Jill lives in Toronto, Canada. She has studied English, Creative Writing, and Publishing. Jill is the creator and content producer of Jill’s Book Blog, where she has published a blog post every day for the last four years, including 5-7 book reviews a week. She can usually be found with her nose in a book.
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 Lore by Alexandra Bracken.
Goodreads Synopsis:
From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love and redemption.
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.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
Title: This Golden Flame Author: Emily Victoria Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT Publisher: Inkyard Press Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: February 2, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army.
In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible—she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father—their nation’s greatest traitor—once tried to destroy the automatons.
Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries.
Review:
Karis is an orphan who is learning to be a scribe in the Scriptorium, a group who are searching for the secret to unlock the magic of the automatons. When she was sent to that island after being orphaned, she was separated from her older brother. Now, seven years later, she will do anything to find him. One day, she finds a cave with an automaton inside, and she accidentally awakens it. The automaton is an intelligent creature named Alix. His final memories are from two hundred years in the past, and his father is now remembered as a traitor. Karis now has something the Scriptorium wants: Alix. She runs away with Alix, and her friend Dane, to find her brother and learn the secrets of Alix’s existence.
This story was set in a unique world. Many aspects seemed ancient, with the scribes and the old buildings with columns. At the same time, there were some futuristic aspects, such as the automatons. The automatons, that could come to life, were powered by runes, so even they seemed like a mix of ancient and future.
This was an own voices story with an asexual main character. This wasn’t a major part of the story, but Karis mentioned it a couple of times. Karis felt different from everyone else, and she had never even seen anyone kiss until the end of the book. I liked that this was part of her character but it wasn’t treated as an entire plot point in the story. I also liked that this was a fantasy story that didn’t have a romance for the main character. She had other important, meaningful relationships that didn’t involve a romantic partner. It’s important to have all kinds of representation in all genres of stories.
This was a great fantasy story!
Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell
Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen
About the author:
Emily Victoria lives on the Canadian prairies with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, works at her public library, and has just finished her Masters of Library and Information Studies.
Have you read This Golden Flame? 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 Rule of Wolves (King of Scars #2) by Leigh Bardugo. The expected publication date is March 30, 2021.
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Grishaverse will be coming to Netflix soon with Shadow and Bone, an original series!
The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times-bestselling King of Scars Duology.
The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible.
The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.
The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.
King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.
Title: Candy Hearts Author: Tommy Siegel Genre: Comics, Humor Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: February 2, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Tommy Siegel’s Candy Hearts comics offer a hysterical window into the many ways romantic couples are not at all on the same page.
From the awkwardness of flirting during a pandemic to scrolling through disastrous dating profiles, Candy Hearts hilariously captures the secrets, lies, and misunderstandings behind every relationship. With dozens of never-before-seen comics and a special Candy Hearts sticker set, this book is the perfect Valentine’s Day (or Anti-Valentine’s Day) gift for your friends, lovers, or even yourself.
Review:
This is a hilarious collection of comics featuring anthropomorphic candy hearts. They feature different kinds of love, such as romantic love and parental love. Each page featured a different story and a different set of candy hearts. The comics were also quite contemporary because they talked about dating during the pandemic.
In many of the comics, the two characters had opposite feelings, such as the two that rode a tandem bike. One loved it and the other was embarrassed. In other comics, the characters secretly had the same feelings, such as the two that were being separated and pretended to be sad but were secretly glad that they could finally watch what they wanted on TV.
Some of the comics referenced famous romantic stories and fairytales. There were references to Titanic and Romeo and Juliet. I liked the comic of Beauty and the Beast, which mentioned Stockholm Syndrome. One of my favourite sets of comics were the ones based on online app dating profiles. It showed different examples of photos, including one at a wedding, one with a child, and one with a group of people so you can’t tell which one is the actual person in the profile. These were hilarious because they were so accurate.
I loved this comic collection! I highly recommend it as a Valentine’s gift!
Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
I Hope This Helps: Comics and Cures for 21st Century Panic by Tommy Siegel
Snug: A Collection of Comics About Dating Your Best Friend by Catana Chetwynd
Have you read Candy Hearts? 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 Books Written Before You Were Born. Since February is my birth month, I decided to make a list of Books Written the Year I Was Born. These books were written in 1993. Here’s my list:
1. Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore
2. Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett
3. Night of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stone
4. Death: The High Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman
5. Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
6. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
7. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
8. The Giver by Lois Lowry
9. Along Came a Spider by James Patterson
10. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
(All book covers from Goodreads)
What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?
Title: We Could Be Heroes Author: Mike Chen Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Mira Books Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: January 26, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
An extraordinary and emotional adventure about unlikely friends and the power of choosing who you want to be.
Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory and only a few clues to his identity, but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories—a power he uses to hold up banks to buy coffee, cat food and books.
Zoe is also searching for her past, and using her abilities of speed and strength…to deliver fast food. And she’ll occasionally put on a cool suit and beat up bad guys, if she feels like it.
When the archrivals meet in a memory-loss support group, they realize the only way to reveal their hidden pasts might be through each other. As they uncover an ongoing threat, suddenly much more is at stake than their fragile friendship. With countless people at risk, Zoe and Jamie will have to recognize that sometimes being a hero starts with trusting someone else—and yourself.
Review:
Jamie woke up one day in an apartment with a note that said he has a superpower to read and erase minds. He decided to use that power to rob banks, giving him the name Mind Robber. Zoe also woke up in an apartment with a note that said she has super strength and a name tag with Zoe Wong written on it. Zoe stops criminals and has been given the name Throwing Star. When Jamie and Zoe clash, they start to realize there are similarities between their pasts. The two vigilantes work together to figure out where they came from.
This was such a thrilling superhero story. It started out with Jamie and Zoe in action, with him robbing a bank and her trying to stop him. It developed into a broader story about identity. There were loads of secrets that they kept from each other and that they had to learn along the way. I really couldn’t put this book down.
My only criticism is that the ending felt a little long. There was a long, technical action scene. However, the final pages were definitely worth the wait!
This is a great science fiction superhero story!
Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
About the author:
Mike Chen is a lifelong writer, from crafting fan fiction as a child to somehow getting paid for words as an adult. He has contributed to major geek websites (The Mary Sue, The Portalist, Tor) and covered the NHL for mainstream media outlets. A member of SFWA and Codex Writers, Mike lives in the Bay Area, where he can be found playing video games and watching Doctor Who with his wife, daughter, and rescue animals. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @mikechenwriter
Have you read We Could Be Heroes? 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 We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading This Golden Flames by Emily Victoria.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading City of Glass by Cassandra Clare.
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 We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen.
Goodreads Synopsis:
An extraordinary and emotional adventure about unlikely friends and the power of choosing who you want to be.
Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory and only a few clues to his identity, but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories—a power he uses to hold up banks to buy coffee, cat food and books.
Zoe is also searching for her past, and using her abilities of speed and strength…to deliver fast food. And she’ll occasionally put on a cool suit and beat up bad guys, if she feels like it.
When the archrivals meet in a memory-loss support group, they realize the only way to reveal their hidden pasts might be through each other. As they uncover an ongoing threat, suddenly much more is at stake than their fragile friendship. With countless people at risk, Zoe and Jamie will have to recognize that sometimes being a hero starts with trusting someone else—and yourself.
