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 Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Perfect for readers of The Hazel Wood and The Night Circus, this lush and layered story about magic and the captivating power of dreams is delivered with acclaimed author Rebecca Ross’s signature exquisite style.
A curse plagues the realm of Azenor—during each new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, who serve as territory wardens, stand between people and their worst dreams.
Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as the warden of her small town, but when two magicians challenge her, she is unwittingly drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she secretly gets closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young magicians, secrets begin to rise. Clementine must unite with her rival to fight the realm’s curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
Title: How to Pick a Fight Author: Lara Kaminoff Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel Publisher: Nobrow Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: October 5, 2021 Rating: ★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Scrappy young Jimmy is a pro wrestler in the making, and he’s up for taking on anyone and anything. From his own family, his schoolwork, wild animals and pirates, he’s challenging the world one small fight at a time, but can his hopes and dreams take him all the way to stellar success? Or will his fists finally get him into too much trouble?
Jimmy dreams of one day being recognised as JIMMY RUCKUS, world famous featherweight, beloved by all but in his eleven-strong house, Jimmy is the last thing on anyone’s minds. He knows he’s destined for greatness, so he sets off to seek his fortune. What he finds are circus animals, painters, pirates and heavyweight champs, each one challenging Jimmy’s idea of success. By the end of it, Jimmy realises he has to decide whether living life fist first is all it’s cracked up to be. Lara Kaminoff’s stellar art style and sharp characters give us a snappy, fresh story about a scrappy kid who means well, but never quite gets it right.
Review:
Jimmy dreams of becoming a pro wrestler, like his idol Pimmy. When he’s constantly ignored by his large family, he decides to run away and make his dreams a reality. He goes on a journey where he encounters circus animals, pirates, a painter, and a castaway. Each of these encounters make Jimmy question if his dream is really the only path to success.
This graphic novel had a really good premise. Jimmy felt overlooked by his family, so his solution was to run away. However, it wasn’t as easy to follow his dream of becoming a pro wrestler as he thought it would be. He saw a lot of people who had worked hard all their lives yet hadn’t reached the levels of success that he expected.
By the comical cover and exaggerated look of Jimmy’s hair, I expected this story to be funnier. There were some serious learning moments that I wasn’t expecting. There was a surprising twist near the end, but I found the ending to be too open ended. I would have liked to see a more positive and concrete ending to Jimmy’s story.
How to Pick a Fight was a good graphic novel.
Thank you Nobrow Press for providing a copy of this book.
What to read next:
Girl Haven by Lilah Sturges
Have you read How to Pick a Fight? 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 The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull. The expected publication date is February 8, 2022.
Goodreads Synopsis:
This sweeping new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Woman Before Wallis takes readers behind palace walls to see the end of Imperial Russia through the eyes of Olga Romanov, the first daughter of the last Tsar.
Grand Duchess Olga Romanov comes of age amid a shifting tide for the great dynasties of Europe. But even as unrest simmers in the capital, Olga is content to live within the confines of the sheltered life her parents have built for and her three sisters: hiding from the world on account of their mother’s ill health, their brother Alexei’s secret affliction, and rising controversy over Father Grigori Rasputin, the priest on whom the Tsarina has come to rely. Olga’s only escape from the seclusion of Alexander Palace comes from her aunt, who takes pity on her and her sister Tatiana, inviting them to grand tea parties amid the shadow court of Saint Petersburg. Finally, she glimpses a world beyond her mother’s Victorian sensibilities—a world of opulent ballrooms, scandalous flirtation, and whispered conversation.
But as war approaches, the palaces of Russia are transformed. Olga and her sisters trade their gowns for nursing habits, assisting in surgeries and tending to the wounded bodies and minds of Russia’s military officers. As troubling rumours about her parents trickle in from the Front, Olga dares to hope that a budding romance might survive whatever the future may hold. But when tensions run high and supplies run low, the controversy over Rasputin grows into fiery protest, and calls for revolution threaten to end 300 years of Romanov rule.
At turns glittering and harrowing, The Last Grand Duchess is story about dynasty, duty, and love, but above all, it’s the story of a family who would choose devotion to each other over everything—including their lives.
Title: The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (Manga Classics) Author: Edgar Allan Poe, Stacy King Genre: Manga, Horror, Short Stories Publisher: Udon Entertainment Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: October 17, 2017 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe is a brilliant collection of some of his best-known stories: The Tell Tale Heart (a murder’s haunting guilt), illustrated by Virginia Nitouhei The Cask of Amontillado (a story of brilliant revenge), and illustrated by Chagen The Fall of the House of Usher (an ancient house full of very dark secretes), illustrated by Linus Liu and Man Yiu
Also included in this collection are The Mask of the Red Death (horrors of ‘the Plague’), as illustrated by Uka Nagao, and the most famous of all his poems, The Raven (a lover’s decline into madness), illustrated by Pikomaro.
Best read in a dimly-lit room with the curtains drawn, Poe’s brilliant works come to life in darkly thrilling ways in this Manga Classic adaptation.
Review:
This is a manga collection of some of Edgar Allan Poe’s best short stories. They include: The Tell Tale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado, The Raven, The Mask of the Red Death, and The Fall of the House of Usher.
These stories are some of my favourite short stories. They are all descriptive and have lots of imagery that translates well to illustrations. I loved revisiting these classic stories and seeing them illustrated for the first time.
The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (Manga Classics) is a great manga adaptation of his classic horror stories.
Thank you Udon Entertainment for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Jane Eyre (Manga Classics) by Charlotte Brontë, Stacy King
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, Stacy King
Have you read The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (Manga Classics)? 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 The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (Manga Classics) by Edgar Allan Poe and Stacy King.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith.
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 TheStories of Edgar Allan Poe (Manga Classics) by Edgar Allan Poe.
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe is a brilliant collection of some of his best-known stories: The Tell Tale Heart (a murder’s haunting guilt), illustrated by Virginia Nitouhei The Cask of Amontillado (a story of brilliant revenge), and illustrated by Chagen The Fall of the House of Usher (an ancient house full of very dark secretes), illustrated by Linus Liu and Man Yiu
Also included in this collection are The Mask of the Red Death (horrors of ‘the Plague’), as illustrated by Uka Nagao, and the most famous of all his poems, The Raven (a lover’s decline into madness), illustrated by Pikomaro.
Best read in a dimly-lit room with the curtains drawn, Poe’s brilliant works come to life in darkly thrilling ways in this Manga Classic adaptation.
