Happy Pub Day to these authors!
Thank you Wednesday Books, Berkley Romance, Penguin Random House Canada, Penguin Teen Canada, and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing copies of these books!
What books are you most excited for this week?
Title: Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2)
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Red Tower Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson
Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.
Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.
Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.
But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.
Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
Violet and her fellow classmates are still reeling from the discovery at the end of Fourth Wing. She comes up against the new vice commandant, who doesn’t like her or her two dragons. Violet starts doing some research of her own and discovers a secret that was hidden at Basgaith for centuries. She’s the only one who could potentially save them all.
This was a great sequel to Fourth Wing! It was super long and detailed but I loved being in this world again. Violet’s second dragon, Andarna, is now one of my favourite characters. She’s so adorable! The ending of Iron Flame was surprising but not as shocking as the ending of Fourth Wing. I’m not sure where the story will be heading next, so I’m excited for the next book!
Iron Flame is a thrilling sequel!
Content warnings: death, abuse, death of parent, death of sibling, torture
Have you read Iron Flame? What did you think of it?
Title: The Blackwoods
Author: Brandy Colbert
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★
The Blackwoods. Everyone knows their name. Blossom Blackwood burst onto the silver screen in 1962, and in the decades that followed, she would become one of the most celebrated actors of our time—and the matriarch of the most famous Black family in Hollywood. To her great-granddaughters, Hollis and Ardith, she has always just been Bebe. And when she passes away, it changes everything. Hollis Blackwood was never interested in fame. Still, she’s surrounded by it, whether at home with her family or at the prestigious Dupree Academy among Los Angeles’ elite.
When private photos of Hollis are leaked in the wake of Blossom’s death, she is thrust into the spotlight she’s long avoided—and finds that trust may be a luxury even she can’t afford. Ardith Blackwood has always lived in the public eye. A television star since childhood, she was perhaps closer with Blossom than anyone—especially after Ardith’s mother died in a drug overdose. Ever since, she has worked to be everything her family, her church, and the public want her to be. But as a family secret comes to light and the pressures from all sides begin to mount, she wonders what is left beneath the face she shows the world.
Weaving together the narratives of Hollis, Ardith, and Blossom, award-winning author Brandy Colbert tells an unforgettable story set in an America where everything is personal, and nothing is private.
Blossom Blackwoods became a star in the 1960s, and eventually was the matriarch of the famous Blackwoods family. When Blossom dies, her great-granddaughters are affected. Hollis Blackwood has never been interested in being famous, but she can’t help but accept the benefits of her famous family. When her private photos are leaked, Hollis is embarrassed and thrust into the media spotlight. Ardith Blackwood is an actress who has been on hit shows since she was a child. However, she lives in the shadow of her mother’s death from a drug overdose. Ardith faces pressure from work, family, and the public, that eventually explodes out of her. Both granddaughters have to figure out how to live in the public eye, while also discovering a big secret their grandmother kept from them.
This was a great story about a multi-generational Black Hollywood family. The story alternated between the perspectives of Blossom, Hollis, and Ardith. Blossom was starting her acting career in the 1950s and she faced a lot of racism. She was called names and really struggled to actually find work, but she persevered and was successful. Hollis and Ardith faced other challenges, involving social media and the press that weren’t around in Blossom’s youth, but are common today. I found Blossom’s chapters to be slower paced, but that may be because I could relate to the younger perspectives more.
The Blackwoods is a great Hollywood family story!
Thank you Frenzy Books for sending me a copy!
Content warnings: death of parent, overdose (off page), addiction, racism, racial slurs, underage drinking, cyberbullying
Have you read The Blackwoods? What did you think of it?
Title: Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel
Author: Jessica Brody
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
In Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel, prolific author and story coach Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story structure guide for anyone who wants to write a young adult novel by applying the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of YA fiction. In this book, you will learn:
• The fifteen “beats” (or plot points) that are necessary for crafting a successful story with a compelling character arc —including the Opening Image, Catalyst, Fun and Games, Bad Guys Close In, Dark Night of the Soul, and Finale
• The ten universal story genres that will help you drill into what makes your type of story work, including those most commonly found in young adult novels like Rites of Passage, Superhero, Buddy Love, Institutionalized, and Golden Fleece
• Quirky, original insights and writing tips like “Save the Cat,” the “Shard of Glass,” and the “Dark Night Epiphany,” that help you craft a story that will thrill and captivate teen readersFilled with practical advice, easy-to-follow templates, and “beat sheets” analyzing the structure of popular young adult novels such as Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, and Lois Lowry’s The Giver, this book is the ultimate reference for anyone who’s ever dreamed of writing their own young adult bestseller.
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is one of the best writing guides I’ve ever read! I was so excited when I found out that Jessica Brody was writing a new edition for Young Adult novels.
This book details the 15 “beats” of the Save the Cat method for plotting a novel. There is extensive information on the different genres, or story types, that are found in almost every young adult novel. There are also some “beat sheets” for popular young adult novels, such as Six of Crows and The Fault in Our Stars, so you can see how the beats work in novels you already know.
Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel is a must read for young adult writers!
Thank you Ten Speed Press for providing a digital copy of this book.
Have you read Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel? What did you think of it?
Title: Doctor Who: Missy: The Master Plan
Author: Jody Houser, Roberta Ingranata
Genre: Graphic Novel, Science Fiction
Publisher: Titan Comics
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 26, 2021
Rating: ★★★
Missy is up to her old tricks, but this time she’s not alone!
In a bid to obtain the Key to Time, Missy enlists the help of an unexpected ally – her first incarnation as the Master. But why on earth is Missy dressed like… the Doctor? All is not as it seems, and betrayal is everywhere!
How will the Doctor survive Missy’s latest maniacal plot?
Missy is planning on causing trouble again, and this time she’s breaking the Master out of prison. She convinces the Master that she’s the Doctor, even though she’s actually a future version of the Master. Together they must travel through time to find a key and defeat the Doctor.
This graphic novel was disappointing. Most of it was Missy bickering with the Master, but they are actually the same person. That was a bit of a time paradox, since she shouldn’t have been able to travel back to her own timeline. They talked about finding a key but that plot wasn’t fully explained, so I was left wondering what happened.
Doctor Who Missy: The Master Plan had potential, but was disappointing.
Have you read Doctor Who: Missy: The Master Plan? What did you think of it?
Title: The Revenge Game
Author: Jordyn Taylor
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
A wickedly comic feminist mystery about the dark side of a hopeless romantic’s seemingly perfect love story—for readers of Jessica Goodman and Kara Thomas.
Alyson is a romantic, and sometimes it gets her into trouble. Like last summer, she thought her co-worker was into her, when in reality he found her flirting pathetic.
Then she meets Brenton Riggs Jr., and right away she knows that their connection isn’t just in her head. When he swoops in to save her one night from a less than savory party encounter, she falls head-over-heels. Finally, someone Alyson likes who likes her back!
But when she finds out about the King’s Cup—a competition the guy’s at their boarding school started to see who has the most sexual prowress—she’s put on edge. Does Brenton really want to be with her, or is he just trying to win? Then Alyson and the other girls at the school start a competition of their own: The Queen’s Cup. It’s all about reclaiming their power. But as the compeition heats up, Alyson’s relationship begins to fall apart—and it isn’t long before the cracks in her perfect love story start to show through.
Alyson loves romance novels and is looking for her perfect romance. She fell for her colleague at a bookstore in the summer, but then she heard him call her desperate. She meets Brendan Riggs Jr. in her AP English class when they’re paired up for an assignment. After he saves her from an aggressive classmate, Alyson begins to fall for him and he likes her too. When she finds out about the King’s Cup, a competition the boys have where they get points for doing things with girls, she’s hopeful that Riggs isn’t participating. Alyson and her friends start up the Queen’s Cup, which is a competition to humiliate the guys in the most public and hilarious way possible. Despite coming up with the idea for the Queen’s Cup, Alyson is certain that what she has with Riggs is real, and he would never use her for the King’s Cup. However, when their relationship starts to crack, Alyson has to wonder if they have a perfect love story after all.
This was a fabulous feminist revenge story. I could relate to Alyson and her desire for a romance like she had read about in her romance novels, because I felt that way for many years. Almost all of the guys at her school were horrible misogynists. There was also a mystery throughout the story which was that Riggs went missing after prom later in the school year, but we don’t know why or what happened to him until the end. Since Riggs seemed like a genuine boyfriend, I wasn’t sure what his fate would be but I was hopeful he would turn out to be a good guy so that Alyson didn’t get hurt again. Though bullying is never good, I found the way the girls got revenge on the guys entertaining, since they had done much worse things to begin with.
The Revenge Game is a great story about feminist revenge!
Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book.
Content warnings: bullying, sexual assault (off page), rape (off page), assault
Have you read The Revenge Game? What did you think of it?
Title: Duel
Author: Jessixa Bagley, Aaron Bagley (illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Rating: ★★★★
Sixth grader Lucy loves fantasy novels and is brand-new to middle school. GiGi is the undisputed queen bee of eighth grade (as well as everything else she does). They’ve only got one thing in fencing. Oh, and they’re sisters. They never got along super well, but ever since their dad died, it seems like they’re always at each other’s throats.
When GiGi humiliates Lucy in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy snaps and challenges GiGi to a duel with high sisterly stakes. If GiGi wins, Lucy promises to stay out of GiGi’s way; if Lucy wins, GiGi will stop teasing Lucy for good. But after their scene in the cafeteria, both girls are on thin ice with the principal and their mom. Lucy stopped practicing fencing after their fencer dad died and will have to get back to fighting form in secret or she’ll be in big trouble. And GiGi must behave perfectly or risk getting kicked off the fencing team.
As the clock ticks down to the girls’ fencing bout, the anticipation grows. Their school is divided into GiGi and Lucy factions, complete with t-shirts declaring kids’ allegiances. Both sisters are determined to triumph. But will winning the duel mean fracturing their family even further?
Lucy is just starting middle school, where her eighth grader sister GiGi is one of the most popular girls. They never really got along, and since their dad died, they fight all the time. The only think they have in common is that they like fencing, which their father taught them. After an argument in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy and GiGi decide to have a fencing duel to end their fighting. They have to keep the duel a secret from their mom, who doesn’t want them to fight anymore. The whole school gets in on the duel, supporting one sister or the other. Since both sisters are determined to win, this duel may completely destroy what relationship they have left.
This is the first book I’ve read about fencing, and it was so fun. Each chapter began with defining a term used in fencing. I didn’t know much about fencing before reading this story so I really enjoyed learning about it. Lucy and GiGi were sisters who fought all the time about everything. I find in a lot of books, sisters are best friends, so it was a different, and realistic, take to see sisters who didn’t get along.
Duel is a great middle grade graphic novel!
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book.
Content warnings: death of parent
Have you read Duel? What did you think of it?
Happy Pub Day to these authors!
Thank you Minotaur Books, Forever, Berkley Romance, and Tundra Books for providing copies of these books!
What books are you most excited for this week?
Title: The Woman in Me
Author: Britney Spears
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 24, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.
In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.
Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.
Britney Spears was my favourite singer when I was a kid. I remember coming home from kindergarten and watching the music video for Baby One More Time when it premiered. I have so many memories of listening to her music throughout my life.
This book was amazing. I could hear Britney’s voice through the words. She’s led a rough life but she’s an incredibly strong person to have survived so much. Reading her story has just made me love her even more. She’s truly an inspiration!
I highly recommend The Woman in Me for anyone interested in music or memoirs.
Have you read The Woman in Me? What did you think of it?
Title: The Night Raven (Moonwind Mysteries #1)
Author: Johan Rundberg, A.A. Prime (translator)
Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
Source: Firefly Books Distributed
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: November 1, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
Mika is not your average orphan—and she’s about to prove it.
It’s 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets…or is he?
Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this “Dark Angel” he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on.
Drawn in by Mika’s unique ability to notice small details—a skill Mika has always used to survive—the gruff Detective Hoff unwittingly recruits her to help him with his investigation into a gruesome murder. Mika knows she should stay far, far away, and yet…with such little hope for her future, could this be an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe, this is Mika’s chance to be someone who matters.
Stockholm, 1880: Twelve-year-old Mika struggles to take care of everyone at the orphanage. One night, a boy drops off a newborn baby at the front door with a warning about the “Dark Angel.” After making a police report about the new baby, a detective shows up at the orphanage to enlist Mika’s help. Detective Hoff wants Mika to help him solve a series of murders, because of her observations skills. Even though this could be dangerous, Mika sees it as an opportunity to one day move out of the orphanage, so she joins him on the investigation.
This story was so good! There were some sad moments with stories about the orphans, but the story was fast paced and didn’t linger on any scene for long. The mystery was really well plotted. There were great twists and reveals throughout the story. There were also a couple of subplots introduced, which I’m excited to find out more about in the next books!
The Night Raven is a great middle grade mystery!
Thank you Firefly Books Distributed and Amazon Crossing for sending me a copy of this book!
Content warnings: death, death of sibling, death of parent, death of child, parental abandonment, vomiting
Have you read The Night Raven? What did you think of it?
Jill's Book Blog 