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 Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe’s best schools of forensic medicine… and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.
But her life’s dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school’s forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.
In this New York Times bestselling sequel to Kerri Maniscalco’s haunting #1 debut Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer…or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?
Title: Sunny Days Author: Deborah Kerbel, Miki Sato Genre: Children’s, Picture Book Publisher: Pajama Press Source: Publisher Format: Hardcover Release Date: May 4, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Morning sun, golden skies Softly waking sleepy eyes
For preschoolers, sunny days are full of possibility. A sunbeam on the floor is the perfect place to curl up with a furry friend, and warming weather means seeds in the garden, mud pies in the yard, adventures at the beach, and ice cream in the shade. Evening brings the silly fun of watching little shadows stretch out long, and there’s nothing so cozy as watching the sun set as a family.
In Sunny Days, author Deborah Kerbel once again weaves a spell of early childhood magic with couplets as bright as a summer afternoon. Illustrator Miki Sato’s textural collage art nearly rises from the page with fascinating features made from paper, felt, and embroidery silk.
Review:
This picture book is about all the different things that you can do in the sun, from morning to night. When you wake up, there’s a golden sky. Then, throughout the day you can garden or swim. In the evening, the sky turns a rosy pink to say goodbye to that day. Each page had short rhyming lines that went along with the pictures.
This is a beautiful children’s book. I love the style of art, with layers of paper creating a picture. Each picture was made with pieces of coloured paper layered on top of one another. Some of the illustrations also had thread woven to make small lines and add texture to the pictures.
At the back of the book, there was a list of activities to do in the sun. These include, leaving objects on construction paper in the sun to create patterns, and tracing a puddle after the rain with sidewalk chalk to see how the sun shrinks it. These are fun and simple activities that kids can do after reading this book.
Sunny Days is a beautiful children’s book!
Thank you Pajama Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Snow Days by Deborah Kerbel, Miki Sato
Sun Dog by Deborah Kerbel, Suzanne Del Rizzo
Have you read Sunny Days? What did you think of it?
Title: The Hiddenseek Author: Nate Cernosek Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: August 24, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In this spine-chilling middle grade debut–perfect for fans of Small Spaces and the Goosebumps series–a brother and sister are transported to a cursed world based on the game hide-and-seek, where they are pursued by a shape-shifting witch, the game never ends, and the only way to get home is to win.
“You hid. But you were not found. You thought you were playing a harmless game. You were wrong.”
After Holly and Hector Thorn are left behind during a simple game of hide-and-seek, they find themselves transported to a gloomy, magical world seemingly trapped in time–the Hiddenseek. There, It, a witch with the ability to transform into a raven and a wolf, stalks children day and night, turning any she can lay hands on into statues, frozen forever in their final moments of terror.
Together with the other lost children they encounter, Holly and Hector will have to unravel the mysterious origins of the Hiddenseek and find a way to put a stop to the curse once and for all, before they get stuck there forever . . . Because in this twisted game of hide-and-seek, they are playing for their lives.
Review:
The only thing worse than being found while playing hide and seek is not being found at all. When Holly was playing hide and seek with her brother, Hector, and his friends, she wasn’t found. She came out of her hiding spot and saw a man, named Oliver, who told her he must take her to a place called The Hiddenseek since she lost the game. Hector also wasn’t found, so he was sent to The Hiddenseek with Holly. Now, they’re in an even more dangerous game, being chased by It, a witch who can turn them to stone if she catches them. Holly and Hector have to win the game to save their lives.
Most kids play hide and seek, but usually the stakes are not as high as they are in The Hiddenseek. It’s not fun to not be found, because, though it could mean that you found a great hiding place, it could also mean that the other players forgot about you. Holly and Hector, along with the other kids they meet, were all tricked while playing hide and seek and not found. This was the ultimate worst ending to a game of hide and seek.
This was a spooky story. The kids were transported to a forest with a deep history. They had to figure out why they had been brought there before they could find their way home. I would have loved this spooky horror story when I was a kid!
The Hiddenseek is a creepy middle grade story!
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Hush-A-Bye by Jody Lee Mott
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Have you read The Hiddenseek? What did you think of it?
Title: From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout Genre: Fantasy, Romance Publisher: Blue Box Press Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: March 30, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A Maiden…
Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.
A Duty…
The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.
A Kingdom…
Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.
Review:
Poppy was chosen at birth to be the Maiden, never to be looked at or spoken to, waiting for her Ascension when she would be blessed by the gods. The kingdom is protecting her, by keeping her isolated and abused. However, they don’t expect Poppy to fight back. When one of her personal guards is killed in front of her, Poppy is assigned a brand new guard named Hawke. Poppy and Hawke have already had a secret romantic encounter, which would ruin Poppy if anyone found out about her rebellion. Poppy has to deal with all of these issues while also opening up to new love.
I’ve seen this book everywhere for the last year, and I knew I would love it before I read it. This story didn’t disappoint. It was incredibly detailed, but didn’t feel tedious. It followed every moment of these important days of Poppy’s life.
I felt like there was going to be a twist at the end, but it still shocked me. It was actually similar to a twist that I have in the book I’m currently writing, so I just loved it. This story was worth all the hype!
From Blood and Ash is an exciting romantic fantasy!
What to read next:
Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Other books in the series:
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
The Crown of Gilded Bones
Have you read From Blood and Ash? What did you think of it?
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 Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves #2) by Roshani Chokshi.
Goodreads Synopsis:
They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.
Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost — one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumoured to grant its possessor the power of God.
Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.
As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.
A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
Title: An Unkindness of Ravens Author: Dan Panosian, Marianna Ignazzi Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Fantasy Publisher: BOOM! Studios Source: Publisher Format: Ebook Release Date: June 8, 2021 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Acclaimed cartoonist Dan Panosian and rising star artist Marianna Ignazzi present a new supernatural mystery about a group of high schoolers steeped in witchcraft and the town they live in filled with long-hidden secrets and unchecked power.
WELCOME TO CRAB’S EYE. A SMALL TOWN WHERE MAGIC IS REAL AND GOSSIP CAN KILL.
Not all the witches burned during the Salem Witch Trials—and the ones that survived did so together, protecting the ancient secrets entrusted to them for generations. They call themselves the Ravens. Wilma is the new girl in school, and she plans to go completely unnoticed—except that she bears an eerie resemblance to the Raven member Waverly, who just went missing. The truth behind Waverly’s disappearance will put the entire coven in danger—and Wilma will have to rely on power she never knew she had if she wants to save her new friends!
Acclaimed cartoonist Dan Panosian (Slots) and rising star artist Marianna Ignazzi present a new supernatural mystery about a group of high schoolers steeped in witchcraft and the town they live in filled with long-hidden secrets and unchecked power. Collects An Unkindness of Ravens #1-5.
Review:
Wilma moves with her dad to his hometown of Crab’s Eye after he got a new job. Immediately, two different groups of students try to recruit Wilma to join them. One group is the popular kids who rule the school. The other group is known as the Ravens. Wilma looks exactly like Waverly, a member of the Ravens who just disappeared. Wilma has to choose which group she’s going to join, so she can learn more about her past and her new powers.
This was a creepy graphic novel. Right from the start, things seemed strange, since a missing girl looked exactly like Wilma. Then, the two groups of students tried to get Wilma to join them. The Ravens had some kind of supernatural powers, that I wish we saw more of in the story.
The ending of the story felt a little rushed. There was a lot that happened in a short amount of time. Since the title and cover show the Ravens, I would have loved to see more of them. The story mostly focused on what was happening to Wilma, which was interesting, but I think there is a lot more to know about the Ravens.
An Unkindness of Ravens is a great, creepy YA graphic novel.
Thank you BOOM! Studios for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Martian Ghost Centaur by Mat Heagerty
Specter Inspectors by Bowen McCurdy
Have you read An Unkindness of Ravens? 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 As If on Cue by Marisa Kanter. The expected publication date is September 21, 2021.
Goodreads Synopsis:
A pair of fierce foes are forced to work together to save the arts at their school in this swoony YA enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson are sure to adore.
Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.
But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.
Except Natalie and Reid.
Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…
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 I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time. Here’s my list:
1. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
2. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
3. Shadowland by Meg Cabot
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
5. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
6. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
7. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
8. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
9. City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
10. Vampires Never Get Old by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker (editors)
(All book covers from Goodreads)
What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?
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