tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70870447012599365462024-03-13T06:49:05.420-07:00Love at First WriteAvid Reader & Book Hoarder Based in SeattleNikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-61835831899574967232023-11-16T13:06:00.000-08:002023-11-16T13:06:01.155-08:00ARC Review: All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1675658309i/83814853.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1675658309i/83814853.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br /><p>All That Consumes Us<br />by Erica Waters<br />Publication Date: October 17th 2023<br />Publisher: HarperTeen<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83814853-all-that-consumes-us" target="_blank">All That Consumes Us</a><br />Source: NetGalley eARC<br />Rating: 5/5</p>
<br /><br /><blockquote>The students in Corbin College’s elite academic society, Magni Viri, have it all—free tuition, inspirational professors, and dream jobs once they graduate. When first-gen college student Tara is offered a chance to enroll, she doesn’t hesitate.<br /><br />
Except once she’s settled into the gorgeous Victorian dormitory, something strange starts to happen. She’s finally writing, but her stories are dark and twisted. Her dreams feel as if they could bury her alive. An unseen presence seems to stalk her through the halls.<br /><br />
And a chilling secret awaits Tara at the heart of Magni Viri—one that just might turn her nightmares into reality; one that might destroy her before she has a chance to escape.
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<p>Tara’s adventure at Corbin College should be on everyone’s TBR this fall! Get ready for queer gothic spooks set in the Appalachian Mountains. This dark academia novel follows Tara’s freshman year of college. When the elite organization of Magni Viri loses a member, Tara is offered the dead girl’s place and her scholarship. An offer impossible to refuse, Tara starts living the life that Meredith used to have. But is Meredith really gone? With time to finally write and become the author she’s always dreamed of; Tara wakes up to work she can’t remember scribbling down.</p>
<p>Erica Waters’ prose will suck you in, her setting will charm you, and her atmosphere will captivate you. If you’re looking for the lines of reality to blur in an old Victorian dormitory, I’d highly recommend this new YA horror book.</p>
<p>We still have two months left in the year, but I think this might be my favorite book of 2023! All That Consumes us has got it all: old Appalachian college grounds, an MC who dreams of being an author, a secretive academic society that parties in a cemetery, possession by ghosts, and queer characters galore. What more could a reader want?
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</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-65054976722880259652023-11-16T12:20:00.001-08:002023-11-16T12:20:25.181-08:00Book Recap: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Chalice of the Gods<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677259920i/63035432.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="529" height="425" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677259920i/63035432.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods<br />Publication Date: September 26th 2023<br />Publisher: Disney Hyperion<br /></i></div>
<p>Percy is starting his senior year at Alternative High School (AHS), and needs 3 letters of recommendation in order to attend New Rome University next year with Annabeth. Unfortunately for him, the letters have to be written from gods and they want him to complete new quests in exchange for their signatures. Good ol' dad put up a notice board on Olympus and Percy's first request is from Ganymede. Ganymede is in charge of The Chalice of the Gods, which he uses on feast days to serve drinks from. It also happens to grant immortality and is currently missing. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover have their work cut out for them to track it down before the next scheduled feast!</p>
<p>They start off their investigation with two suspects: Hebe and Iris. They both previously held the position of cupbearer and might hold animosity towards Ganymede. Hebe, the goddess of youth, doesn't take kindly to the accusation. She turns the gang into 8-year-olds and sets a swarm of blood-thirsty chickens upon them. With some quick thinking, Annabeth saves the day (explanation below in the spoilers section).</p>
<p>Their next stop: the farmer's market to confront Iris, the goddess of rainbows. The gang is much more careful with their interrogation this time and manage not to piss off Iris. In fact, she offers to help them in exchange for a side quest. While she confirms a real lead for them, they must wash her staff. This quest involves Grover playing his pan flute and Percy pissing off/helping a river god. Iris does indeed have a lead from them! (spoiler 2). </p><p>Percy delivers the chalice to Ganymede as the gods are settling into their seats. Surprisingly, with a bit of help from Athena he makes the hand-off under their noses. Is the goddess of wisdom finally understanding what Annabeth sees in him? Probably not, but we're making progress. One college recommendation down, two more to go!</p><p><i><b>Recap of MAJOR SPOILERS:</b></i> Spoiler 1. Hebe must be the youngest in the room. Annabeth grabs a little chick and, essentially, forces Hebe to transform into a baby. In this state they negotiate with Hebe to be turned back into teenagers.
</p><p>Spoiler 2. Geras, the god of old age, has stolen the chalice. Any object that grants humans immortality should be destroyed etc. Percy and Gary agree to wrestle for the chalice. Percy hugs him, symbolically accepting old age, wanting to live a full complete mortal life, and Gary has a change of heart. </p><p><br /></p><p></p>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-43498945126260199652023-09-17T14:59:00.000-07:002023-09-17T14:59:16.498-07:00ARC Review: Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1678739588i/75302241.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1678739588i/75302241.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br /><p>Champion of Fate<br />by Kendare Blake<br />Publication Date: September 19th 2023<br />Publisher: Quill Tree Books<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75302241-champion-of-fate" target="_blank">Champion of Fate</a><br />Source: NetGalley eARC<br />Rating: 4/5</p>
<br /><br /><blockquote>Behind every great hero is an Aristene.<br /> <br />
Aristene are mythical female warriors, part of a legendary order. Though heroes might be immortalized in stories, it’s the Aristene who guide them to victory. They are the Heromakers.<br /> <br />
Ever since she was an orphan taken in by the order, Reed has wanted to be an Aristene. Now, as an initiate, just one challenge stands in her way: she must shepherd her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and Reed will take her place beside her sisters. Fail, and she’ll be cast from the only home she’s ever known.<br /> <br />
Nothing is going to stop Reed--until she meets her hero. Hestion is fiery and infuriating, but what begins as an alliance becomes more, and as secrets of the order come to light Reed begins to understand what becoming an Aristene may truly cost. Battle looming, she must choose: the order and the life she had planned, or Hestion, and the one she never expected.
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<p>Blake showcases her world-class world-building yet again in her latest book Champion of Fate. Get ready for swords, horses, and fast-paced action in this new fantasy world steeped in magic. As I've come to expect from Blake, this book has well-crafted character backstories, kingdom politics, collective history, and in this case, mythos surrounding the Aristene. All without info-dumping the reader, so it’s easy to get immersed.</p>
<p>
Reed, our main character, is an initiate for the Aristene, an all-female warrior cult worshipping a goddess of glory. The immortal members of the Aristene order are sent out into the world to make heroes of mortal men and women. Through their heroes' guided actions, the Aristene create glory that honors and sustains their goddess, Kleia Gloria. Reed's last test as an initiate? Her first hero. As she and her fellow initiates embark on their trials, relationships both old and new are put to the test. And as Reed starts to grow feelings for her mortal hero, she also realizes her soon-to-be-family of warrior women are keeping secrets from her. This trial's outcome doesn't just impact Reed's future, her failure could endanger the entire Aristene order.</p>
<p>
Overall, I thought this was a fantastic start to the series, and I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy magic and medieval fantasy worlds.
</p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-39338499570204475802023-07-25T08:00:00.020-07:002023-07-27T14:42:04.772-07:00Top Ten Tuesday #21<div>
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<span style="font-family: "sorts mill goudy";">Created by
<a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" style="color: #7dd4b5; text-decoration-line: none;">The Broke and The Bookish</a><br />Hosted by<a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/" style="color: #12988f; text-decoration-line: none;">That Artsy Reader Girl</a>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: 13pt;"><br />The 5 Books I Did Not Finish (DNF'd)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">1. A Touch of Darkness</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611948296i/55215339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611948296i/55215339.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">DNF at 58%. I'm getting controversial quickly, but this just felt very under-developed. The character's did not feel like real people, and the prose was clunky and childish. It was impossible to get immersed in the story.</div><br /><br />
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2. The Ming Storm</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1620573195i/56695152.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="535" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1620573195i/56695152.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm a big Assassin's Creed fan, and this was the first novelization I picked up. I think I made it about 35% in when I DNF'd. Unfortunately, The Ming Storm sacrifices the book's flow and charm for the sake of technical specificity. What could have been a fun action-adventure novel got bogged down by trying to name and describe every specific fighting technique, causing short fights to take up pages and pages of mind-numbing descriptions.</div><br /><br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">3. Lovely War</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533099388i/41018778.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533099388i/41018778.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I DNF'd this one around the 30% mark. As a historical fiction novel framed as Aphrodite telling us a love story, this should have been the perfect book for me! Where it went wrong was the writing style. I can't stand books that are "tell, not show," best practice is to do the exact opposite! Show me things, do not merely tell them. The POV's word should at least have actions to back their claims up.</div><br /><br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">4. Cloud Atlas</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563042852i/49628.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="544" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563042852i/49628.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This one actually held my interest for a bit, but it is SO complicated and has way too many characters to keep track of. You start with the first half of each character's story and they are lightly connected to the next character (like letters of character B being owned by character C). They then go in reverse order in the second half of the book to finish their arcs, so the book is structured like so: ABCDEF, FEDCBA. I felt like I needed a diagram to keep up and remember what everyone was doing. I think this book only works if you have time to binge it all in one weekend.</div><br /><br />
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5. The Keeper of Night</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613417856i/56030267.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613417856i/56030267.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This one I DNF'd at 40%. The 40% mark is when the main character finally gets to the point of no return and <i>starts </i>her quest. This quest-point should have been so much earlier in the book. What were we doing for the first 150 pages you ask? World building and pretty uneventful travel from England to Japan. I think I could forgive it all if the 150 pages created any sort of intimacy or attachment for the main characters, but it didn't.</div><br />
<div><h4 style="text-align: center;">What Books </h4><h4 style="text-align: center;">Did You DNF Recently?</h4></div></div></div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-33635291163300805362023-07-06T08:30:00.002-07:002023-07-14T10:04:11.413-07:00ARC Review: Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677696561i/66092846.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677696561i/66092846.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br /><p>Her Radiant Curse<br />by Elizabeth Lim<br />Publication Date: August 29th 2023<br />Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66092846-her-radiant-curse" target="_blank">Her Radiant Curse</a><br />Source: NetGalley eARC<br />Rating: 4/5</p>
<br /><br /><blockquote>One sister must fall for the other to rise.<br /><br />
Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent’s face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna—the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn’t see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts.<br /><br />
Now seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will enrich the coffers of the village leaders. Only Channi, who’s had to rely on her strength and cunning all these years, can defend her sister against the cruelest of the suitors. But in doing so, she becomes the target of his wrath—launching a grisly battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain Channi’s heart to its breaking point.<br /><br />
Weaving together elements of The Selection and Ember in the Ashes with classic tales like Beauty and the Beast, Helen of Troy, and Asian folklore, Elizabeth Lim is at the absolute top of her game in this thrilling yet heart-wrenching fantasy that explores the dark side of beauty and the deepest bonds of sisterhood.
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<p>Channi first makes her appearance in Lim's duology, <i>Six Crimson Cranes</i>. Following in its footsteps, <i>Her Radiant Curse</i> spins a lush tale steeped in beautiful world-building and Asian mythology. I don't think you will have to have read anything else by Lim to enjoy this one. While it is connected to <i>Six Crimson Cranes</i>, it is a prequel and a standalone. Perfect for testing out the waters! </p><p>The sisterly love and friendships depicted in this book were so special, the magic system is well-developed, and the action sequences were fun. Channi and Vanna's bond is the main crux of the story, and it was so touching to see how these two girls are willing to do anything for the other, and how their relationship is shaped from childhood into adulthood. </p><p>This did not quite get five stars from me because the plot wasn't woven together as tightly as I expected. I absolutely devoured <i>Six Crimson Cranes</i>, even the soft 'fluffier' scenes really added to and developed that story more, and <i>Her Radiant Curse</i> did not quite live up to that. I think the abundance of travel sequences took some of the sense of urgency out of this for me, which is why I have given it four instead of five stars.</p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-24699774644637597812023-05-05T10:00:00.012-07:002023-07-02T17:00:41.197-07:00ARC Review: Julieta and the Romeos by Maria E. Andreu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1673723459i/62047943.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1673723459i/62047943.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />
<br /><p>Julieta and the Romeos<br />by Maria E. Andreu<br />Publication Date: May 16th 2023<br />Publisher: Balzer + Bray<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047943-julieta-and-the-romeos" target="_blank">Julieta and the Romeos</a><br />Rating: 4/5</p>
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<p>**An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">The summer between junior and senior year, Julieta is
accepted into an elite writing course in New York City — taught by her favorite
author. Having always dreamed of becoming a writer, this mentorship could drastically
shape her future. Add on top of that helping out at her family restaurant and
three potential love interests, and you’ve got the recipe for a great contemporary
romance!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Our Romeos Include:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">-Ryan, her rival, and her best friend’s twin brother<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">-Lucas, her childhood best friend that could be
something more<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">-Calvin, the new boy next door (or really, Abuela’s
next door neighbor)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>As the summer goes on, Julieta commutes to class with
Ryan, works at her family restaurant with Lucas, watches soaps with her Abuela
and Calvin, and struggles with receiving writing critiques from her idol. All
of these scenarios bring out different aspects of Julieta’s personality that
she both cherishes and is in conflict with.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When Julieta publishes a writing assignment for class on a
Wattpad equivalent, it evolves into a piece being co-written with an anonymous author.
A local reference is included and Julieta realizes that they might know each
other in real life. Could they be the man of her dreams? Could they be one of
her <i>Romeos</i>?? If only she could get them to confess…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Reflecting on her love life predicament with her aunt, one
of the best quotes in the book occurs:<br /><i>“The question isn’t which boy is right for you. The
question is which boy helps you be the best version of yourself. Or, an even
bigger question, what version of yourself do you want to be, independent of
them all?”</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">All in all, I quickly got sucked into Julieta’s life and I
enjoyed how the plot pulled in her family dynamics and friendship with Ivy on
top of the romances. If you’re looking for a sweet, fun contemporary romance, with
a lesson in discovering yourself along the way, this is the book for you!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-45437270505180205312023-05-02T20:32:00.002-07:002023-06-29T15:45:13.261-07:00Top Ten Tuesday #20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvAjeqe7StU/YAu0zAPsfyI/AAAAAAAABIY/EARAhfTWvY0AXHyDKkecGam6SVBqMSapACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvAjeqe7StU/YAu0zAPsfyI/AAAAAAAABIY/EARAhfTWvY0AXHyDKkecGam6SVBqMSapACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(50, 50, 50); color: #323232; font-family: "Sorts Mill Goudy"; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "sorts mill goudy";">Created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" style="color: #7dd4b5; text-decoration: none;">The Broke and The Bookish</a> <br />Hosted by <a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/" style="color: #12988f; text-decoration: none;">That Artsy Reader Girl</a></span><div><br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: 13pt;">The First 10 Books I Randomly Grabbed from My Shelf</span>
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<h3>1. The Ones We're Meant to Find</h3><br /><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600354595i/44084665.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600354595i/44084665.jpg" width="213" /></a>
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<h3>2. The Near Witch</h3>
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<h3>3. The Young Elites</h3>
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<h3>4. The Box in the Woods</h3>
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<h3>5. Blood Scion</h3>
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<h3>6. All of This is True</h3>
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<h3>7. The Battle of the Labyrinth</h3>
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<h3>8. Clockwork Princess</h3>
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436788488i/18335634.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436788488i/18335634.jpg" width="213" /></a>
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<h3>9. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue</h3>
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<h3>10. The Starless Sea</h3>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-73205270810542990962023-05-02T18:25:00.006-07:002023-06-19T20:48:56.732-07:00Review: This Woven Kingdom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br /><p>This Woven Kingdom<br />by Tahereh Mafi<br />Publication Date: February 1st 2022<br />Publisher: HarperCollins<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56554281-this-woven-kingdom" target="_blank">This Woven Kingdom</a><br />Rating: 3/5</p>
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<p>**A finalized copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**</p>
<p><i>This Woven Kingdom</i> contains beautiful prose and descriptions, but unfortunately very little plot. It comes with the territory of an almost 500-page book that spans about 3 days of in-book time. 60% of <i>This Woven Kingdom</i> is the main characters’ inner monologue, 20% is setting/food/clothing description, 10% is verbal dialogue, and the last 10% is where the actual occurring events happen. I prefer to be <i>shown</i> actions to back up character motivations and thoughts, but this book heavily relies upon the reader being <i>told</i> what to think. The whole experience made it hard to connect with, or even like, either of the two main protagonists.</p>
<p>I was hoping for a lush Persian mythology read, but <i>This Woven Kingdom</i> is essentially a Cinderella retelling with cosmetic Middle Eastern inspirations regarding food and clothing. A dual-POV read, we alternate between Alizeh a long-lost princess of the Jinn who is currently hiding as a lowly servant, and Kamran the heir to the human empire of Ardunia. Their lots in life place them at odds, for Alizeh was prophesized to end the reign of the current king of Ardunia, Kamran’s grandfather. Of course, Alizeh and Kamran happen to cross paths on the street and become an insta-love forbidden romance. As I mentioned, this book is about 10% plot. Over the course of about 3 days, Kamran and Alizeh think about the other non-stop and their inner thoughts take up the majority of the writing of this book. All of this builds up to a ball, (Yay, an event is finally occurring!) so you have that to look forward to in the last 100 pages or so. Check out my <a href="https://love-at-first-write.blogspot.com/2023/04/book-recap-this-woven-kingdom-by.html" target="_blank">book recap</a> for a more thorough summary.</p>
<p>If you come into this with the right mindset, I think it can certainly be an enjoyable read, but it was very different than how it was marketed and you have to be ready for it to be a slow-paced read, very trope-heavy and descriptor-heavy.</p><p><br /></p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-29095846446512579572023-04-18T14:27:00.005-07:002023-11-16T12:20:39.733-08:00Book Recap: This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634235371i/56554281.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="529" height="425" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634235371i/56554281.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>This Woven Kingdom
by Tahereh Mafi<br />Publication Date: February 1st 2022<br />Publisher: HarperCollins<br /></i></div>
<p>Alizeh is the lost princess of the Jinn, a magical race of beings made from fire. She raised to be royal until an attack on her home orphans her. Left to work as a servant, she has no money, no allies, no friends. This all changes when she is attacked on the street. She defends herself and lets her attacker go, an act observed by the human prince, Kamran. In disbelief at her skills and mercy, he believes her to be a spy from an enemy kingdom and starts investigating.</p>
<p>He makes an ass of himself in many ways that involve him making wild assumptions about others, but he also starts to care for Alizeh along the way. She, too, has become mesmerized by the prince giving a lowly servant such as herself attention and kindness. This budding romance is shaken by a new discovery: the kingdom’s diviners have prophesied King Zaal’s downfall at the hand of Alizeh! How can Kamran be falling for the person who will be the end of his grandfather?</p>
<p>A familiar face from her childhood gifts her a nosta. A small orb that changes temperature: hot when someone is telling her the truth and cold when someone is lying to her. A useful tool! Except she somehow jumps to conclusions and makes several horrible decisions at the end of the book.</p>
<p><i><b>Recap of MAJOR SPOILERS:</b></i> The king of the enemy kingdom of Tulan, Cyrus, kills King Zaal at a royal ball. Very public, but/and it was probably justified. We find out that King Zaal had elongated his life to give Kamran more of his childhood (at the cost of killing orphans and eating their brains). Kamran challenges Cyrus to a duel and is saved by Alizeh who intervenes before Cyrus can deal a deathblow. Alizeh and Kamran can finally have their happily ever after, except Cyrus kidnaps her so Kamran assumes that Alizeh betrayed him. This all seems to contradict the prophecy King Zaal was worried about, as Alizeh had nothing to do with his death/end of his reign. Maybe Zaal misinterpreted the prophecy? I'm hoping this will be explained in books 2 or 3.</p><p><br /></p>
Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-50561681509525088892022-10-16T13:32:00.001-07:002022-10-16T13:32:33.644-07:00Review: The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br /><p>The First to Die at the End<br />by Adam Silvera<br />Publication Date: October 4th 2022<br />Publisher:Quill Tree Books<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59723790-the-first-to-die-at-the-end" target="_blank">The First to Die at the End</a><br />Rating: 5/5</p>
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<p>**An early finalized copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**</p>
<p><i>The First to Die at the End</i> recreates the magic of Adam Silvera’s highly acclaimed 2017 publication <i>They Both Die at the End</i> (TBDITE). Death-Cast comes calling, and it’s someone’s End Day. When you know it’s your last day to live, what would you do? In this prequel, Silvera takes us back to Death-Cast’s very first day in service and reminds us to enjoy every day to the fullest.</p>
<p>On Death-Cast Eve, two strangers, Valentino Prince and Orion Pagan, have a chance meeting in Times Square. At the stroke of midnight, one of them receives a call from Death-Cast, and the other doesn’t. As they live that last day to their hearts content is becomes clear: if Death-Cast is real, their day will end in heartbreak. Filled with life’s first and some of life’s lasts, this novel is both earth-shattering and utterly charming. Silvera highlights and romanticizes the power of 24 hours and the lasting impact we have on the people we meet.</p>
<p>This story makes use of multiple POV’s (primarily Valentino and Orion, but others when impactful as well). As expected, this 500+ page book mainly covers a 24-hour time period, bringing magical prose to every beautiful moment. While similar in concept to <i>TBDITE</i>, this still tells a fresh story. In <i>TBDITE </i>, Death-Cast is normal, even mundane. Of course you get a warning before you die, and there are expectations that come with being a “decker.” In this prequel it is Death-Cast’s first day which comes with new rules and policies being figured out on the fly. Does Death-Cast work? How should flights and hospitals function with people slated for death? The new turmoil made for a fascinating change pace to a world we've visited before.</p>
<p>This will be an emotional read for anyone how picks it up, I don’t think anyone has learned their lesson there, but the titles did warned you! The best part? Either book can be read as a standalone or in tandem. For those who read both, you will be rewarded. Silvera ties the two together in magical, yet subtle, ways.</p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-47553238856355136982022-09-21T16:27:00.003-07:002022-09-21T16:32:21.921-07:00ALC Review: All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br /><p>All of Our Demise<br />by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman<br />Publication Date: August 30th 2022<br />Publisher: Tor Teen<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55337054-all-of-our-demise" target="_blank">All of Our Demise</a><br />Rating: 5/5</p>
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<p>**An ALC of this book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**</p>
<p>All of Our Demise is the epic conclusion to <a href="https://love-at-first-write.blogspot.com/2021/12/alc-review-all-of-us-villains-by-amanda.html" target="_blank">All of Us Villains</a>, a fantasy duology and a 2021 favorite of mine. Long story short, it did NOT disappoint.</p>
<p>All of Our Demise picks up pretty much right where All of Us Villains ended: the familial champions of each house are caught in a tournament curse, destined to fight to the death. But what if the curse could be broken? The novel opens up with newly drawn and fragile alliances being formed between those who want to break the curse and those who want to win the tournament the old-fashioned way (i.e. by killing all of the champions).</p>
<p>With the tournament’s curse weakened from the events of book one, our champions find themselves faced with new benefits and new challenges. The tournament boundary has effectively dissolved, allowing the champions to re-enter town to gain information and new spells while non-champions can enter the arena and complicate matters to their hearts content. This evolves into news and PR quotes at the beginning of each chapter, conveying what the public is seeing and hearing as the tournament continues. It makes for a fascinating and compelling development to book one’s world-building foundation, to be sure!</p>
<p>My favorite aspect? The multiple POV’s! They are all so well-developed! The audiobook narrators did a fantastic job individualizing the voices as well. I connected with each tournament champion, and loved seeing events from each of their eyes, especially Isobel and Alistair. They are each so unique and complex, and they each brought something to the table as the narrative developed. Without getting to spoiler-y, a character has been resurrected and a new champion unexpectedly joins the tournament, allowing for even crazier dynamics across the board. Plus, we get budding romances and we get to see how it develops from both sides!</p>
<p>As both a character- and plot-driven narrative, you’ll be rooting alongside all these morally grey narrators as this fast-paced and action-packed tournament of death comes to a close. Isobel, Briony, Finley, Alistair and Gavin will take you on a dark, atmospheric, adventure in this latest and final installment!</p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-80951744505201226092022-09-20T11:09:00.004-07:002022-09-21T16:21:05.364-07:00Review: Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br /><p>Rust in the Root<br />by Justina Ireland<br />Publication Date: September 20th 2022<br />Publisher: Balzer + Bray<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59947670-rust-in-the-root" target="_blank">Rust in the Root</a><br />Rating: 3.5/5</p>
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<p>**An early finalized copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**</p>
<p>It’s 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided: between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology (otherwise known as Mechomancy) not the traditional mystical arts.</p>
<p>Laura is a talented mystical arts mage from Pennsylvania who hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage’s license, allowing her to use her talents publicly. But six months later, she’s got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice.</p>
<p>As they’re sent off on their first mission together, they’ll discover dangerous work that could threaten Laura’s and the Skylark’s lives, and they’ll need to work together to have a chance at survival.</p>
<p><i>Rust in the Root</i> is a fleshed out historical fantasy read, which is quite an accomplishment for a standalone. This is a solid alternate reality focused on a government agency investigating a dark mystery in Ohio. Laura will need to develop both her powers and her friendships if she wants to make it out alive and save the country she lives in.</p><p>
</p><p>What was special about this novel was the culmination of different story telling elements. Traditional prose is paired with the Skylark’s official mission report, as well as Laura’s photographs of the people and places she meets along the way (real photographs, sourced from an archive!). The plot, betrayals, and character development were all fantastic. I read this is less than 24 hours! Why didn’t this get 5 stars? For me, parts of the arc development and prose felt a bit too rushed, which I didn’t expect from an author with so many publications under her belt.</p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-76277977420603709812022-09-09T16:04:00.002-07:002022-09-09T16:10:39.543-07:00ARC Review: Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br /><p>Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove<br />by Rati Mehrotra<br />Publication Date: October 18th 2022<br />Publisher: Wednesday Books<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56226859-night-of-the-raven-dawn-of-the-dove" target="_blank">Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove</a><br />Rating: 4/5</p>
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<p>**An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**</p>
<p><i>Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove</i> centers around Katyani, the adoptive daughter, bondswoman, and royal guard of the Queen of Chandela. Her future has never been in doubt: she will be her adoptive brother's most trusted advisor when he becomes king. Attending to Ayan and his cousin Bhairav, Katyani is shipped off to a monastic school of a famous guru where they will hone the skills needed to be the next leaders of the kingdom (including magic and mosnter hunting). Nothing could annoy Katyani more than leaving court and being shipped off to a rule-abiding school in the middle of a forest, except her run-ins with Daksh, the guru’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul. (Yes, there is a slow-burn romance!)</p>
<p>But when Katyani and the princes are hurriedly summoned back to Chandela before their training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani is torn from the only life she has ever known. Alone and <i>betrayed </i>in a land infested by monsters, Katyani must find answers from her past to save all she loves and forge her own destiny. Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid.</p>
<p>This book is a fantastic standalone fantasy, set in medieval India. It will suck you in with Katyani's fun yet brash personality and with a fast-paced plot full of with magic, Indian mythology, and court intrigue! Katyani's dedication to her promises, and her loyalty to her friends and family created a loveable heroine who uses more than just her brute strength when in the face of danger. The slow-burn romance could have used a bigger pay-off which is what knocked this down a star for me, but the world-building was well fleshed out and Katyani's struggle for her identity and sense of home really made this book stand out.</p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-28698842331582754052022-08-06T10:13:00.002-07:002022-08-06T10:15:24.924-07:00ARC Review: The Darkening by Sunya Mara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br /><p>The Darkening<br />by Sunya Mara<br />Publication Date: July 5th 2022<br />Publisher: Clarion Books<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58311976-the-darkening?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GCZOIKDxgE&rank=3" target="_blank">The Darkening</a><br />Rating: 3.5/5</p>
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<p>**An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**</p>
<p>Vesper Vale is the daughter of failed revolutionaries. In a world where a magical storm surrounds the city, cursing and killing everyone it touches, there are few defenses for the outer circles of the city. Knowledge is quite literally power when magic is controlled through an ikon alphabet, enforcing social and class structures. When Vesper's father is identified and kidnapped by the royal family to pay for his previous crimes, Vesper has no choice but to infiltrate this power structure to find him and help him escape. Unfortunately for Vesper, there are larger issues still at stake. How will she learn this complex magic system? What is causing this storm to menace her city? Can she place her hopes and dreams for a better future for her people upon the shoulders of the prince?</p>
<p>This book has a really special magical world-building which I really enjoyed. Seeing the contrast between the inner circles hoarding books and the outer circles paying exorbitant amounts for one symbol that may or may not work... It was powerful to see their socio-economic and academic structures held so rigidly and blatantly. The concept of the reign being passed down by a powerful ikon merged with the reigning leader's body was such a fascinating display of power's corruption as well. All around, I really enjoyed exploring the world set up by Mara.</p>
<p>My one gripe is with the novel's character building and evolution. Prince Dalca, and his compatriots Cas and Izamal, bond with Vesper in strange ways. Dalca and Cas's relationships with Vesper just did not feel organic to me, from either side. I couldn't quite grasp what they see in Vesper to want to trust and befriend her, and I couldn't see how Vesper went from using them to actually caring about these people who ruined her life and are endangering her father. I personally like a bit more character-driven aspects in the books I read, with more developed inter-character relationships which is why this book is knocked down 1.5 stars for me. That being said, I definitely see why folks are loving this book — it has a fast, advnturous plot which is perfect for a magical fantasy read. </p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-64529238897027413882022-06-08T17:28:00.002-07:002022-06-08T17:28:20.940-07:00ALC Review: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649606911i/60786062.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649606911i/60786062.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />
<br /><p>I Kissed Shara Wheeler<br />by Casey McQuiston<br />Publication Date: May 3rd 2022<br />Publisher: Macmillan Audio<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60786062-i-kissed-shara-wheeler" target="_blank">I Kissed Shara Wheeler</a><br />Rating: 5/5</p>
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<p>**An ALC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**</p>
<p>High school senior Chloe Green is just weeks away from being named valedictorian, graduating, and leaving her southern hometown as fast as possible when Shara Wheeler kisses her and disappears without a trace. Without a trace until little pink envelops start cropping up, leading Chloe to put the pieces together: two others were also kissed by Shara and all three of them will have to work together if they want to find all the envelopes. I Kissed Shara Wheeler braids the stories of the star jock, the edgy stoner next-door, and the academic rival as they take on a scavenger hunt for the ages.</p>
<p>This book was messily complex in the best of ways. Chloe, Rory, and Smith all had charmingly realistic flaws paired with individual reasons they were toxically obsessed with Shara Wheeler. The magic that Casey McQuiston brings to her books is that even through the mess there is compassion and care between her characters that make them such a joy to read. The 'side-characters' in Chloe's life each lead such interesting and fulfilling lives that additionally add vibrance to McQuiston's narrative. When Chloe ditches her friends to hunt down an envelope and misses the Mozzarella Stick bracket to decide the best mozz sticks in town, it was the little moments like that that filled the pages with life.</p>
<p>The most impressive part of this novel was the author's creation of Shara as a character. As the object of the scavenger hunt, she is barely ever physically on the page, yet she lives and breaths in the pages. The other characters fixate, create, and manifest her before the reader's eyes. Shara is all-encompassing, even when missing. I don't mean to imply that Share's a malicious character, just that there's an perfect-girl enigma about her that seems to draw the town's attention. How this obsession gets weaved into their everyday lives was fascinating to see, and it was so entertaining to see Shara and Chloe collide through letters and flashbacks.</p>
<p>In a homophobic bible-belt town, McQuiston spins a story of hope for queer voices. What will they learn about their classmates, their town, and themselves along the way?</p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-84462836238052659082022-05-08T19:13:00.005-07:002022-05-08T19:13:54.608-07:00ARC Review: Boys I Know by Anna Gracia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630513308l/58163787._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630513308l/58163787._SY475_.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />
<br /><p>Boys I Know<br />by Anna Gracia<br />Publication Date: July 5th 2022<br />Publisher: Peachtree Teen<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58163787-boys-i-know" target="_blank">Boys I Know</a><br />Rating: 5/5</p>
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<p>**An ARC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**</p>
<p><i>Boys I Know</i> tells the story of June Chu, a taiwanese-american girl living in the midwest. Starting her senior year of high school, she’s navigating boys, friendships, family and college applications. June learns three lessons from three very different boys along the way, and tries to figure out what she wants for her life after she graduates high school.</p>
<p>This was the kind of book I wish I’d had in my own high school years. June makes mistakes many of us have also had to learn the hard way, and it’s a relief to know that some of us can learn from June instead of finding out first-hand. June was such a compelling character, I couldn’t help but root for her. Rhys, Brad, and Gang all had their qualities to entice June while all having their red flags that had me yelling at the page trying to come to her aid, I was completely pulled into the story!</p>
<p>Theme-wise, the two most beautiful themes in this book come hand-in-hand: that June is the second child, following after her sister, and that June is the “just good enough” always-landing-in-third-place girl at everything she does.</p>
<p>June grows up in her sister’s shadow, leading her to pick up the violin just like Wendy. Her mother expects her to get a full ride scholarship to Northwestern’s music program so that her violin will fund her studies to be a doctor, just like her sister. But what if June never wants to pick up a violin again, never wants to go to Northwestern University, and never wants to become a doctor? A beautiful facet of June’s story is her discovery of what she likes, and what she does simply because it is expected of her (and I almost teared up when she falls back in love with music after years of contention).</p>
<p>The contention comes not only from parental expectations to follow her sister, but also in June’s self-perceived failure when she keeps finding herself in third place. Fearing to fully apply herself in case even her absolute best will still come up short, June never seems to give anything her all. This book beautifully explores June's own mental block and this really struck a chord with me. I felt truly seen on the page. After a reality check (that will remain vague for spoiler reasons), June finally kicks it into high gear and starts applying in earnest to college programs and her character growth in realizing what she deserves was so heart-warming to see. For the contemporary reader, <i>Boys I Know</i> is a definite must-read!</p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-61152898399572647462022-01-25T09:52:00.004-08:002023-06-29T15:46:23.674-07:00Top Ten Tuesday #19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvAjeqe7StU/YAu0zAPsfyI/AAAAAAAABIY/EARAhfTWvY0AXHyDKkecGam6SVBqMSapACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvAjeqe7StU/YAu0zAPsfyI/AAAAAAAABIY/EARAhfTWvY0AXHyDKkecGam6SVBqMSapACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(50, 50, 50); color: #323232; font-family: "Sorts Mill Goudy"; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "sorts mill goudy";">Created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" style="color: #7dd4b5; text-decoration: none;">The Broke and The Bookish</a> <br />Hosted by <a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/" style="color: #12988f; text-decoration: none;">That Artsy Reader Girl</a></span><div><br /></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: 13pt;">New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2021</span>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">1) Silvia Moreno-Garcia</h2><div style="text-align: left;">My first read of 2021 was <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53152636-mexican-gothic?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=pmPnvf98Ac&rank=1" target="_blank">Mexican Gothic</a></i>, my first read by Moreno-Garcia! I loved the spooky gothic vibes and I also managed to read <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55311334-the-beautiful-ones" target="_blank">The Beautiful Ones</a></i> by her as well! I really enjoyed both, so I've added several books by her, including <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36510722-gods-of-jade-and-shadow" target="_blank">Gods of Jade and Shadow</a></i>, to my TBR!</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">2) V.E. Schwab</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Another early January 2021 read for me was <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50623864-the-invisible-life-of-addie-larue?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=zZ8UVs3mcw&rank=1" target="_blank">The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue</a></i>. My very first Schwab book, and an instant favorite. One of my favorite books ever kind of favorite! In 2021 I also managed to read her Shades of Magic trilogy, which introduced me to the fantastic character that is Lila Bard. I've definitely got more Schwab in my future.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">3) Kendare Blake</h2><div style="text-align: left;">A hit-or-miss new-to-me author has been Kendare Blake. I loved the concept of her Three Dark Crowns Quartet, but was less of the fan of the execution. It could have been a book shorter I think. That being said, I stuck around and tried out <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56382351-all-these-bodies?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=nN3nx6icMD&rank=1" target="_blank">All These Bodies</a></i>, her historical fiction horror, and was blown away. While I didn't read it all in one sitting, I finished it all within 24 hours! Blake did a fantastic job with <i>All These Bodies</i> and I am curious about <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9378297-anna-dressed-in-blood?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=hrg7yZyK8x&rank=1" target="_blank">Anna Dressed in Blood</a></i>.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">4) Heidi Heilig</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Heilig was a life-changing discovery for me in 2021. I adored each book in her Shadow Players Trilogy. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41145986-a-kingdom-for-a-stage?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=YlC8xSH90C&rank=1" target="_blank">A Kingdom For a Stage</a></i> did NOT suffer from second book syndrome which is a rare treat, plus her method of story telling mixes regular prose with letters, newspaper clippings, and songs. It's a truly well-developed world with well-rounded characters that I couldn't recommend more!</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">5) Axie Oh</h2><div style="text-align: left;">In 2021, I discovered <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54618808-xoxo?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=TOhK9QvkIl&rank=1" target="_blank">XOXO</a></i> and fell in love. This is such a charming contemporary romance that I couldn't get enough of. Oh's upcoming book <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56978100-the-girl-who-fell-beneath-the-sea" target="_blank">The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea</a></i> is a highly anticipated 2022 release for me and I'm trying to be patient for my pre-order to arrive. I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of GIRL which you can read <a href="http://love-at-first-write.blogspot.com/2022/01/arc-review-girl-who-fell-beneath-sea-by.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">6) Malinda Lo</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Lo has actually been on my TBR for several years now. For Marie Lu's Warcross tour, she had a Boston with Malinda Lo that I attended and immediately wanted to read <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28096526-a-line-in-the-dark?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=POfenvWZ5g&rank=1" target="_blank">A Line in the Dark</a></i>. I still haven't, buuuut this put Lo on my radar and I DID read<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35224992-last-night-at-the-telegraph-club?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=oas4PpGPQq&rank=1" target="_blank"> <i>Last Night at the Telegraph Club</i></a> in 2021. LAST is an extremely moving work of historical fiction (with a fantastic audiobook narrator) that delved into overlapping minority identities in the 1950's. It was seriously amazing, and made my best of 2021 read recap post over on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXtfWAzFOHy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">7) Marissa Meyer</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Meyer has been on my TBR for a long long time, and within the last year I've read three of her books! I started with <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18584855-heartless?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=5WrckPKfv6&rank=1" target="_blank">Heartless</a></i>, which I almost DNF'd several times and ended up being just a 'meh' experience, but I'm so glad I gave her another chance. I've adored The Lunar Chronicles! I've listened to the audiobooks of both <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36381037-cinder?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=H0j5BINXq4&rank=1" target="_blank">Cinder</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet" target="_blank">Scarlet</a></i> so far and already have the next in the series on hold from my library. I'm planning on trying <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28421168-renegades" target="_blank">Renegades</a></i> as well!</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">8) Darcie Little Badger</h2><div style="text-align: left;">I discovered <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49089632-elatsoe?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=7z8V4nBrim&rank=1" target="_blank">Elatsoe</a></i> on my quest for fantasy standalones and I couldn't be happier. Set in Texas, the the story is steeped in the culture of the Lipan Apache tribe. This book also has Western Fae and Vampires, as well as asexual representation. It’s such a rich and vibrant standalone fantasy, and I’ll definitely be looking out for more from Darcie Little Badger.
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">9) Maureen Johnson</h2><div style="text-align: left;">With Johnson's latest Stevie mystery <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52716736-the-box-in-the-woods" target="_blank">The Box in the Woods</a></i> being a standalone sequel, I thought it'd be the perfect jumping off point as a new reader. They are a great opportunity to 'sample' the characters and world building with the benefit of an all-inclusive plot. No loose ends like a series might have! And if you *do* like it, you can go back and read the original trilogy! All of the Truly Devious books are certainly on my TBR now.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">10) Erin Morgenstern</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Last but certainly not least, another author I read for the first time in 2021 was Erin Morgenstern! I found a signed first edition of her debut, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus" target="_blank">The Night Circus</a></i>, at a local used bookstore and it felt meant to be. A 4-star read for me, ti was utterly charming. It's hard to believe that this was a debut book! I've got <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43575115-the-starless-sea?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=UXdKiBNBvg&rank=1" target="_blank">The Starless Sea</a></i> on my 2022 TBR for sure.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">What Authors </h4><h4 style="text-align: center;">Did You Discover in 2021?</h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
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Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-4924857198205772632022-01-13T09:21:00.004-08:002022-01-13T09:21:45.680-08:00ARC Review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616788834l/56978100.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616788834l/56978100.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />
<br /><p>The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea<br />by Axie Oh<br />Publication Date: February 22nd 2022<br />Publisher: Feiwel & Friends <br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56978100-the-girl-who-fell-beneath-the-sea?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=vSwjwnKwA2&rank=2" target="_blank">The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea</a><br />Rating: 5/5</p>
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<p>**An ARC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**</p>
<p>The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a stunning new fantasy standalone from Axie Oh.With Mina's world devastated by storms from the spirit realm, she can't bear to see the love of her brother's life sacrificed to the Sea God and jumps into the sea herself.</p>
<p> Finding herself surprisingly not dead, Mina wakes up to an unwelcoming Spirit World that she initially struggles to navigate. This is where I really see the comparison to Spirited Away, but Axie Oh really takes the 'mortal in the spirit world' concept and makes it her own! This new world and the spirits, gods, and demons that live there are both obstacles and friends to help her find her voice, her path, and her resolution. While the magical and dangerous surrounds her on all sides, her supposedly powerful Sea God appears to be a peaceful sleeping boy. Can she wake him out of his curse to stop the storms threatening her family? </p>
<p>What makes this novel so special is Mina as a character. She's so compassionate and empathetic, and cares so much for her family and her mortal world. The way she handles not only her friends but also her enemies really speaks to her nature and made me love her and her story all the more.</p>
<p>The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea will be a gem of an addition of every bookshelf in 2022. Join Mina as she navigates her red string of fate, powerful spirits, a lost god, and her heart.</p>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-90019730896522319862021-12-03T09:35:00.005-08:002021-12-12T17:52:31.928-08:00ALC Review: All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614263614l/56179338.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614263614l/56179338.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>All of Us Villains<br />by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman<br />Publication Date: November 9th 2021<br />Publisher: Tor Teen
<br />Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56179338-all-of-us-villains" target="_blank">All of Us Villains</a><br />Rating: 5/5</p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
**An ALC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**<p><i>All of Us Villains</i> is a new fantasy duology that you’d have to pay me to shut up about. It was action-packed yet still had a well developed world and well developed characters. Every 20 years, seven families send a family champion to compete in a magical fight to the death. The winner’s family get sole access to the town stores of high magic until the next tournament. This tournament is a magical curse upon the town, and any families that fail to send a champion get a member of their family killed by the curse at random. Foody and Herman took the ‘games’ trope and made it totally unique. I love the concept that a curse is what forces and maintains the games and their violence. It makes for an exceptionally eerie and tragic backdrop to the plot and to the character’s motivations.</p>
<p>Other perks? </p>
<p>-Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman co-wrote. I’d be curious to know the breakdown of who wrote what because the entire book felt so cohesive. This writing duo was meant to be!</p>
<p>-Multiple POV’s that are all well-developed! I feel like most books always have thaaat character that you’re struggling to get through when it’s their turn to POV but that was not the case with <i>All of Us Villains</i>. I was excited for every single POV change and to listen to all their unique perspectives.</p>
<p>-Book within a book. I love when books have some internal literature and lore! In this case, an in-universe book was written about the cursed tournament and a quote from the book started each chapter.</p>
<p>-Only one bed trope. Without getting into detail I loved forced-proximity tropes and it was so good in this book!</p>
Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-31910535399726547572021-11-09T08:27:00.152-08:002023-06-29T15:48:34.962-07:00Top Ten Tuesday #18<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvAjeqe7StU/YAu0zAPsfyI/AAAAAAAABIY/EARAhfTWvY0AXHyDKkecGam6SVBqMSapACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvAjeqe7StU/YAu0zAPsfyI/AAAAAAAABIY/EARAhfTWvY0AXHyDKkecGam6SVBqMSapACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(50, 50, 50); color: #323232; font-family: "Sorts Mill Goudy"; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "sorts mill goudy";">Created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" style="color: #7dd4b5; text-decoration: none;">The Broke and The Bookish</a> <br />Hosted by <a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/" style="color: #12988f; text-decoration: none;">That Artsy Reader Girl</a></span><div><br /></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: 13pt;">10 Book Quotes That Stuck With Me</span><br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“You’re not destined or chosen, I wish I could tell you that you were if that would make it easier, but it’s not true. You’re in the right place at the right time, and you care enough to do what needs to be done. Sometimes that’s enough."</p><p style="text-align: left;">-The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern</p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: right;">“I can’t blame you.” </div><div style="text-align: right;">“But I can’t let myself need you anymore either."</div><p></p><p style="text-align: right;">-A Kingdom For a Stage by Heidi Heilig</p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“Because time is cruel to all, and crueler still to artists. Because visions weakens, and voices wither, and talent fades.... Because happiness is brief, and history is lasting, and in the end... everyone wants to be remembered.”</p><p style="text-align: left;">-The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab</p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: right;">“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”</p><p style="text-align: right;">-Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen</p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“I think that's what you say when you can't have something you want, isn't it? You say you don't want it in the first place.”</p><p style="text-align: left;">-Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson</p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: right;">“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”</p><p style="text-align: right;">-The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry</p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“It's hard to know that you're flying too high until the feathers start dropping.”</p><p style="text-align: left;">-Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger</p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: right;">“Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. There is only now.”</p><p style="text-align: right;">-Eldest by Christopher Paolini</p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.”</p><p style="text-align: left;">-Divergent by Veronica Roth</p></blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #e8e8ff; background: #E8E8FF; border: 1px dashed rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 10px;"><p style="text-align: right;">“You love me. Real or not real?”
<br />I tell him, “Real.”</p><p style="text-align: right;">-Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins</p></blockquote>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-73506718515280427072021-10-25T09:43:00.000-07:002021-10-25T09:43:01.420-07:00ARC Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627686439l/57789637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="531" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627686439l/57789637.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Daughter of the Moon Goddess</div><div>by Sue Lynn Tan</div><div>Publication Date: January 11th 2022</div><div>Publisher: Harper Voyager</div><div>Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57789637-daughter-of-the-moon-goddess?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=vARIEuQm1d&rank=1" target="_blank">Daughter of the Moon Goddess</a></div><div>Rating: 4/5
<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>**An ARC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**</p><p>
</p><p><i>Daughter of the Moon Goddess</i> was a fantastic debut for Sue Lynn Tan. Our main character, Xingyin, is an immortal so the pacing was really unique in this book. The story takes place over many, many years while Xingyin struggles to try and free her mother from her exile on the moon. The immortal realm and their magic system was well developed and fascinating to read. There are a lot of cool characters in this adventure that each added on to the twists and turns!</p><p>
</p><p>The writing style was absolutely magical, and sucked me right into the scenes I was reading. Xingyin and Liwei have some beautiful platonic and romantic moments together, with prose I'll remember as quotes for a long time.</p>
<p>My one and only qualm was with the pacing of events. As I was reading I was never quite sure what the arc of the story was headed towards because every event and battle seemed like *the* most important. I kept thinking "this seems early/late for a climax" which was a bit off-balance feeling. This book an awesome epic with A LOT of plot crammed into the pages — so just be ready for that and I think this work will blow you away. Seriously, it almost felt like a standalone story, you get a lot of content when you pick up Daughter of the Moon Goddess! It’s marked as a duology so I’m curious to see what’s in store for Xingyin in book two!
</p>
<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-55221404241017314272021-10-20T19:23:00.002-07:002021-10-21T13:16:49.778-07:00 10 Books Perfect for Spooky Season<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zk-vw7vqHHA/YXDGZHhCDGI/AAAAAAAABQk/4cpWPE6L8mI1ol7jZkJzicbam3MxdKIJACLcBGAsYHQ/s520/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-20%2Bat%2B6.40.10%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="520" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zk-vw7vqHHA/YXDGZHhCDGI/AAAAAAAABQk/4cpWPE6L8mI1ol7jZkJzicbam3MxdKIJACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-20%2Bat%2B6.40.10%2BPM.png" /></a></div>
<br /><p style="text-align: center;">The books below contain spooks both natural and supernatural that are perfect for October.</p>
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518809258l/38139409.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518809258l/38139409.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38139409-sawkill-girls" target="_blank">Sawkill Girls</a> by Claire Legrand</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>A monster, a familial curse, and three girls that are too curious and can't let legends stay hidden.</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>*standalone</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610730493l/52858788.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610730493l/52858788.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: right;">2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52858788-within-these-wicked-walls?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=6AWFJpFZCt&rank=1" target="_blank">Within These Wicked Walls</a> by Lauren Blackwood</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>Victorian Gothic lit meets the hot sands of Ethiopia as debtera Andromeda attempts to exorcise a spooky castle and gets more than she bargained for.</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>*standalone</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581002562l/49089632.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="539" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581002562l/49089632.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49089632-elatsoe?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=pAXK6W6lJA&rank=1" target="_blank">Elatsoe</a> by Darcie Little Badger</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>Indigenous legends meet European fae and vampires in this vibrant supernatural fantasy set in Texas.</i></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>*standalone</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613223680l/56382351.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="530" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613223680l/56382351.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: right;">4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56382351-all-these-bodies?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=roLqGUBovO&rank=1" target="_blank">All These Bodies</a> by Kendare Blake</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>A string of serial killings in the 1950's will have you wondering if vampires are real, and what version of events you should believe.</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>*standalone</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518803051l/36220335.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518803051l/36220335.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36220335-for-a-muse-of-fire?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=GhPF5b3dIr&rank=1" target="_blank">For a Muse of Fire</a> by Heidi Heilig</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>Jetta sees spirits and can control them with blood magic. Her world suddenly gets much bigger when she's forced to question her past, her current governing regime, and her future.</i></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>*trilogy</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592500399l/39292592._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592500399l/39292592._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: right;">6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39292592-the-bright-the-pale?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Zs8SqL9app&rank=1" target="_blank">The Bright & The Pale</a> by Jessica Rubinkowski</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>A heist brings Valeria back to her roots on Knnot Mountain, where something sinister still slumbers.</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>*duology</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592740902l/53487133.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592740902l/53487133.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53487133-the-initial-insult?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=YiM5f9AnWa&rank=1" target="_blank">The Initial Insult</a> by Mindy McGinnis</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>A small-town girl enacts her revenge on her best friend turned enemy — the Cask of Amontillado-style.</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>*duology</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562771370l/45872054._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562771370l/45872054._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: right;">8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45872054-the-kingdom-of-back?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=nzIP0pO0C5&rank=1" target="_blank">The Kingdom of Back</a> by Marie Lu</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>When wishes come with consequences, what would you sacrifice to be remembered? A historical fantasy re-imagining of Nannerl and Wolfgang Mozart.</i></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>*standalone</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498361902l/32295486._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498361902l/32295486._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32295486-beyond-a-darkened-shore" target="_blank">Beyond a Darkened Shore</a> by Jessica Leake</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>Rich in Norse and Celtic mythologies, can enemy clans unite to fight an even darker threat?</i></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>*standalone</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348101849l/8608740.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348101849l/8608740.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: right;">10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8608740-department-nineteen?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=a7pfQ29zRp&rank=1" target="_blank">Department Nineteen</a> by Will Hill</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>In a secret organization responsible for policing the supernatural, join Jaime as he attempts to take down a terrifyingly powerful vampire.</i></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>*pentalogy</i></p>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<p style="text-align: center;"><h4 style="font-family: "Sorts Mill Goudy"; font-size: 26px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">What Spooky Books Are You Reading?</h4></p>
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</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-28355077360657969952021-09-30T13:31:00.002-07:002021-09-30T13:31:43.207-07:00Month In Review: September 2021<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ylusPg6U2oA/X8Vdvyq9u7I/AAAAAAAABFw/GsqBgVm-IkcRKDx35i8DyanVSR2i9R5RgCLcBGAsYHQ/s300/MonthinReview.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ylusPg6U2oA/X8Vdvyq9u7I/AAAAAAAABFw/GsqBgVm-IkcRKDx35i8DyanVSR2i9R5RgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/MonthinReview.jpg" width="300" /></a></p><p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(50, 50, 50); color: #323232; font-family: "Sorts Mill Goudy"; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><i>monthly recaps; including life updates, upcoming, and book hauls</i></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(50, 50, 50); color: #323232; font-family: "Sorts Mill Goudy"; font-size: 14px;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">I haven't done one of these posts in a looooong time, but I posted a bit this month, and I've read a lot and have some upcoming posts planned so I find it particularly relevant again!</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(50, 50, 50); color: #323232; font-family: "Sorts Mill Goudy"; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Life Updates</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Life has been so busy these last couple of months! My last update was almost a year ago, when I hadn't even graduated from my master's program yet. Since then I graduated in December of 2020 and started working as a Marketing Specialist in June of 2021. I love my new job, but working a traditional 9-5 has given me less time to blog compared to when I was in school. I've still been pretty active over on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/loveat1stwrite/" target="_blank">bookstagram</a>, but it's a goal of mine to start posting regularly on the blog again soon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Currently Reading</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627686439l/57789637.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="531" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627686439l/57789637.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610386286l/46223472._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610386286l/46223472._SY475_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57789637-daughter-of-the-moon-goddess" target="_blank">Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How gorgeous is this cover?? Daughter of the Moon Goddess is my first 2022 ARC. I'm about halfway through and it's a very rich Chinese Fantasy inspired by the mythology and legend of Chang'e, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the moon goddess.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46223472-the-marvelous" target="_blank">The Marvelous by Claire Kann</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm actually almost done with the audiobook of The Marvelous! I'm at about 70% done. This one has a really cool concept: users of an app are invited to the app creator's house to compete in a mystery game for money. It kind of reminds me of The Westing Game, except contemporary and with a diverse cast. I will say that with such a large cast of characters, I recommend reading over listening to this one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3>My Recent Posts</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://love-at-first-write.blogspot.com/2021/08/alc-review-gearbreakers-by-zoe-hana.html" target="_blank">Review of Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta</a></li><li><a href="http://love-at-first-write.blogspot.com/2021/08/top-ten-tuesday-16.html" target="_blank">Top Ten Tuesday #16</a></li><li><a href="http://love-at-first-write.blogspot.com/2021/09/top-ten-tuesday-17.html" target="_blank">Top Ten Tuesday #17</a></li></ul><h3 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">Coming Soon</h3><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Review of Daughter of the Moon Goddess</li><li>Book lists</li><li>Top Ten Tuesdays</li></ul><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">Book Haul</h3><h2 style="text-align: center;">For Review</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627686439l/57789637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="531" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627686439l/57789637.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613413457l/57001535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613413457l/57001535.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57789637-daughter-of-the-moon-goddess" target="_blank">Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57001535-the-falling-girls?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=yTIkyBCapM&rank=3" target="_blank">The Falling Girls by Hayley Krischer</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2>Bought</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387124618l/9361589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387124618l/9361589.jpg" width="211" /></a><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617986668l/52459864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617986668l/52459864.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532011194l/40874032._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532011194l/40874032._SY475_.jpg" width="209" /></a><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519916942l/26856502._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519916942l/26856502._SY475_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=4eB0eb74BH&rank=1" target="_blank">The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52459864-iron-widow?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Rd74lgk2hP&rank=1" target="_blank">Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40874032-vicious?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=pV93ffmfFb&rank=1" target="_blank">Vicious by V.E. Schwab</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26856502-vengeful?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=eAFPkr5ALc&rank=1" target="_blank">Vengeful by V.E. Schwab</a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="font-family: "Sorts Mill Goudy";">How was your month?</h4></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-80328904982293617682021-09-21T11:13:00.003-07:002023-06-29T16:03:47.669-07:00Top Ten Tuesday #17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvAjeqe7StU/YAu0zAPsfyI/AAAAAAAABIY/EARAhfTWvY0AXHyDKkecGam6SVBqMSapACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvAjeqe7StU/YAu0zAPsfyI/AAAAAAAABIY/EARAhfTWvY0AXHyDKkecGam6SVBqMSapACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(50, 50, 50); color: #323232; font-family: "Sorts Mill Goudy"; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "sorts mill goudy";">Created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" style="color: #7dd4b5; text-decoration: none;">The Broke and The Bookish</a> <br />Hosted by <a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/" style="color: #12988f; text-decoration: none;">That Artsy Reader Girl</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: 13pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">8 Books On My Fall 2021 TBR</span></div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I actually did a really good job of completing my Spring TBR list, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>so hopefully that trend continues with the books below.</i></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1583523112l/48829708.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="526" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1583523112l/48829708.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48829708-to-sleep-in-a-sea-of-stars?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=mUVCD06aG7&rank=1" target="_blank">To Sleep in a Sea of Stars</a> by Christopher Paolini</h4><div><br /></div><p>It's big (800+ pages), it's intimidating, and my goal is to pick it up and finish it before the end of the year. That sounds easy enough, but it's been on my "TBR soon" list since January! I really loved Paolini's Inheritance Cycle and I'm excited to see how he handles the genre of science fiction.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1310649047l/10429045.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1310649047l/10429045.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429045-shatter-me" target="_blank">Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)</a> by Tahereh Mafi<br /></h4><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">The first book in this series is actually the book that has been on my TBR the longest. You know it's been a long time when the books get reprinted with completely different covers (whoops lol). After how fantastic Mafi's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55004121-an-emotion-of-great-delight?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=R3pN0oQ6OW&rank=1" target="_blank">latest standalone</a> was, it feels fitting to go back to this series for my Fall 2021 TBR.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581726516l/48717744.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="529" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581726516l/48717744.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48717744-the-tower-of-nero?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=5cSA4ad3O1&rank=1" target="_blank">The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo #5)</a> by Rick Riordan</h4><div><br /></div><div>I'm actually re-reading this series right now in preparation of reading the finale for the first time! This book came out last October and when my pre-order arrived I was so excited to start it ASAP, but when a series is this long and comes out one book a year, the details start to get fuzzy. I'm actually in the middle of The Burning Maze right now, so autumn sounds like an easy target for me to hit.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1615820793l/43851082._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1615820793l/43851082._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43851082-steelstriker" target="_blank">Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2)</a> by Marie Lu<br /></h4><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">This is an upcoming pre-order of mine that should be arriving any day now! It's the sequel of Lu's latest duology and it pubs on September 28th. I'm so excited to find out what happens next in this vibrant sci-fi dystopian world. </div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597318300l/48806694._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597318300l/48806694._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48806694-ariadne" target="_blank">Ariadne</a> by Jennifer Saint</h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I absolutely love greek mythology and myth retellings so of course I was drawn to this one! I actually have it on hold at my library right now, so I plan on reading it whenever it's my turn to check it out. Madeline Miller has set the bar pretty high for the niche of “greek myth retelling standalones," so I have some high expectations for Jennifer Saint.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613413457l/57001535.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613413457l/57001535.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57001535-the-falling-girls?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=zQ16lU8WyM&rank=2" target="_blank">The Falling Girls</a> by Hayley Krischer<br /></h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">I have a physical ARC of this book, thanks to <a href="https://booksparks.com" target="_blank">Booksparks</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/razorbillbooks?lang=en" target="_blank">Razorbill</a>, that I'm planning to read before the pub date on October 5th. The synopsis of best friends growing apart and trying to find out who they want to be (tinted with a murder mystery) is all right up my alley, so I'm really excited for this one! </div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610730493l/52858788.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610730493l/52858788.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52858788-within-these-wicked-walls?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UbS6QL32Yg&rank=2" target="_blank">Within These Wicked Walls</a> by Lauren Blackwood</h4><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fantasy standalones are so rare that they feel like precious gems when I come across one! Within These Wicked Walls is is Blackwood's debut, and the description of an Ethiopian fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre had me scrambling to get a copy! I am so fascinated to read how fantasy and gothic spooks and Ethiopian culture will blend together in this one, but I'll have to wait until October 19th to find out.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610730335l/53086843.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610730335l/53086843.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53086843-you-ve-reached-sam?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GCy1PybMuq&rank=1" target="_blank">You've Reached Sam</a> by Dustin Thao<br /></h4><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;">I won a ARC of this book in a Wednesday Books giveaway recently, and I'm so dazzled by the gorgeous cover. It looks like it will be a sad and/or bittersweet book, as the synopsis is about a girl moving on from the death of her boyfriend, and having a second chance at goodbye. This one is slated to pub on November 9th!</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;">What's On Your Fall TBR?</h4><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7087044701259936546.post-78787832283859757922021-08-31T18:52:00.001-07:002022-09-09T15:41:38.229-07:00ALC Review: Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta<div>
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600090651l/54017833.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600090651l/54017833.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Gearbreakers</div><div>by Zoe Hana Mikuta </div><div>Publication Date: June 29th 2021 </div><div>Publisher: Feiwel Friends</div><div>Find This Book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54017833-gearbreakers" target="_blank">Gearbreakers</a></div><div>Rating: 4/5</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>**An Advanced Listening Copy was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**<p></p>
<p>Zoe Hana Mikuta’s stellar debut is an intense dystopian sci-fi about the country of Godolia and their army of Windups. Mikuta’s take on mechas (a 200-foot giant humanoid robot suit that has a pilot inside) was refreshing and dynamic. One of our story’s main characters, Sona, is one such pilot. Our other MC is Eris, a Gearbreaker, who’s one mission is to fight Godolia and destroy the existing Windups.</p>
<p>When Eris is captured on a Gearbreaker mission, she’s thrown into the midst of her enemy with no friendly faces. Or are there? Sona is a victim of Godolia’s cruelty too, but sided with them because she had nowhere else to turn to. She sees escape in Eris, a place to run to. As they team up and plan their deadliest mission yet, Eris and Sona have to learn to trust each other—as teammates, friends, and perhaps something more...</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">The Pros:</h3><p>-Well developed sci-fi/dystopian world as the backdrop to the story<br />-Cool giant robots
<br />-Amazing character creation and development. You will grow attached to Eris and Sona, as well as several of their friends! It’s always an amazing thing when a book is driven by fantastic characters, and Mikuta has done so with this debut.<br />-Catherine Ho and Cindy Kay are fantastic narrators who each bring such vibrant life to these characters and their story.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">The Cons: </h3><p>-The book ends in a cliff-hanger that will leave you dying for book two. With how attached to the characters I became, and with the ambiguous ending, I’m hanging off the edge of my seat over here!</p>
</div>Nikki Sojkowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15662168008916774390noreply@blogger.com0