TBR Thursday – October 7

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 The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

An ordinary summer goes royally awry when a prince and princess move next door, bringing their handsome bodyguard with them, from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle.

Piper Evans: elementary school teacher by day–avid romance reader and anonymous podcaster by night. She lives a quiet, reclusive life, taking care of her mother, who struggles with mental illness, avoiding her regrettable ex, who bartends in town, and trying to make inroads in the tight-knit island community that still sees her, five years in, as an outsider.

And she’s happy with how things are–really–until British royals rent the property next to hers and their brooding bodyguard decides she’s a security threat. Piper quickly realizes that one person’s fairy tale is an ordinary woman’s nightmare as a media frenzy takes over the island and each run-in with Harrison Cole is hotter and more confusing than the last. But beneath Harrison’s no-nonsense exterior lies a soft heart, one that could tempt a woman who’s sworn off attachments into believing in white knights.

But when Piper finds herself smack in the middle of a royal scandal that rocks the island she’ll need more than Harrison’s strong arms to shield her–she’ll have to do a little rescuing herself. With careers, hearts, and friendships on the line, Piper and Harrison will have to decide what they’re willing to give up for a chance at their own happily ever after.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Blog Tour Review: Luminous

Title: Luminous
Author: Mara Rutherford
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A witch who must learn to harness her power–or risk losing her loved ones forever.

Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn’t take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.

To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos–and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.

Review:

Liora has spent her life hiding her magic from the world. Her skin glows, making her magic immediately recognizable. When Darius, a warlock who works for the King, arrives in town to hunt down mages, he finds Liora. Instead of taking Liora to the capital to work for him, he lets her work for a neighboring witch, and takes Liora’s younger sister instead. Then, Liora’s best friend and first love, Evran, disappears after her sister leaves. Darius has dangerous plans for the future of their kingdom. Liora will do anything to save her sister and Evran, even if it means giving in to Darius’s demands.

This was another great fantasy novel by Mara Rutherford. I liked how fast paced it was. There were a few times when the story was heading in a direction that I thought would lower the tension and slow down the story. However, those parts only lasted a chapter or two, so the story kept its fast pace.

There were a few surprising twists that I didn’t see coming. I had no idea where the story was going to end, and I was really shocked at the ending. I hope there will be a sequel because I want to know what will happen next!

Luminous is a great YA fantasy!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

About the author:

Mara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality. Originally from California, Mara has since lived all over the world with her marine-turned-diplomat husband. A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara holds a master’s degree in cultural studies from the University of London. When she’s not writing or chasing after her two sons, she can usually be found pushin_g the boundaries of her comfort zone, whether at a traditional Russian banya or an Incan archaeological site. Mara is a former Pitch Wars mentee and three-time mentor.

Have you read Luminous? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – October 6

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 All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. The expected publication date is November 9, 2021.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins.

Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death.

The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world–one thought long depleted.

This year, thanks to a salacious tell-all book, the seven champions are thrust into worldwide spotlight, granting each of them new information, new means to win, and most importantly: a choice – accept their fate or rewrite their story.

But this is a story that must be penned in blood.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Happy Pub Day – October 5

Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Lisa Sterle

The Throwback List by Lily Anderson

I’m Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas by Tiffany Schmidt

A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper

Luminous by Mara Rutherford

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi

Heroes by Jen Calonita

An Embarrassment of Critch’s by Mark Critch

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

The Falling Girls by Hayley Krischer

When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles

Everything Within and In Between by Nikki Barthelmess

Crown of Cinders by Emily R. King

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco

Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey

The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo

Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley

Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

What books are you most excited for this week?

Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Pet Peeves

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 Bookish Pet Peeves. Here’s my list:

1. Dog eared pages

2. Writing in books

3. Missing pages

4. Book series in mixed formats (some paperback some hardcover)

5. Unfinished series

6. Books I DNF

7. When an audiobook narrator changes between books in a series

8. Stickers on the cover

9. Book covers in a series that don’t match

10. Book left open face down

(All book covers from Goodreads)

What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?

Review: B*WITCH (B*WITCH #1)

Title: B*WITCH (B*WITCH #1)
Author: Paige McKenzie and Nancy Ohlin
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, LGBT
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A lone witch has powers. A coven has a multitude more.

New girl and secret witchl Iris just wants to get through her first day of school without a panic attack. The last thing she expects is to be taken in by a coven of three witches-soft-spoken Greta, thoughtful and musical Ridley, and fiery and spirited Binx. They may be the first witches Iris has met IRL, but their coven is not alone in their small northwestern town.

The Triad is the other coven at their school. When the Triad’s not using spells to punish their exes or break up happy couples for fun, they practice dark magic. The two covens have a rivalry stretching all the way back to junior high.

When tragedy strikes and one of their own is murdered, the rival covens must band together to find out who is responsible before it’s too late. Someone’s anti-witch ideology has turned deadly . . . and one of them is next.

With an inclusive cast of teen witches who leap off the page with style, attitude, and charm, B*Witch is a singable read perfect for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mean Girls alike.

Review:

When Iris moves to a small town in Washington, she doesn’t expect to meet other witches. Greta, Ridley, and Binx have a coven. They have a rivalry with another coven at their school. All of them must keep their witchy powers a secret, because witches are currently banned in the country. An anti-witch group, Antima, have been gaining popularity, especially since the new President has been encouraging them. When one of their own is killed, the teenage witches must join together to find out who is targeting their covens.

The witchy politics in this book were quite relevant to today. The witches felt threatened by the anti-witch group, Antima, who would display their status with a patch in their shirts. This was reminiscent of how certain world leaders have made it acceptable to spread hate against people of different genders, races, or religions. I think teens who are interested in current events will like this aspect of the story.

This was a diverse story with different gender identities and races among the main characters. One character was transgender, though I didn’t realize that at first. This character used their preferred gender identity at school and went by the gender and name assigned at birth while at home. It can be a touchy subject to have a trans character referred to as their deadname, which is probably why I haven’t seen this happen often in books. However this portrayed how sometimes a new identity isn’t as acceptable at home as it is with friends at school. This character could use magic to change their appearance, so this was an easier adjustment to make daily than it would be in the real world.

B*WITCH is a great witchy story! I can’t wait to read the next one!

What to read next:

Witch Rising by Paige McKenzie and Nancy Ohlin

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

Other books in the series:

  • Witch Rising

Have you read B*WITCH? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – October 4

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 B*WITCH by Paige McKenzie and Nancy Ohlin.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading Luminous by Mara Rutherford.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – October 3

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… B*WITCH

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 B*WITCH by Paige McKenzie and Nancy Ohlin.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A lone witch has powers. A coven has a multitude more.

New girl and secret witchl Iris just wants to get through her first day of school without a panic attack. The last thing she expects is to be taken in by a coven of three witches-soft-spoken Greta, thoughtful and musical Ridley, and fiery and spirited Binx. They may be the first witches Iris has met IRL, but their coven is not alone in their small northwestern town.

The Triad is the other coven at their school. When the Triad’s not using spells to punish their exes or break up happy couples for fun, they practice dark magic. The two covens have a rivalry stretching all the way back to junior high.

When tragedy strikes and one of their own is murdered, the rival covens must band together to find out who is responsible before it’s too late. Someone’s anti-witch ideology has turned deadly . . . and one of them is next.

With an inclusive cast of teen witches who leap off the page with style, attitude, and charm, B*Witch is a singable read perfect for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mean Girls alike. 

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Favourite Books by Black Authors

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Favourite Books by Black Authors. Here’s my list:

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

2. A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison

3. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

4. One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

5. Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

6. Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

(All book covers from Goodreads)

Did you make a Six for Sunday list?