story there are also notes in the back of the book that I continued reading. There is more information about the Gulag which I was interested in reading because it’s a part of history we don’t hear a lot about.
Stories like Cilka’s Journey are vital. It reminds us of a horrible time in history, reminds us so we hopefully never end up there again. Now I have to read The Tattooist of Auschwitz because Cilka’s life starts there but I really felt like Cilka’s Journey is pretty complete as a standalone.
This a story of hope and the human spirit’s will to survive the very darkest of times.
Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from The Parliament House in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Princess Isabelle of The New Kingdom has lived her entire life in the confines of her palace. She spends her time hunting for the poverty-stricken Voiceless-people of the Old Kingdom who warred with her kingdom and ultimately lost-and dreaming of a world beyond the walls of her home. As the only remaining child of the king and queen, she is to be married off by her eighteenth birthday.
When Izzy witnesses the use of forbidden magic in the woods outside the palace, she is attacked, and saved by an unknown man. Soon after she discovers her rescuer is a Voiceless servant in the castle named Fray, she befriends him to seek out the magic users who tried to kill her. Fray agrees to help, but not before Isabelle discovers the servant boy harbors a secret the king has tried to bury-that he is a Gwylis, people of the old Kingdom who made a pact with the demons of the underworld for the power to transform into giant ferocious wolves. But to shift into a beast, Fray must be able to speak the words to do so. If he is to thwart the attackers from killing her entire family, Izzy needs to cure the ailment that took away his voice.
But curing Fray holds more danger than she ever thought possible. The lies of her parents and the risk of putting her own life on the line deems as destructive as falling for the servant boy. If Isabelle is to save herself and Fray, she’ll need to face enemy Gwylis, cross paths with usurper kings and princes, and decide what side she is on-human or wolf-or lose her kingdom forever.
Thank you to The Parliament House for giving me a chance to read an eARC of Unspoken.
Princess Isabelle, or Izzy, is not your conventional princess. Yes, she has to do her duty by making a promising marriage when she turns eighteen but thing young lady has a mind of her own. She was my favorite character in this book because she is spunky, sassy and lively. Her relationship with her best friend was so fun to see until some events take place to change that. But there was a lot of conflict Izzy had to sort out in this story as lies and truths are revealed bit by bit.
Now a very fascinating and intriguing part of the story was the Voiceless. The Voiceless cannot speak because of a curse. They communicate with sign language which Izzy picked up by hanging out in their community. We find out more about that curse and her family’s role in it. The world building seems comparable to other worlds that usually involve a rebellious princess and hidden magic. The New Kingdom opposes the presence of magic that was used in the Old Kingdom. So basically magic was taken away, or just repressed, by the rulers of the New Kingdom. The one aspect of the world building that stood out though was the shape-shifting in this story. It is different because words have to be spoken in order for someone to shift into a wolf. It is creative and it made sense then that people from the Old Kingdom had to be silenced.
There is a hint of a love triangle happening in this book but it was quickly obvious who Izzy was attracted to. I mean who are you going to go for, the seemingly perfect prince, Ashe, from a neighboring kingdom or the servant, Fray, who turns into a wolf? 😅🤷🏻♀️
I truly enjoyed watching Izzy coming to terms and dealing with the truth of her family and trying to undo the wrongs of the past. She remains vibrant throughout even her most conflicted times, she is a warrior. If you like a strong female lead, a creative story with shape shifters, magic and warring kingdoms then you will definitely enjoy Unspoken.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
‘In his pursuit of the occult, the Third Reich opened the Gate to a realm of magic and brought the world to ruin. The Gate was eventually closed, but They were already in our world and They were hungry.’
-The Lost History, Library of Avergard
Azure ‘Azzy’ Brimvine lives in a world decimated by magic, where humans have retreated underground from the overwhelming dangers of the surface. But Below is no safer than Above.
Magic borne plagues continue to eat away at the remaining human cities, a sickness that doesn’t merely kill, but creates aberrations from the stricken: people twisted by magic into something dark, dangerous, and powerful. It is an existence of fear and constant dread. When Azzy’s brother, Armin, is infected and cast out into the Above, she sets out after him, determined to be there for him no matter what he becomes.
The world Above is full of monsters, both wild and cunning, some more human than Azzy was led to believe. Armin is captured and bound for the Auction block of Avergard, a ruthless city of inhuman lords and twisted creatures. To reach him, Azzy must brave the perils of the Above and the chaotic life forms created by the Gate. To reach him, she must find allies and forge new bonds in this broken world.
And Azzy must reach him, before Armin’s new power is used to open the Gate once more.
Thank you to The Parliament House and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
I requested this book on NetGalley because of the cover, I love it. I guess I’m in a very dark mood lately with the change in seasons coming. The blurb sounded fascinating, and I love the words around the title, “as above, so below”. I have to say that intrigued me. By the way, I am NOT a horror fan usual, but I love this book.
The book blurb begins with some lost history of Avergard, but I forgot about the blurb when I started reading and I don’t remember anything about the Third Reich being mentioned in the story, unless I just missed it? 🤔 What did catch my attention was the writing. This is a beautifully told story, the words seeming effortless to describe this detailed world of the Above and Below. But let me just say, this is a dark tale.
The world in Marrow Charm is divided into the Above and the Below. Azure, or Azzy, has always lived below. And ohhhh boy did I not want to live there with her. Azzy grew up hearing about the monsters that live Above. But…as above, so below. There are scary things below! I was terrified for her life! And mine…even though I didn’t live there. 😂 Now I was trying to figure how to categorize this book…fantasy? But it seemed post-apocalyptic as well, so it is an interesting mix of both I suppose.
The world building is detailed and there was always something new to learn up until the last chapters when we actually get to Avergard. For most of the story we navigate the Below and Above with Azzy, as she tries to find her brother Armin. The separate journeys of Azzy and Armin in this book is harrowing, painful, suspenseful, and heart-breaking. But it’s not only Azzy and Armin trying to find their way, we meet secondary characters along the way that make this tale feel so rich with personalities, danger, mistrust, and hope.
Did I already mention this is dark? There is violence. There is a lot of blood, and despair and but I believed in Azzy. That girl is a survivor with powers we don’t fully understand yet. She is so determined to find her brother and I have to hope she will. And speaking of powers, this is a world of magic, especially in the Above where it seems valued in Avergard. Below, having skills like being an apothecary was very important. I loved learning about Brixby and his skill as an apothecary.
The story is emotional due to the relationship between Azzy and Armin. You can feel the love between them as siblings and I just pray Azzy can reunite with Armin. I just want it all to work out in the end for these characters I fell in love with. Is there a romance? A slight infusion of it with Azzy and a journey companion she meets. I hope to see where that storyline goes.
The story ends in the city of Avergard and once more I feel like there will be a lot to learn about this city. There is so much to uncover in this world of Marrow Charm, it seems to be unending, which I love. I love the layers I got to dig into with this story. I can’t wait to read the next book!
There are witches, shape shifters, high lords that rule with fear and we will most definitely learn more about them in the sequel. The thing I need in the sequel is to know the history of The Gate. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and went looking to see where I could find a hardcopy or paperback for my shelf but so far I only see it in ebook form? It’s an amazing book and I look forward to reading more from this author.
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.
Favorite Things to Eat/Drink While Reading
Today’s topic is a very easy one but I don’t think I’ll have ten to list since I don’t really snack when I eat, so let’s do a top FIVE:
Because coffee DOES own me. Except I don’t drink my coffee like this…I like it in an ice blended. Not even as iced coffee…I needed blended.
And sometimes, when I feel funky, like my tummy is feeling weird or my throat is feeling scratchy and I just want to read and really really relax – then it’s all about chamomile tea for me.
Then on the days I really have time to read all day and I got some cookie dough in the fridge, then I will bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies to eat while I read!
Sometimes I find myself getting anxious when reading an action packed book and then I start munching on chips! Hummus and chips sometimes.
I’m a daily iced tea drinker though so I think I always have iced tea on hand if I don’t have any of the above.
And that’s what I have on my list! What did you have on yours? Leave your TTT link in my comments, or leave me a comment if you didn’t make a TTT. Would love to hear from you!
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 