TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.
My pick this week is Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.
She believed she knew every horror and was beyond surprise.
She was wrong.
In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.
Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the Muse of Nightmares, has not yet discovered what she’s capable of.
As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel’s near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?
Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this astonishing and heart-stopping sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
Title: The Iliad Author: Gareth Hinds Genre: Graphic Novel Publisher: Candlewick Press Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: March 12, 2019 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In a companion volume to his award-winning adaptation of The Odyssey, the incomparable graphic novelist Gareth Hinds masterfully adapts Homer’s classic wartime epic.
More than three thousand years ago, two armies faced each other in an epic battle that rewrote history and came to be known as the Trojan War. The Iliad, Homer’s legendary account of this nine-year ordeal, is considered the greatest war story of all time and one of the most important works of Western literature. In this stunning graphic novel adaptation — a thoroughly researched and artfully rendered masterwork — renowned illustrator Gareth Hinds captures all the grim glory of Homer’s epic. Dynamic illustrations take readers directly to the plains of Troy, into the battle itself, and lay bare the complex emotions of the men, women, and gods whose struggles fueled the war and determined its outcome. This companion volume to Hinds’s award-winning adaptation of The Odyssey features notes, maps, a cast of characters, and other tools to help readers understand all the action and drama of Homer’s epic.
Review:
I studied the Iliad years ago, in university. I love Greek mythology so I was excited to read this graphic novel adaptation.
At the beginning of this book, there is a legend for the characters. There are many men who are all from the same part of the world, so they look similar. Each man is drawn with a distinctive helmet and shield to differentiate between them. Each of the gods were illustrated in a different colour, so they were distinct too. This was especially helpful when they took the form of a human, so that person glowed in the god’s colour.
There were many historical notes and notes about the text at the end of the book. This graphic novel would be a great accompaniment to the text of the Iliad because it illustrates the events. The text can be difficult to get through, so this graphic novel can make it easier to understand.
This is a great graphic novel!
What to read next:
The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds
Beowulf by Gareth Hinds
Have you read The Iliad? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.
The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell. The release date is March 26, 2019.
Goodreads Synopsis:
A thief. An officer. A guardian.
Three strangers, one shared destiny . . .
When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. A new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.
Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…
Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spy on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.
Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a renowned traitor. In training to take command of the military, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when his father dies and leaves behind a cryptic message that only one person can read: a girl named Alouette.
Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.
All three have a role to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.
Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Misérables.
This meme is hosted by Lainey from Thoughts on Tomes. The Goodreads Group for Top 5 Wednesday can be found here.
This week’s prompt is Characters That Embody Your Hogwarts House. My Hogwarts house is Ravenclaw, so these are characters who I think would also be in Ravenclaw:
1. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer)
2. Matilda (Matilda by Roald Dahl)
3. Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
4. Sherlock Holmes (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle)
5. Spencer Hastings (Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard)
What was your list of characters who embody your Hogwarts house?
Title: Other Words for Smoke Author: Sarah Maria Griffin Genre: Young Adult Publisher: Greenwillow Books Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: March 12, 2019 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Years ago, the house at the end of the lane burned down. The townspeople never learned what happened, but Rita Frost and her teenage ward, Bevan, were never seen again. Only Mae and her brother Rossa know the truth of what happened that summer—and they’ll never say a word. When they were told they’d be spending their summer with their great aunt, Mae and Rossa were anything but thrilled. But nothing at Rita’s is as it appears. Bevan is enthralled by a dangerous power lurking behind the walls of Rita’s home. The power—known as Sweet James—is hungry, and what he wants most is a taste of the twins. And Bevan wants the magic and escape that Sweet James is offering her. But Sweet James is never satisfied, no matter what Bevan brings him. Mae would give Bevan almost anything—she is in the grip of first love, both dying for Bevan’s attention and worried she’ll get it. But Rossa is learning some of the terrible secrets the house is hiding, secrets that paralyze him with fear. As the summer draws to a close, Bevan tries to free Sweet James from his prison within the walls, but is thwarted by Rita and her cat (who is more than a cat), Bobby Dear.
It’s over for Mae and Rossa, isn’t it? They return home. They don’t talk about the strangeness of that summer. But it never completely abandons them. And things at home only get worse.
And so three years later, Rossa and Mae are sent once again to Rita’s home, as their parents’ marriage finally seems to crumble. At first it seems that the strangeness has dissipated. But Sweet James never left. He has been lurking within the walls, waiting the perfect time to return. He’s been waiting much longer than any of them know—any of them except Rita, who has been keeping secrets of her own. Secrets that bring the house down in flames around them and bring them all to the brink of the things they most want—and what they most fear.
Sarah Maria Griffin is a rare talent with a unique and atmospheric writing style. Fans of Maggie Stiefvater’s All the Crooked Saints and Libba Bray’s The Diviners will devour this dark and unusual novel.
Review:
This was an exciting story. It’s unique because it’s a mix of suspense, fantasy, and a little bit of horror.
This story was unique in the narratives. The focus switched between characters. Most of it was written in third person, but when it switched to Bevan’s perspective it became second person. I’ve only read a short story written from the second person perspective, so this was new to me. In second person, the narrator speaks to “you.” Bevan was in an unusual position in the story, so it makes sense that she had an unusual narrative.
The ending of the story was quite surprising. I loved the mix of horror and fantasy. There were a lot of magical elements, such as a cat who could talk and an owl who lived in the walls of the house. I think it has elements of horror too, in the way that the house’s layout would change, which disturbed the characters. I really liked this mix of genres.
I loved this story! It’s a great, unique book.
What to read next:
All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth
Have you read Other Words for Smoke? What did you think of it?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Standalone Books That Need a Sequel. Here’s my list:
Title: Opposite of Always Author: Justin A. Reynolds Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: March 5, 2019 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Jack Ellison King. King of Almost.
He almost made valedictorian.
He almost made varsity.
He almost got the girl . . .
When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack. Jack’s curse of almost is finally over.
But this love story is . . . complicated. It is an almost happily ever after. Because Kate dies. And their story should end there. Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Beautiful, radiant Kate. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind. Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do—and let go—to save the people he loves.
Review:
I’m so excited about this book!
I love time travel stories so I was interested in how this story would work. It’s like the movie Groundhog Day, because Jack keeps living the same period of time over and over again so that he can save his girlfriend. Even though he did travel back in time, it wasn’t a science fiction story. It’s contemporary with a diverse cast.
There was a lot of diversity and representation in this story. The main characters were black. Kate has a chronic illness called sickle cell disease. I had heard of it before, but I didn’t know the details of the disease before reading this story. It is so important to have representation of different medical conditions, as well as different ethnicities, so that a variety of readers can see themselves in stories. I was very happy to see this in this story.
This is a fun story that is heartbreaking at times. It’s hard to put down, because you will want to know how it ends! I loved this book!
What to read next:
The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe
Have you read Opposite of Always? What did you think of it?
This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
What I just finished:
This weekend I finished Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Jack Ellison King. King of Almost.
He almost made valedictorian.
He almost made varsity.
He almost got the girl . . .
When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack. Jack’s curse of almost is finally over.
But this love story is . . . complicated. It is an almost happily ever after. Because Kate dies. And their story should end there. Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Beautiful, radiant Kate. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind. Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do—and let go—to save the people he loves.
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