TBR Thursday – September 19

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 Enchantée by Gita Trelease.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians…

When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist—who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible.

But la magie has its costs. And when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she’s playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic—before Paris burns…

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

Review: Bloodlust and Bonnets

Title: Bloodlust and Bonnets
Author: Emily McGovern
Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 17, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From the creator of the hit webcomic My Life As a Background Slytherin comes a hilarious graphic novel pastiche of classic Romantic literature led by a trio of queer misfits—and several angry vampires.
 

Set in early nineteenth-century Britain, Bloodlust & Bonnets follows Lucy, an unworldly debutante who desires a life of passion and intrigue—qualities which earn her the attention of Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a local vampire cult. 
 
But before Lucy can embark on her new life of vampiric debauchery, she finds herself unexpectedly thrown together with the flamboyant poet Lord Byron (“from books!”) and a mysterious bounty-hunter named Sham. The unlikely trio lie, flirt, fight, and manipulate each other as they make their way across Britain, disrupting society balls, slaying vampires, and making every effort not to betray their feelings to each other as their personal and romantic lives become increasingly entangled.
 
Both witty and slapstick, elegant and gory, Emily McGovern’s debut graphic novel pays tribute to and pokes fun at beloved romance tropes, delivering a joyous, action-packed world of friendship and adventure.

Review:

I loved this new graphic novel!

This story was set in the nineteenth century, with Lord Byron as one of the main characters. Along with two friends, Lucy and Sham, Lord Byron searches for a vampire Lady Violet Travesty. Each character has their own secret reason for joining in the vampire hunt. There were loads of other fantastical elements as well, including a succubus and a talking castle.

I laughed the entire time I was reading this story. Each of the characters were exaggerated in a hilarious way. Lord Byron was in love with himself and didn’t pay attention to the people around him. Sham was serious and spoke the truth with no filter to protect the feelings of others (when Lucy thinks that Sham likes her the same way that she likes Sham, Sham replies with yes I do like girls, just not you). Lucy was kind of clueless to people around her, and she was blinded by her desire to join the vampire cult. These characters were hilarious together!

This was such a funny graphic novel! I highly recommend it!

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, Jane Austen, Tony Lee, Cliff Richards

Have you read Bloodlust and Bonnets? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – September 18

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 Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao. The expected publication date is October 15, 2019.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Ali Chu knows that as the only Asian person at her school in middle-of-nowhere Indiana, she must be bland as white toast to survive. This means swapping her congee lunch for PB&Js, ignoring the clueless racism from her classmates and teachers, and keeping her mouth shut when people wrongly call her Allie instead of her actual name, pronounced Āh-lěe, after the mountain in Taiwan.

Her autopilot existence is disrupted when she finds out that Chase Yu, the new kid in school, is also Taiwanese. Despite some initial resistance due to the “they belong together” whispers, Ali and Chase soon spark a chemistry rooted in competitive martial arts, joking in two languages, and, most importantly, pushing back against the discrimination they face.

But when Ali’s mom finds out about the relationship, she forces Ali to end it. As Ali covertly digs into the why behind her mother’s disapproval, she uncovers secrets about her family and Chase that force her to question everything she thought she knew about life, love, and her unknowable future.

Snippets of a love story from nineteenth-century China (a retelling of the Chinese folktale The Butterfly Lovers) are interspersed with Ali’s narrative and intertwined with her fate.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: The Widow of Pale Harbor

Title: The Widow of Pale Harbor
Author: Hester Fox
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Graydon House Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 17, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A town gripped by fear. A woman accused of witchcraft. Who can save Pale Harbor from itself?

Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife’s death, so he moves to Maine, taking a position as a minister in the remote village of Pale Harbor.

But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband.

As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspired by the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. And Gabriel must find answers, or Pale Harbor will suffer a fate worthy of Poe’s darkest tales.

Review:

This is a thrilling read for the fall!

I love Edgar Allen Poe stories, especially at this time of year. In this story, someone copied the gruesome murders from his stories in an attempt to scare Sophronia. It was so creepy, but it was also exciting to recognize these elements of his stories.

This story was so fast paced! I couldn’t put it down. There were lots of events that happened quickly, such as the threats against Sophronia. The mystery of Sophronia’s and Gabriel’s secret pasts we’re slowly revealed throughout the story, so it kept me guessing. I loved the twists at the end when the culprit was revealed!

I loved this book! It’s the perfect read for a cold autumn evening!

Thank you Graydon House Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

Tidelands (The Fairmile #1) by Philippa Gregory

Have you read The Widow of Pale Harbor? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Things to Eat/Drink While Reading

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 Favourite Things to Eat/Drink While Reading. Here’s my list:

1. Coffee

2. Tea

3. Chips

4. Cookies

5. Apples

6. Peaches

7. Scones

8. Cinnamon Bun

9. Toast

10. Candy

Review: The Babysitters Coven (The Babysitters Coven #1)

Title: The Baby Sitters Coven (The Babysitters Coven #1)
Author: Kate Williams
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 17, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil. 

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it’s kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she’s good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let’s just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She’s Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme’s babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra’s mother left her: “Find the babysitters. Love, Mom.”

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they’re about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

Review:

This book was so amazing! It’s a mix of the Babysitters Club and witchcraft.

I loved all of the references to other magic/witchcraft stories. There were references to Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There were also references to the Babysitters Club. That was one of my favourite series when I was a kid! In this story, Esme and her friends had a babysitters club, based on the one in the book. These references made the book so relatable.

The pace of the story grew steadily throughout the book. It started out with Esme in her regular life, until she developed telekinetic powers. It got so exciting towards the end, that it was hard to put down. There were also some surprises at characters who weren’t who they pretended to be.

I loved this book so much! I don’t know how I’ll wait until next year to find out what happens next!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

Have you read The Babysitters Coven? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – September 16

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 The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux.

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

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – September 15

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… The Widow of Pale Harbor

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 The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A town gripped by fear. A woman accused of witchcraft. Who can save Pale Harbor from itself?

Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife’s death, so he moves to Maine, taking a position as a minister in the remote village of Pale Harbor.

But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband.

As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspired by the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. And Gabriel must find answers, or Pale Harbor will suffer a fate worthy of Poe’s darkest tales.

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Schools I’d Love to Go to

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 Schools I’d Love to Go to. Here’s my list:

1. University of Sheffield (Giant Days)

2. Hogwarts (Harry Potter)

3. Sage Academy (Upside-Down Magic)

4. Fairy Tale Reform School (Fairy Tale Reform School)

5. Riverdale High (Archie Comics)

6. Super Hero High (DC Super Hero Girls)

Did you write a #SixforSunday post? What was your list of Schools You’d Like to Go to?