Hi all! I'm backing up the Terminal Tours blog tour for A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden! Check out the rest of our schedule here, and find more info about the book below, along with buy links. The Book and its AuthorA thousand years in the future, the last of humanity live inside the walls of the totalitarian Kingdom of Cutta. The rich live in Anais, the capital city of Cutta, sheltered from the famine and disease which ravage the rest of the Kingdom. Yet riches and power only go so far, and even Anaitians can be executed. It is only by the will of the King that Nate Anteros, son of the King’s favourite, is spared from the gallows after openly dissenting. But when he’s released from prison, Nate disappears. A stark contrast, Catherine Taenia has spent her entire life comfortable and content. The daughter of the King’s Hangman and in love with Thom, Nate’s younger brother, her life has always been easy, ordered and comfortable. That is, where it doesn’t concern Nate. His actions sullied not only his future, but theirs. And unlike Thom, Catherine has never forgiven him. Two years pass without a word, and then one night Nate returns. But things with Nate are never simple, and when one wrong move turns their lives upside down, the only thing left to do is run where the King’s guards cannot find them – the Outlands. Those wild, untamed lands which stretch around the great walls of the Kingdom, filled with mutants and rabids. Buy A Touch of Death: Barnes & Noble and Book Depository
Find Rebecca Crunden: https://rebeccacrunden.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rjcrunden GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16493101.Rebecca_Crunden
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Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths. Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods. The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees. Brilliantly crafted. One of the smartest books of 2021, something that will stay on my mind for a long time to come. Broke my TVD reading slump, which, if you read my review, you know is quite the feat. I can't say much about Lore without spoiling the plot, and I want to honor that for readers who haven't picked up this gem yet. You need to go into it knowing nothing, and slowly let the Agon draw you in. That's why this review is so short--there's so much I want to scream about, but I want you all to have a pure reading experience. I honestly can't remember the last Greek mythology book I read, but I think it was part of the Riordanverse, so Lore was a throwback to my youth in that way, if a more violent version. Definitely for older readers, and there are some particularly brutal parts so consider that a content warning. You don't need prior knowledge to read, though, and I enjoyed Bracken's take on the stories. Her mythology isn't all-encompassing, which is good because the novel keeps a quick pace that does well without the minutiae. Lore is a compelling narrator with a desire to be free of her identity, the meaning of which you'll come to discover. Her perspective throughout is essential, and I can't imagine this story with any other narrator. That's the best kind of book for me, where the lead is irreplaceable and you know it throughout. I knew from the first that I'd adore Lore. She's got grit. Doesn't let anything stop her, and always tries to do the right thing (whatever she deems that may be, based on her values). Like I mentioned, "right thing" sometimes includes violence, but hey, I fully endorse fictional girls with weapons. I can't really get into the side characters except for Castor and Athena, who were mentioned in the synopsis, and even then I don't want to spoil all the incredible plot twists. How Bracken deals with godhood, powers, and immortality is truly masterful. She has these really raw interpretations that stay true to the heart of the terrifying concept of deities. Also, as a side note, I totally ship Castor and Lore. Childhood friends to lovers!! Only second behind enemies to lovers in my list of favorite romance tropes! Finally, plot. I really don't want to say anything here, so I'll talk more about Bracken's writing and what few details I can reveal. This is her best book to date in my opinion. Every inch of it is filled with clever reference and detail, and there's plenty of thrill. Lore reads like an action flick, with plenty of visuals that would be great as a high-budget TV series (hint: Disney Hyperion MAKE THIS HAPPEN!), one that I'd totally binge in a night. This is a long-ish book, but it goes by so fast! I read Lore in just under a day because I couldn't put it down. I am beyond certain you'll be equally attached as soon as you get your copy. 5/5 stars for this wonderful novel, a breakout of 2021 and absolutely deserving of its #1 spot on the NYT bestseller list. Go order it!
Back with a super fun blog tour post today, for Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce! Thank you to HarperTeen for sending me a copy, and to TBR and Beyond for organizing this tour. I've got a review today, and bonus creative content: Ellie and I share the same sense of style (at least based on the book cover) so I've recreated her outfit.
The Book and its Author
After a horrifying public rejection by her crush, Ellie Nichols does what any girl would do: she flees the country. To be more precise, she joins her high school’s study abroad trip to England. While most of her classmates are there to take honors courses and pad their college applications, Ellie is on a quest to rebuild her reputation and self-confidence. And nothing is more of a confidence booster than getting a hot British boyfriend.
When Ellie meets Will, a gorgeous and charming Brit, she vows to avoid making the same mistakes as she did with the last guy she liked. Which is why she strikes up a bargain with Dev, an overachieving classmate who she’s never clicked with, but who does seem to know a lot about the things Will is interested in—if he helps her win over her crush, then she’ll help him win over his. But even as Ellie embarks on a whirlwind romance, one that takes her on adventures to some ofEngland’s most beautiful places, she still needs to figure out if this is actually the answer to all her problems...and whether the perfect boyfriend is actually the perfect boy for her.
Kristy Boyce lives in Columbus, OH and teaches psychology as a senior lecturer at The Ohio State University. When she’s not spending time with her husband and son, she’s usually writing, reading, putting together fairy gardens, or watching happy reality TV (The Great British Bake-Off and So You Think You Can Dance are perennial favorites)
Website Goodreads Review
When Ellie has what I'd less liken to a meet-cute and more compare to a meet-awkward with a cute British guy, I knew they had chemistry. Of course, that was somewhat tempered by the fact that she immediately started lying her face off, but hey, we all have flaws. I wanted to go into Hot British Boyfriend with a completely open mindset, so that I could maybe let go of some pent up stress and just enjoy a cute romance narrative with a girl who cares wayyyy less about school than I do.
Hot British Boyfriend is a cute romantic romp through Europe against the background of a high school study abroad trip. Best enjoyed with a sense of lightheartedness, this novel is great for envisioning an afternoon on vacation. I know romanticizing foreign countries is a very American thing to do, but I liked the groups' trips to London and Northampton (and one other surprise destination!) because they really set the scene for Ellie's grand self-discoveries. I didn't strictly love having to remind myself not to judge the main character the entire time I was reading, but to be fair, Ellie makes so many ridiculous decisions. Lying, suppressing her true self, thinking about boys all the time to the detriment of her schoolwork... I could go on. Honestly I think the supporting cast was the best part of the book. As much as I tried to get past our differences, I really couldn't identify with Ellie, which made her hard to love. My favorite character was Sage, Ellie's roommate. She had lots of favorable character development and acted as an anchor for Ellie through her adaptation to London. Dev and Huan, their other friends, were also sweet and Ellie's abandonment of them in favor of her hot British boyfriend multiple times in the novel didn't sit well with me. There is kind of a surprise love interest that I really enjoyed! Hard to spoil a romance novel because they usually don't have plot, but (and I find myself saying this more often than not these days!) I want you to go into this knowing nothing. It makes rooting for Ellie and her LI to figure it out more fun. The plot keeps a decent pace, and really builds the world with plenty of references to college applications and the characters' futures. Each scene had something to add, and I particularly enjoyed the moments we got to see Ellie's gardening come to life. She has this wonderfully unexpected hobby of making fairy gardens, which is so cute and creative. It's always great to see unusual hobbies have a chance to shine. Overall, I'm giving Hot British Boyfriend 3.5/5 stars and rounding up to 4 because the book definitely hits its goal. It's a fun lighthearted novel for fans of Jen Malone and Sarah Dessen. Book Look
GiveawayWelcome to my stop on the Muted blog tour hosted by Terminal Tours! This novel is written in verse and takes us on a journey from page one. Jumping in as a Terminal Tours co-organizer to support this awesome new tour! Be sure to follow along on Twitter: @ToursTerminal #MUTEDTour The Book and its AuthorA ripped-from-the-headlines novel of ambition, music, and innocence lost, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Jason Reynolds! Be bold. Get seen. Be Heard. For seventeen-year-old Denver, music is everything. Writing, performing, and her ultimate goal: escaping her very small, very white hometown. So Denver is more than ready on the day she and her best friends Dali and Shak sing their way into the orbit of the biggest R&B star in the world, Sean "Mercury" Ellis. Merc gives them everything: parties, perks, wild nights -- plus hours and hours in the recording studio. Even the painful sacrifices and the lies the girls have to tell are all worth it. Until they're not. Denver begins to realize that she's trapped in Merc's world, struggling to hold on to her own voice. As the dream turns into a nightmare, she must make a choice: lose her big break, or get broken. Inspired by true events, Muted is a fearless exploration of the dark side of the music industry, the business of exploitation, how a girl's dreams can be used against her -- and what it takes to fight back. TAMI CHARLES is the critically acclaimed author of numerous books for young readers, including instant New York Times bestselling All Because You Matter. In her teens and early twenties, Tami enjoyed a taste of fame as a member of an all-girl R&B trio. They performed for Boyz II Men, BET, Showtime at the Apollo, and had a one-hit wonder on the radio. For more information on Tami and her books, visit tamiwrites.com. Tour ScheduleFeb 9th
What She Will Read - Welcome Post forthennovellovers - Review The Baroness of Books - Spotlight Feb 10th Metaphors and Miscellanea - Review We Write at Dawn - Spotlight Feb 11th A Short Book Lover - Review What She Will Read - Review Feb 12th Endless Pages - Review Feb 13th Allisa White’s Book Blog - Review Feb 14th Chloe Scully - Playlist Geekiemind - Review Feb 15th Storme Reads A Lot - Playlist Whimsicalblessingsblog - Review Feb 16th BooksDramas&More - Review leosthetics - Review Feb 17th Oh! The Books You Can Read! - Review The World of Celia McMahon - Review Feb 18th A Bronx Latina Reads - Review Pop Reads Reviews - Review Hope you all enjoyed seeing my tour post for Muted earlier! Working with Terminal Tours has brought me so much joy these past few months, and I love supporting authors in this new way. I've got another post coming up for the A Touch of Death tour, which I'm supporting on Friday. Hoping you all like my new daily content system! My favorite new feature is the 2021 Release Radar posts I've been making--sharing which new books I've got my eye on.
Small reading update: I've read 24 books in 2021, 8 of those being in February. I've definitely been reading more lately despite my increase in real-life responsibilities. All I know is this month's wrapup is going to be a doozy. I've already caught up to 50% of my January total in one week, and this month I'm hoping to read 20 books in total. 12 to go! I'm currently reading If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, as well as some of the books I didn't get to finish last month (which you can discover in my January Wrap-up) Next up on the 2021 Release Radar is As Far As You'll Take me, a new book by Phil Stamper. Musicians, London, queer found family? Sign me up! Out February 9th from Bloomsbury. The author of The Gravity of Us crafts another heartfelt coming-of-age story about finding the people who become your home--perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli Marty arrives in London with nothing but his oboe and some savings from his summer job, but he's excited to start his new life--where he's no longer the closeted, shy kid who slips under the radar and is free to explore his sexuality without his parents' disapproval. From the outside, Marty's life looks like a perfect fantasy: in the span of a few weeks, he's made new friends, he's getting closer with his first ever boyfriend, and he's even traveling around Europe. But Marty knows he can't keep up the facade. He hasn't spoken to his parents since he arrived, he's tearing through his meager savings, his homesickness and anxiety are getting worse and worse, and he hasn't even come close to landing the job of his dreams. Will Marty be able to find a place that feels like home? Thank you to Wednesday Books for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo's sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there's more to the group than meets the eye. She's spent the last six years of her life trying—and failing—to prove it. When a man shows up at the magazine Lo works for claiming The Unity Project killed his son, Lo sees the perfect opportunity to expose the group and reunite with Bea once and for all. When her investigation puts her in the direct path of its leader, Lev Warren and as Lo delves deeper into The Project, the lives of its members it upends everything she thought she knew about her sister, herself, cults, and the world around her—to the point she can no longer tell what's real or true. Lo never thought she could afford to believe in Lev Warren . . . but now she doesn't know if she can afford not to. Wednesday Books is killing it this year! I feel so blessed, as a blogger, to get to read 2021's biggest releases before they're out to the world. It's so thrilling for me to get to scream about these wonderful novels and have mine be one of few voices in the air. Among these books is Courtney Summers' newest release, The Project. This book is so twisty and filled with intense revelations as Lo investigates The Unity Project. Summers weaves in two timelines, so that we see Bea and Lo's relationships with Lev and The Project unfold in real time. Nothing about this book is predictable, and I read it over a feverish two days in an attempt to live inside the magic forever. The real core to The Project is how it made me, as a reader, honestly question the objective truth I thought I knew going in. By the middle of the book, I wasn't sure if The Unity Project qualified as a cult or not, despite the book overtly being about that. Your awareness of truth and lies, manipulation and earnest helpfulness gets challenged at every turn. This book messes with you, but also offers real characters to ground yourself throughout it. Lo has been dealt one of the worst hands in life. Orphaned by a car accident, abandoned by her sister, and working what she views as a dead-end job at a magazine, but she's still searching for meaning (and for Bea). She carries this story with how she engages with her community and the loss of her sister so actively. As much as The Project holds cult intrigue, it's also about grief and how we deal with being left behind. If you've read Sadie, you know sisterhood is a big theme in Summers' work, and that continues in The Project. Bea isn't in Lo's world, but we get to know her through the alternate timeline. Both of them have such complicated feelings about each other and the meaning of family. I was aching for them to get to see each other again, even though it seems like the whole universe was conspiring against that. Even through all the missed chances, pain, and sorrow, Lo and Bea clearly still love each other, which honestly just makes some of the stuff that happens to them all the more tragic. I don't want to spoil this book for you! Or turn you against it. I guess... if you like getting your heart ripped to shreds (as many readers do) then The Project is for you! I'd recommend The Project to any thriller/mystery fan, especially if you liked Summers' previous novels. 4.5/5 stars Thank you to Wednesday Books for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review! So sorry for the late review.
They use magic to silence the world. Who will break the hush? Seventeen-year-old Shae has led a seemingly quiet life, joking with her best friend Fiona, and chatting with Mads, the neighborhood boy who always knows how to make her smile. All while secretly keeping her fears at bay… Of the disease that took her brother’s life. Of how her dreams seem to bleed into reality around her. Of a group of justice seekers called the Bards who claim to use the magic of Telling to keep her community safe. When her mother is murdered, she can no longer pretend. Not knowing who to trust, Shae journeys to unlock the truth, instead finding a new enemy keen to destroy her, a brooding boy with dark secrets, and an untold power she never thought possible. I wanted so badly to like Hush. It's a compelling concept--an illness spread by ink, where telling stories and speaking certain words is forbidden. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get hooked no matter how many times I tried to pick it up. I'm a big proponent for finishing all the books I start. I don't often DNF. So I finished Hush, but it took me over 4 months. Here's a bit of a rude thought I had... sometimes when I read a book written by a celebrity, I wonder if they got published because of true talent or because of connection. Jury's out on this one. As I mentioned, the book doesn't lack conceptually, but in execution. It took 150 pages for anything resembling a plot to set in, and didn't even make up for it with worldbuilding. I don't really understand the magic, the history of the world, or anything else that could be considered notable and original. So much got crammed into the last half of the book--there's something to be said for the reader being in the narrator's mentality, but my word, do we really have to go through it *all* with them? Shae has to learn all about the Bards and we go through that with her for most of the book. Not having any background information until she learns it means that the story's stakes rely on readers being invested in Shae herself. I didn't view Shae as an especially interesting narrator either, but that might just be me holding her to a heightened standard. The moment her training montage started, around 40% through the book, was the beginning of the plot and her intrigue as a narrator. Unfortunately, that was also the beginning of her misplaced insta-love romance. Authors, I love you, but readers do have appreciation for platonic friendships and books with no romance! Not all fantasy novels need a tall-dark-and-handsome love interest. Hush is fairly appropriate for younger teens, despite seeming kind of dark at the outset. There's brief depictions of "madness" and some violence, but not that many graphic images. I wouldn't call Hush an especially sparkling novel... it just didn't speak to me. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't pick it up! This could just be me wanting an inciting incident to actually incite something instead of having to wait 50 pages. I think Hush could also be considered a coming of age novel, which is something I typically dislike mixed into my high fantasy books. Shae leaves her village and learns the truth about her world. On the basis of "it's not you, it's me," I'm giving Hush 3 stars. Hi all! Dave Cole, author of The Window (out February 2nd from Dancing Lemur Press) here with a guest post on writing the future. Welcome, Dave! --Shreya Looking Forward“I can’t wait to see you,” I recently told a friend, knowing we were hundreds of millions of vaccinations away from that happening. Still, it was true that I was looking forward to the reunion. We are always looking forward because our optimism tells us the future is bright (maybe so bright we have to wear shades). But what if it isn’t? What if the future is a glimpse into hell? If you had the chance to see when you were going to die, would you want to know? Or think back to early 2020—if you could have foreseen what was coming, would you really have looked forward to it? Stories about seeing into the future aren’t new—Stephen King’s The Dead Zone, Philip K. Dick’s stories Minority Report and The Golden Man (basis of the movie Next) and, of course, Macbeth by William Shakespeare. One of the common themes in these prescient stories is the question of predestination versus free will. Is the future preordained or is there something we can do to change it? A subset of this theme is subtle, but crucial. If we can indeed change what is to come, should we? What is the price we will pay for a new future? Could altering the future make things worse? The YA novel The Window takes on the broad theme of predestination versus free as well as first love, teenage angst, and what we are willing to sacrifice for a friend. Through a mysterious window that only Brian Bingham can see, he gains a portal into the future. It’s a narrow view, his foresight strictly limited to what he can see out of the small octagonal window in his attic. When the window reveals his best friend’s horrific death, Brian’s world is turned upside down. Already burdened with his parents constantly fighting, his plummeting grades, and his new relationship with Charlotte, a girl way out of his league, the vision of the death of his friend is almost more than he can handle. Brian must find a way to change the future…or die trying. Sounds straightforward but stories, like life, often take surprising turns. First, while the window’s predictions are accurate down to the smallest detail, they are frustratingly vague on when things will happen. Brian’s only clues are the color of the grass in his front yard and what people are wearing as they walk past his house. Second, if it is possible for him to alter the future, isn’t it equally feasible for someone (or something) to undo his changes? What is this window that grants him a view into the future? Why does Brian sometimes see only gray beyond the glass? What is the window hiding from him? When Brian finally understands the power of the window, is it too late for him? Has he really changed anything or was he merely a pawn in a game with a preordained finish? A dark window to the future… Everything changed the day Brian Bingham looked out the attic window and saw something that wouldn't happen for another week. Through a mysterious window no one else can see, Brian gains a portal into the future. But the future is not always something he wants to see. Brian has enough troubles in the present without worrying about the future. His parents are constantly fighting, his grades are plummeting, and his new relationship with Charlotte, a girl way out of his league, is in jeopardy. When the window reveals his best friend's brutal death, Brian’s world is turned upside down. He must find a way to change the future…or die trying. Over the last week, I've taken a step back from bookstagram. After the holidays, I got kind of caught up in the pressure of writing extra-long captions, taking the fanciest photos, and catching up in my like groups. It kind of got the best of me, and I stopped posting completely for a while. I do love taking bookish photos and engaging with the community I've found, so I decided to just lower the stakes for myself. Shorter captions, no more Question of the Day, changing my edits to reflect my growth over the past year--I've been using the same filter since Thanksgiving 2019! It's time to have a little fun with this and let go of the pressure to be perfect.
In other news, I've started rewatching Arrow. I've loved this show forever but fell off the bandwagon around season 5, and it's so fun to be back in Starling City. I'm also trying to get back into comedy shows by rewatching Parks and Recreation, but that's more slow-going. I once watched all of Parks and Rec in six weeks, but I don't think I have the heart for that this time. It's been a long time since a good comedy show was aired--Mr. Mayor from NBC comes close, but we'll see how long it lasts. I've also enjoyed The Good Place, but please don't talk to me about The Office. I absolutely refuse to see it. |
The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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