Tag: Magical Realism

Wonderfilled Reads Favorites: Underrated Books

Today I just wanted to take a little time to highlight some of my favorite books that aren’t super popular in the bookish community. I feel like we all tend to focus, myself included, on the really popular books and forget to spread the word about the lesser known titles that we love as well. Am I the only one who feels this way? Possibly. Which is why I decided to share some of own little “underrated” favorites with all of you… Sharing is caring after all! 😉

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Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Yes, this book was picked for Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club but I still never see anyone talking about it! You all know that I’m not much of a contemporary reader, but I listened to the audiobook of this one and immediately fell in love. It was funny, heartwarming, and really engaging. I also loved getting to learn a little more about the Indian community in London. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Nikki lives in cosmopolitan West London, where she tends bar at the local pub. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she’s spent most of her twenty-odd years distancing herself from the traditional Sikh community of her childhood, preferring a more independent (that is, Western) life. When her father’s death leaves the family financially strapped, Nikki, a law school dropout, impulsively takes a job teaching a “creative writing” course at the community center in the beating heart of London’s close-knit Punjabi community.

Because of a miscommunication, the proper Sikh widows who show up are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realizes that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories. Eager to liberate these modest women, she teaches them how to express their untold stories, unleashing creativity of the most unexpected—and exciting—kind.

As more women are drawn to the class, Nikki warns her students to keep their work secret from the Brotherhood, a group of highly conservative young men who have appointed themselves the community’s “moral police.” But when the widows’ gossip offers shocking insights into the death of a young wife—a modern woman like Nikki—and some of the class erotica is shared among friends, it sparks a scandal that threatens them all.

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Sanctuary by V.V. James

I had no idea what to expect when I first picked up this book, but oh man, it was a wild ride! This book little bit of everything – diverse characters, a murder mystery, deals with grief and hysteria. I mean, it REALLY has it all. Just note, that this is an adult book and does get dark in places.

The small Connecticut town of Sanctuary is rocked by the death of its star quarterback.

Daniel’s death looked like an accident, but everyone knows his ex-girlfriend Harper is the daughter of a witch – and she was there when he died.

Then the rumours start. When Harper insists Dan was guilty of a terrible act, the town turns on her. So was his death an accident, revenge – or something even darker?

As accusations fly and secrets are revealed, paranoia grips the town, culminating in a trial that the whole world is watching . . .

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Honor Among Thieves (The Honors, #1) by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre

This series has really blown me away so far. The concept of a person basically connecting to an alien (that is also a living ship) is such an interesting and unique idea. I think the sequel kicked the action up even more than the first book.

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead of moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

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A Million Junes by Emily Henry

Honestly, Emily Henry is the only author that writes magical realism that I love. Her stories are always so poignant and full of emotion. And man, this book… it will wreck you in the best ways possible.

For as long as Jack “June” O’Donnell has been alive, her parents have had only one rule: stay away from the Angert family. But when June collides—quite literally—with Saul Angert, sparks fly, and everything June has known is thrown into chaos.

Who exactly is this gruff, sarcastic, but seemingly harmless boy who has returned to their hometown of Five Fingers, Michigan, after three mysterious years away? And why has June—an O’Donnell to her core—never questioned her late father’s deep hatred of the Angert family? After all, the O’Donnells and the Angerts may have mythic legacies, but for all the tall tales they weave, both founding families are tight-lipped about what caused the century-old rift between them.

As Saul and June’s connection grows deeper, they find that the magic, ghosts, and coywolves of Five Fingers seem to be conspiring to reveal the truth about the harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations. Now June must question everything she knows about her family and the father she adored, and she must decide whether it’s finally time for her—and all the O’Donnells before her—to let go.

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Ink and Bone (The Great Library, #1) by Rachel Caine

I just want everyone to read this amazing series set in an alternate history where the Great Library of Alexandria never burned down, but instead now controls the world and all writing. Do you love books? Action? A quirky cast of characters? If you said yes to any of those, then you’ll love this fun series.

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn…

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The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen, #1) by Alison Goodman

I could go on and on about meticulously researched the author did on Regency England because she truly transports you into that era. You feel as if you could be reading a fantastical Jane Austen novel at times but with a little added spice. Stubborn heroine, check. Hate-to-love trope, check. Paranormal activity, check.

London, April 1812.

On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

What are some of your favorite novels that you think are underrated? Have you read any of the ones on my list? If so, what did you think about it?

Wonderfilled Reads Recommends: Books with Romance

I don’t know if it’s the fact that it’s cuffing season or just the fact that mushy Hallmark Christmas movies are playing constantly on tv, but it feels like love is in the air right now… and yes, I am aware that it’s Christmas and not Valentine’s Day. And I know some readers don’t really care for romance in their novels, but I actually enjoy it. It adds just a little something extra that I can root for. I even enjoy the universally hated trope – love triangles. Yes, you read that correctly. Please feel free to judge me, as I know that this is quite a controversial opinion. However, I always like choosing a side and guessing which person the character is going to choose. With that being said, I wanted to recommend a few books that I really enjoyed, that include some romance in them. Because hey, we all could use a little more love.

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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This is one of those where the romance is integral to the story, but doesn’t actually make itself the entire plot. I found it to be one of most realistic portrayal of a real love story. I highly recommend the audiobook version.

Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six: The band’s album Aurora came to define the rock ‘n’ roll era of the late seventies, and an entire generation of girls wanted to grow up to be Daisy. But no one knows the reason behind the group’s split on the night of their final concert at Chicago Stadium on July 12, 1979 . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ‘n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

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The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon

If you are like me and love the enemies-to-lovers romantic trope, this book (or really series) might be just the thing you’re looking for. You won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough.

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

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Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy, #1) by Ken Follett

This book intertwines the lives of multiple families across Russia, England, America and Germany through the start of WWI. It is definitely an epic family saga with epic romances to match, which Ken Follett is a master at writing.

It is 1911. The Coronation Day of King George V. The Williams, a Welsh coal-mining family is linked by romance and enmity to the Fitzherberts, aristocratic coal-mine owners. Lady Maud Fitzherbert falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German Embassy in London. Their destiny is entangled with that of an ambitious young aide to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and to two orphaned Russian brothers, whose plans to emigrate to America fall foul of war, conscription and revolution. In a plot of unfolding drama and intriguing complexity, “Fall Of Giants” moves seamlessly from Washington to St Petersburg, from the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty.

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The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black

You probably already know all about this enemies-to-lovers story. But damn, it is so worth it to mention it again.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

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The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1) by S.A. Chakraborty

This is a slow burn romance that doesn’t take over the plot. This book stands on its own with fast pacing, incredible political intrigue, and a wonderful setting inspired by Middle Eastern mythology.

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.

But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for…

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Stars Over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth

I am sucker for any WWII historical fiction. But one that includes star-crossed lovers and a mystery? Yep, I am so here for it.

For the first time in decades, Lorraine Kindred has returned to the ballroom where she was swept away by the big bands during the 1940s – and by a star-crossed romance. As she takes in the magnificent energy and brassy sounds of her youth, the past comes to life, along with the fateful decision all those years ago that forced her to choose between personal conviction and social expectations, between the two men who had captured her heart. It had been a time of great music and love, but also of war and sacrifice, and now, trying to make peace with her memories, Lorraine must find the courage to face buried secrets. In the process, she will rediscover herself, her passion, and her capacity for resilience.

Set during the 1940s and the present and inspired by a real-life ballroom, Stars Over Clear Lake is a moving story of forbidden love, lost love, everlasting love – and self love.

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A Discover of Witches (All Souls Trilogy, #1) by Deborah Harkness

If you thought vampire romances were so 15 years ago… you are wrong. Harkness has managed to write a uniquely scientific paranormal romance mystery that will have you hooked from the very first page.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

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The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

This is a magical realism retelling of Romeo & Juliet set among two modern day travelling performer families. It has beautiful writing and a truly unique concept with a more hopeful romance than the original story it’s based on.

For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows—the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find.

Lace Paloma may be new to her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she’s been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees.

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Foundryside (Founders, #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

I really enjoyed how the romance in this story was very subtle and one that I didn’t particularly see coming. It definitely has me excited to see what will happen next.

Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle.

But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic–the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience–have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.

Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them.

To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.

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Honor Among Thieves (The Honors, #1) by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

I really don’t want to spoil too much of this story so I won’t say whole lot. Just know that it is unlike any other love story you’ve read.

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead of moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

What are some of your favorite books that include romance? Do you like romance in your novels? Which romance trope is your favorite? Have you read any of the books on my list?

My Top Fave Reads of the First Half of 2019

Six months of reading in 2019?! ALREADY?! Yes, it is crazy and I cannot believe it either. Why is this year just going by so freaking fast? I would say I want it to slow down somewhat, but then it would take longer for fall to arrive and I just can’t have that. I need cooler weather and legging season to arrive already. But I digress… It’s time to talk about some of my favorite reads of 2019 (so far).

39348113Skyward (Skyward, #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Believe it or not, this is my first Sanderson novel… And boy, does it not disappoint! I really enjoyed Spensa as a main character, with her quirky and strong personality. I loved how action packed this story was and that ending left me dying to find out what is going to happen next.

 

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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

You’re probably tired of hearing people rave about this story, but trust me when I say that it is truly worth the hype. I also recommend listening to the audiobook version, as I think it brings the story to life and the physical book might lose some of that magic.

 

 

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The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

This was such a lovely historical fiction novel set in Malaysia. I’m not usually one for magical realism stories but I think it really worked well here, as it was blended with Chinese folklore. This is another book that I recommend the audio version of as well.

 

 

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Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Books that alive?! Sassy sorcerers?! Extremely polite and chivalrous demons?! Yes, you can find all of that an more in this awesome novel. Rogerson has solidified herself to be a new auto-buy author for me. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

 

 

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A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

I love retellings but this one really found itself a special place in my heart. All of the characters were complex and interesting, and I can always appreciate when the love-to-hate trope is done really well. And oh boy, that ending… WOW.

 

 

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Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1) by Fonda Lee

This was a book that I never knew I needed – an Asian inspired story about mafia-like families and kungfu. I really enjoyed the in-depth look of family relationships and what loyalty really means. This story was brutal and yet it kept leaving me wanting more.

 

 

What were some of your favorites reads of 2019 so far? Have you read any of the books on list? If so, what did you think of them?

 

 

 

Top 5 Audiobook Recommendations

I know some people aren’t big fans of audiobooks or have ever given them a chance, as I used to be one of them. However, I’m lucky enough to work at a job where I can keep a headphone in one ear and listen to music or whatever. So one day about two years ago, I finally decided that I needed to give listening to audiobooks a try… and I am SO glad I did. I get to listen to so many audiobooks now, between work and listening while at the gym. So if you’re like the old me and are just starting out with audiobooks, or are maybe a pro at it and just want some new ones to add to your Audible account, then I hope my recommendations help! 🙂

Sadie by Courtney Summers

This book is written in two different ways – one as a regular narrative following Sadie, and the other is a podcast format. Now I haven’t read this book in hard copy, but I can say that listening to the audiobook version truly brings you into the story. It makes the podcast narration come to life, just like if you were actually listening to a true crime podcast. I cannot recommend it enough.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

We all love Neil Gaiman. I mean, how could you not? But I wonder how many of you have tried his middle grade novel, The Graveyard Book? Well if you haven’t, I cannot recommend the audiobook version enough. It’s a full cast experience complete with music and sound effects. You can really feel the atmospheric setting of the graveyard come to alive. Seriously, you won’t regret it.

This is Our Story by Ashley Elston

A YA murder-mystery is the perfect story to translate into an audiobook. I loved how the mystery seemed even more realistic like you’re experiencing it in a movie, rather than just following along the page. The narration had me hooked from the beginning and I think it will do the same to you too!

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I’ll admit that I’m actually currently in the middle of this one, but I can already tell that it’ll be one of my favorites. It’s another full cast audio featuring actors Benjamin Bratt, Jennifer Beals, Pablo Schreiber, and Judy Greer. It sounds just like listening to an episode of Behind the Music. I love that documentary feel to it.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

Audiobooks read by the author can be very hit or miss. However, Choo does an amazing job bringing her own characters to life. She has a very peaceful voice that really lends an extra ethereal quality to the magical realism and Chinese mythology in the story. It’s also just a beautiful story set in 1930’s Malaysia, which isn’t a typical setting for a YA novel.

Do you like to listen to audiobooks? If so, what are some of your favorites? Have you listened to any of the books on my list?

Valentine’s Day Reading Recommendations

It’s that time of the year when love is in the air (supposedly) and the greeting card companies, florists, and candy corporations are all excited about the money they’re making off of us. And if you were looking for some books to add to all of the love stuff floating around right now, I decided to help you out with some recommendations. Don’t worry, I’m gonna help you out with a bunch of different genres so you don’t have to worry about getting stuck with only contemporary (which we all know isn’t my favorite…). Enjoy!

Contemporary

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Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

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A Million Junes by Emily Henry

For as long as Jack “June” O’Donnell has been alive, her parents have had only one rule: stay away from the Angert family. But when June collides—quite literally—with Saul Angert, sparks fly, and everything June has known is thrown into chaos.

Who exactly is this gruff, sarcastic, but seemingly harmless boy who has returned to their hometown of Five Fingers, Michigan, after three mysterious years away? And why has June—an O’Donnell to her core—never questioned her late father’s deep hatred of the Angert family? After all, the O’Donnells and the Angerts may have mythic legacies, but for all the tall tales they weave, both founding families are tight-lipped about what caused the century-old rift between them.

As Saul and June’s connection grows deeper, they find that the magic, ghosts, and coywolves of Five Fingers seem to be conspiring to reveal the truth about the harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations. Now June must question everything she knows about her family and the father she adored, and she must decide whether it’s finally time for her—and all the O’Donnells before her—to let go.

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Me Before You (Me Before You, #1) by Jojo Moyes

Louisa Clark is an ordinary young woman living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A love story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Science Fiction

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Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) by Claudia Gray

She’s a soldier – Noemi Vidal is willing to risk anything to protect her planet, Genesis, including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.

He’s a machine – Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel’s advanced programming has begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.

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Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1) by Beth Revis

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship —tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

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Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer

A forbidden romance.

A deadly plague.

Earth’s fate hinges on one girl . . .

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.

This is not the fairytale you remember. But it’s one you won’t forget.

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Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Fantasy

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The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine and also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

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Caraval (Caraval, #1) by Stephanie Garber

Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.

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Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1) by Morgan Rhodes

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed… and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It’s the eve of war…. Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword….

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The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles, #1) by Mary E. Pearson

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

Historical Fiction

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These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.

Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.

The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.

The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.

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Stars Over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth

For the first time in decades, Lorraine Kindred has returned to the ballroom where she was swept away by the big bands during the 1940s – and by a star-crossed romance. As she takes in the magnificent energy and brassy sounds of her youth, the past comes to life, along with the fateful decision all those years ago that forced her to choose between personal conviction and social expectations, between the two men who had captured her heart. It had been a time of great music and love, but also of war and sacrifice, and now, trying to make peace with her memories, Lorraine must find the courage to face buried secrets. In the process, she will rediscover herself, her passion, and her capacity for resilience.

Set during the 1940s and the present and inspired by a real-life ballroom, Stars Over Clear Lake is a moving story of forbidden love, lost love, everlasting love – and self love.

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The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen, #1) by Alison Goodman

London, April 1812.

On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

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Roses by Leila Meacham

Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, industries controlled by the scions of the town’s founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with the deceit, secrets, and tragedies of their choice and the loss of what might have been–not just for themselves but for their children, and children’s children. With expert, unabashed, big-canvas storytelling, Roses covers a hundred years, three generations of Texans and the explosive combination of passion for work and longing for love.

Do you like to books with romance around Valentine’s Day? Have you read any of the books on my list? What books would you recommend for Valentine’s Day?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books I’ve Removed From My TBR

I went through a previous Goodreads TBR purge a couple of years ago. However, I know I have added A LOT more books to the list since then and I just feel like I know that I’ll never get to the over 400 count of novels on there at this point. I think it’s always a good idea to go through and remove some of those books that you have lost interest in actually reading. For me, seeing such a high number of books to read is a little daunting and I don’t want to feel so much pressure from that. With that being said, I decided to go and remove some books from that list. Maybe one day I’ll get to them…

We Told Six Lies by Victoria Scott

I think that YA thrillers just don’t really shock or surprise me anymore. They’re usually pretty cliche and I figure out the “twist” or ending before I’m even halfway through the book. Except for Sadie, that book is a total gem.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

I was originally really excited about this book, but I think over time I’ve realized how many novels I’ve already read about the Trojan War. I don’t know that this book will be able shed any new light on the myth than has already been written about, that’s including the war from the women’s point of view.

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

There is a strong push right now in YA Asian-inspired fantasies and I am totally here for it! However, this book just doesn’t grab my attention as much as some of the other recent releases and its kind of just fallen to the wayside. I haven’t seen a whole lot of reviews on it either and so I’m going to push this one to the side for now. Maybe I’ll come back to it at some point?

When We Caught Fire by Anna Godbersen

I was super excited about this book when I first heard about it. However, most of the reviews that I’ve read since its release has definitely lowered my expectations on it. It seems like Chicago’s Great Fire (which is supposed to be where the plot is based around) barely makes an appearance and instead it’s just one big love triangle. I don’t mind love triangles, but I was really hoping for a lot of tension due to the fire…. Guess not, huh?

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne

I usually really enjoy a good retelling, especially if it’s turned into a science fiction story. But now that I think about it, I’m not super interested in Jane Eyre retellings. Give me something else and then maybe I’ll bite!

Isle of Blood and Stone (Tower of Winds, #1) by Makiia Lucier

I’ll be honest, I don’t even know what this book is supposed to be about. Probably a good enough reason to remove it from my TBR then.

Cracked (Soul Eaters, #1) by Eliza Crewe

Yet another book that I have no idea what it’s about. I also don’t ever remember adding this one to my TBR in the first place, so there’s that as well.

A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes, #1) by Brittany Cavallaro

Apparently this is a pretty popular series that’s basically a contemporary gender-bent retelling of Sherlock Holmes. I think at this point that I’m just not interested in this series anymore. It seems like a story that I probably would feel very meh about.

The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

I originally only got this book because PeruseProject bought it and really liked it. But I should’ve know that wouldn’t be a good enough reason as the synopsis isn’t really something that I’d usually be interested in.

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

After reading The Female of the Species, I’ve realized that McGinnis just isn’t an author that I mesh with. Her writing style is a tad annoying and I find it hard to really be drawn into her stories.

 Do you regularly clean out your TBR? Do you notice a pattern in the books that your remove? Have you read any of the books that I listed? If so, what did you think of them?

 

January Wrap-Up: Reviews, Reading Challenges, etc.

It is seriously mind-boggling how fast moves as you get older. I mean, I’m 27 now…. HOW AND WHEN DID THIS EVEN HAPPEN?! At least I can be consoled by the fact that so many releases are coming out this year, that with time moving so quickly, I’ll get to all of the amazing books faster. That’s how it works, right?

Books Read

  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn – audiobook, 3/5 stars
  • Into the Bright Unknown (The Gold Seer Trilogy, #1) by Rae Carson – physical book, 4/5 stars
  • The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury – physical book, 4/5 stars
  • These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • Beast of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • Ash and Quill (The Great Library, #3) by Rachel Caine – physical book, 5/5 stars, FULL REVIEW
  • The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1) by Soman Chainani – physical book, 3/5 stars
  • The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis – audiobook, 3/5 stars
  • The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1) by S.A. Chakraborty – physical book, 5/5 stars, FULL REVIEW

Okay, I’m just a tad behind on my reviews. I’m really sorry!

Total Books Read: 10

Overall in 2018: 10

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

  • A book about time travel – The Jane Austen Project
  • A book about feminism – The Female of the Species
  • The next book in a series you started – Ash and Quill (The Great Library, #3)
  • A book that’s published in 2018 – Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4)

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 10/75

Previous Total: 0/75

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Hype or Like Friday

Discussions/Misc.

How did your reading month in January go? Did you read more books than you were expecting? Did you participate in #24in48?

WWW Wednesday – January 31st, 2018

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy – audiobook
  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – physical book

I still haven’t gotten very far into The Disappearances. It’s a little slow so far and hasn’t made me want to turn it on to listen to during work. Hopefully, it starts to pick up soon though.

Okay, I’m obsessing over Iron Gold right now. It’s amazing and perfect and intense and crazy and fun!!! Lysander is definitely my favorite POV so far, with Darrow a close second. I have no idea how this book is going to end but I’m sure it’ll be with an insane cliffhanger that will leave my dying until the next book comes out later this summer.

What did you recently finish reading?

I haven’t finished anything since last week. Oops!

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black – physical book
  • Wandering Star (Zodiac, #2) by Romina Russell – physical book

My copy of The Cruel Prince finallyyyy arrived yesterday, so I definitely plan to move on to that one next. I’ve heard such amazing things about it and after loving previous books by Black, I’m pretty sure that I’ll love this one just as much.

I’m really excited to dive into Wandering Star after that. I really enjoyed the first book and can’t wait to see where the next book takes the story!

What are you currently reading? What books do you plan to read next? Did you finish any good books this past week? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – January 24th, 2018

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy – audiobook
  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – physical book

I only listened to a little bit of The Disappearances so I’m not really far enough along yet to have an opinion. I guess I do like that it’s set in WWII, which I wasn’t aware of before I bought it. You know how I like my historical fiction!

I’m about 100 pages into Iron Gold and I’m already obsessed. It feels soooo good to be back in this world! I’m also really liking all of the different POVs. I think my favorite has to be Lysander, which I wasn’t expecting. I love that he’s a booknerd and so smart! Also, Victra is still awesome and my fictional twin. 🙂

What did you recently finish reading?

  • The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis – audiobook, 3/5 stars
  • Into the Bright Unknown (The Gold Seer Trilogy, #3) – physical book, 4/5 stars
  • The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1) by S.A. Chakraborty – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1) by Soman Chainani – physical book, 3/5 stars
  • These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly – physical book, 5/5 stars

I finished all of these books during my personal #24in48 read-a-thon this past weekend. I had a really good reading weekend overall and enjoyed all of these books for the most part. However, The City of Brass and These Shallow Graves are the two main stars. I would actually officially list The City of Brass as one of my all-time favorite books now. It was THAT amazing.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Since I can’t decide what to read next because my FairyLoot with The Cruel Prince hasn’t even shipped yet… Here’s the books left on my January TBR. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure out what to read next before I finish Iron Gold. I obviously won’t be finishing all of these before February, haha!

  • From a Certain Point of View by Ben Acker
  • Wandering Star (Zodiac, #2) by Romina Russell
  • Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms, #2) by Morgan Rhodes
  • The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black
  • I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo
  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  • The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

What are you currently reading? Did you finish any good books this week? What do you plan on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday in the comments below!

Hype or Like Friday – Underrated 2018 Releases

This meme and Goodreads group were created by myself, Jill @ Rant and Rave Books, and Britt @ Geronimo Reads. To join our group and find out more information about what it’s all about, please go to our Goodreads page HERE.

The January BOTM is The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black.

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RULES:

  • Answer the weekly discussion topic.
  • Optional: Discuss your chosen hyped book of the week.
  • Optional: Talk about your progress on the BOTM.

TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Underrated Releases… What are some books being released in 2018 that you’re excited about but haven’t really seen being talked about?

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Scream All Night by Derek Milman

Dario Heyward knows one thing: He’s never going back to Moldavia Studios, the iconic castle that served as the set, studio, and home to the cast and crew of dozens of cult classic B-horror movies. It’s been three years since Dario’s even seen the place, after getting legally emancipated from his father, the infamous director of Moldavia’s creature features.
But then Dario’s brother invites him home to a mysterious ceremony involving his father and a tribute to his first film—The Curse of the Mummy’s Tongue. Dario swears his homecoming will be a one-time visit. A way for him to get closure on his past—and reunite with Hayley, his first love and costar of Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, a production fraught with real-life tragedy—and say good-bye for good. But the unthinkable happens—Dario gets sucked back into the twisted world of Moldavia and the horrors, both real and imagined, he’s left there.
With only months to rescue the sinking studio and everyone who has built their lives there, Dario must confront the demons of his past—and the uncertainties of his future. But can he escape the place that’s haunted him his whole life?

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Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.
Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.
But what if death finds him first?
Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.
The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.
The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.
No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

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The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton

The Blackburn women are cursed. Ever since the extraordinary witch Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island centuries ago and was shunned by the eight “original” settlers, Blackburn witches have been doomed to carry out a brief whirlwind affair with a descendant of the Original Eight. The vengeful curse, however, had unintended side effects: it diluted the Blackburns’ supernatural powers. That’s perfectly all right with seventeen-year-old Nor Blackburn. All she wants is a quiet, unremarkable life—her powers are blissfully unexceptional, her love life pretty much nonexistent. Nor hopes the curse has played itself out through enough generations that she’ll finally be spared the drama. But when a mysterious book comes out promising to cast any spell for the right price, Nor senses a dark storm headed straight for Anathema—and straight for her.
In her second novel, Leslye Walton spins a dark, mesmerizing tale of a girl stumbling along the path toward self-acceptance and first love, even as the Price Guide’s malevolent author—Nor’s own mother—looms and threatens to strangle any hope for happiness.

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The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson

Every Christmas, Wren is chased through the woods near her isolated village by her family’s enemies—the Judges—and there’s nothing that she can do to stop it. Once her people, the Augurs, controlled a powerful magic. But now that power lies with the Judges, who are set on destroying her kind for good.
In a desperate bid to save her family, Wren takes a dangerous undercover assignment—as an intern to an influential Judge named Cassa Harkness. Cassa has spent her life researching a transformative spell, which could bring the war between the factions to its absolute end. Caught in a web of deceit, Wren must decide whether or not to gamble on the spell and seal the Augurs’ fate.

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Robots vs. Fairies by Dominik Parisien

A unique anthology of all-new stories that challenges authors to throw down the gauntlet in an epic genre battle and demands an answer to the age-old question: Who is more awesome—robots or fairies?
Rampaging robots! Tricksy fairies! Facing off for the first time in an epic genre death match!
People love pitting two awesome things against each other. Robots vs. Fairies is an anthology that pitches genre against genre, science fiction against fantasy, through an epic battle of two icons.
On one side, robots continue to be the classic sci-fi phenomenon in literature and media, from Asimov to WALL-E, from Philip K. Dick to Terminator. On the other, fairies are the beloved icons and unquestionable rulers of fantastic fiction, from Tinkerbell to Tam Lin, from True Blood to Once Upon a Time. Both have proven to be infinitely fun, flexible, and challenging. But when you pit them against each other, which side will triumph as the greatest genre symbol of all time?
There can only be one…or can there?

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Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey

Two young people must hide their true feelings for each other while figuring out who means them harm in this cheeky Regency romance from the author of Love, Lies and Spies and Duels & Deception.
Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father’s approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. When her interest is piqued, however, it is for the wrong brother.
Charming Ben Steeple has a secret: despite being an architectural apprentice, he has no drawing aptitude. When Imogene offers to teach him, Ben is soon smitten by the young lady he considers his brother’s intended.
But hiding their true feelings becomes the least of their problems when, after a series of “accidents,” it becomes apparent that someone means Ben harm. And as their affection for each other grows—despite their efforts to remain just friends—so does the danger. . .

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The Beloved Wild by Melissa Ostrom

Pride and Prejudice meets Cold Mountain in this debut YA American epic/adventure.
Harriet Winter is the eldest daughter in a farming family in New Hampshire, 1807. Her neighbor is Daniel Long, who runs his family’s farm on his own after the death of his parents. Harriet’s mother sees Daniel as a good match, but Harriet isn’t so sure she wants someone else to choose her path—in love and in life.
When her brother decides to strike out for the Genesee Valley in Western New York, Harriet decides to go with him—disguised as a boy. Their journey includes sickness, uninvited guests, and difficult emotional terrain as Harriet comes of age, realizes what she wants, and accepts who she’s loved all along.

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The Mermaid by Christina Henry

Once there was a mermaid who longed to know of more than her ocean home and her people. One day a fisherman trapped her in his net but couldn’t bear to keep her. But his eyes were lonely and caught her more surely than the net, and so she evoked a magic that allowed her to walk upon the shore. The mermaid, Amelia, became his wife, and they lived on a cliff above the ocean for ever so many years, until one day the fisherman rowed out to sea and did not return.
P. T. Barnum was looking for marvelous attractions for his American Museum, and he’d heard a rumor of a mermaid who lived on a cliff by the sea. He wanted to make his fortune, and an attraction like Amelia was just the ticket.
Amelia agreed to play the mermaid for Barnum, and she believes she can leave any time she likes. But Barnum has never given up a money-making scheme in his life, and he’s determined to hold on to his mermaid.

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Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl

Beatrice Hartley has no plans for the summer—except a secret reunion with her five former best friends.
Once upon a time, back at Darrow-Harker School, they were the cool kids, the beautiful ones. Then the shocking death of Jim—their creative genius—changed everything.
One year after graduation, Beatrice is returning to Wincroft—the seaside estate where they spent so many nights sharing secrets, crushes, plans to change the world—in the hopes that she will get to the bottom of the dark questions gnawing at her about Jim’s death. She suspects that her friends knew much more than they ever let on.
But as the night plays out in a haze of stilted jokes and unfathomable silence, answers seem unlikely. Her friends are all so different now, so splintered and lost. It’s too late. Beatrice senses she’s going to live the rest of her life far away from them, never knowing what really happened.
Then night fades to morning. A thunderstorm rages, and a mysterious man knocks on the door. He looks like the exhausted ringmaster of a cheap traveling circus. Blithely, he announces the impossible.
And so begins the Neverworld Wake. The nightmare. The nothingness.

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Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Eurovision in an over-the-top science fiction spectacle from bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente, in which sentient species compete for glory in a galactic musical contest—where the stakes are as high as the fate of planet Earth.
A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented—something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding.
Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix—part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete.
This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny—they must sing.
A band of human musicians, dancers, and roadies have been chosen to represent Earth on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of their species lies in their ability to rock.

What are some books coming out this year that you’re excited about but haven’t seen anyone else talking about? Are you looking forward to picking up any of the books on my list? Leave a link to your Hype or Like Friday post in the comments below!