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I know I said I was going to start book blogging on Readarella again; but I didn’t really have a MMM topic to think about this week. And I’m feeling super behind on my October TBR (which I still haven’t even finished that blog post yet either) so I figured this would push me to read more this week. My October Challenge is what usually introduces me to my next favorite book or series and after the last few years lacking in reading I’m really hoping this year I can try to build it all back up.
My TBR is never ending as it is, so why did I rejoin NetGalley and request books for review? Cause I’m clearly on some bullshit lol. Maybe running from demons I can’t identify at the moment. A sure way to tell is compulsive shopping or taking on another 5 projects.
But I also seem to always push myself the hardest in Fall/October. And without being able to decorate for Fall how I want to because of the move and replacing things I guess I decided to just jump into more projects.
That’s anxiety for you; half the time you don’t know what the hell you’re doing, your soul is just doing its own thing and you’re like “oh ok, I guess this is what we’re doing this week,”
This week I’m trying to work through a few books;
For Review;
Broken Wish (The Mirror #1) by Julie C. Dao
| 1865
Hanau, Germany
Sixteen-year-old Elva has a secret. She has visions and strange powers that she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about what happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. She’s heard the terrible things people say about the Witch of the North Woods, and the malicious hunts that follow. But when Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror and its owner—none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it’s too late.
This is one I got for review from NetGalley and I’m so shocked Hyperion liked me enough to approve me! So I don’t want to let them down lol. I didn’t finish Julie’s debut novel The Forest of a Thousand Lanterns though I plan to some time in November. I’m not too far into this one but OMG Elva’s dad is possibly THE WORST. He’s so controlling and just the dang worst. I keep waiting for him to go missing or something so that Elva and her mom are free to be who they are.
The Poppy and the Rose by Ashlee Cowles
1912: Ava Knight, a teen heiress, boards the Titanic to escape the shadow of her unstable mother and to fulfill her dream of becoming a photographer in New York. During the journey she meets three people who will change her life: a handsome sailor, a soldier in the secret Black Hand society that will trigger World War I, and a woman with clairvoyant abilities. When disaster strikes the ship, family betrayals come to light.
2010: When Taylor Romano arrives in Oxford for a summer journalism program, something feels off. Not only is she greeted by a young, Rolls Royce-driving chauffeur, but he invites her to tea with Lady Mae Knight of Meadowbrook Manor, an old house with a cursed history going back to the days of Henry VIII. Lady Knight seems to know a strange amount about Taylor and her family problems, but before Taylor can learn more, the elderly woman dies, leaving as the only clue an old diary. With the help of the diary, a brooding chauffeur, and some historical sleuthing, Taylor must uncover the link between Ava’s past and her own….
I just realized these two are a bit of historical fiction which is interesting. I don’t spend much time in that genre but I guess I figure now is the time to start! I use to be such a history nerd as a kid, I don’t know what happened. Me and one of my BFF’s would randomly swap facts we knew/discovered through out the day and it was the best. But we stopped. I should bring it back up again. I’m super excited to read this one soon; I like reading things about the Titanic and World Wars!
TBR;
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig
Four of Annaleigh Thaumas’s eleven sisters have returned to the Salt, the brackish water that surrounds their lonely island home, their lives cut short, each more tragically than the last. Whispers throughout the Highmoor estate say the girls have been cursed by the gods.
When Annaleigh finds out that her sisters have been sneaking out to attend glittering midnight balls and dance until dawn, she’s not sure whether to stop them–or join them. And when she begins to see a series of horrific, ghostly visions and more sisters die, she realizes she must solve the mystery–with the help of Cassius, a sea captain who knows much more about her than he should–and unravel the Thaumas curse before she descends into madness or . . . it claims her next.
I got this from Owlcrate awhile ago, I also pre-ordered it. I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings, esp 12 Dancing Princesses themed ones. I had gotten one for review a few years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since! Add in a creepy setting. The sea and a Gothic vibe? I’M SO THERE.
Kindle Unlimited;
Captive Hearts of Oz (Vol 1) by Ryo Maruya & Mamenosuke Fujimaru
Dorothy, along with her beloved dog Toto, finds herself whisked away by a tornado to the mysterious land of Oz. Something about this strange place feels oddly familiar, but Dorothy just wants to go home. Following the advice of a kindly Witch, Dorothy must travel to the Emerald City and seek out the Wizard of Oz, who alone has the power to send her back to her world. Alongside a trio of fascinating new companions, and a mysterious young man known as “Zero,” Dorothy must follow the Yellow Brick Road on her journey to escape Oz and some of its less than friendly denizens, the evil Witches. Yet even though all this seems to be happening for the first time, Dorothy feels as if they have all met before… Buried secrets and conflicted romance await Dorothy as she travels through the wonderful land of Oz!
I don’t know when KU started including manga BUT I AM HERE FOR IT. I use to collect the Marvel Wizard of Oz comic books then the graphic novels. I haven’t come across this before but when I saw it on KU I absolutely had to pick it up! It’s the cutest WoO shit I’ve ever seen! If WoO was an anime it would be this. I’m enjoying this so much. I’m not sure how many are in this series and I don’t usually buy manga but I wanted to start! And I think I just found the first one I want to start with!
Audio Book;
You (You #1) by Caroline Kepnes
Love hurts…
When aspiring writer Guinevere Beck strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe works, he’s instantly smitten. Beck is everything Joe has ever wanted: She’s gorgeous, tough, razor-smart, and as sexy as his wildest dreams.
Beck doesn’t know it yet, but she’s perfect for him, and soon she can’t resist her feelings for a guy who seems custom made for her. But there’s more to Joe than Beck realizes, and much more to Beck than her oh-so-perfect façade. Their mutual obsession quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences . . .
A chilling account of unrelenting passion, Caroline Kepnes’s You is a perversely romantic thriller that’s more dangerously clever than any you’ve read before.
Am I late to the party? Yes. Do I regret it? Not really. Someone I follow on GoodReads suggested to listen to the audio book as it’s read by the guy who played Hans in Frozen. I started late yesterday afternoon and I’m already on chapter 10, I am OBSESSED with this book. I’m a bit obsessed with Joe and I love that me and my sister can talk about Joe in such a normal context. Am I wishing I had read this sooner? No. Considering the SAD and how my life is atm this is the PERFECT read for me.
Is this ambitious? ABSOFUCKINLUTLY.
But that’s just how I roll and it’s even worse in Oct. I have high hopes to finish most of these at least within the month if not this following week. And I REALLY need to get that Oct Challenge blog post up as well. Like, TOMORROW. Okay maybe not tomorrow, I’m not gonna do that to myself, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE.
What are you reading this week?
Oh man, I remember when I used to review books. That was a lifetime ago.
I think about returning to my old life every once in a while, and then I change my mind.
Lol I totally get that; the older I get the more I find myself reaching for the old me. Being an adult is tough.