This fast-paced graphic novel set in an alternate 1900s Asia will definitely have you on the edge of your seat. With nearly an entire cast of female characters, Monstress explores the world of a young woman who’s slowly realizing that her mother left her with a little gift. This novel is atmospheric. The illustrations were moody and dark with many gorey depictions. It’s kind of wild because in one scene, you’ll see this massive eye-filled monster devouring lives like they were Tic-Tacs, but then the next scene features a cute fox kid and so many cats. It was a nice balm to the more gruesome aspects of the novel.
I also really liked the Maiko. It was obvious from the story that she’s experienced some pretty tough times in her life only to head into more trouble and even more difficult times. I definitely felt her confusion and wanted to reach into the book and help her, which is always a good sign that I’m liking the character. It was also the main driving force of me reading the book.
While Monstress was a beautifully drawn world filled with wild monsters and super cute cats with a ton of tails, I wanted more. A lot of explanation kind of happened while you were reading, so there wasn’t much explanation on why things were happening or the importance and significance of those situations. There were interludes throughout the story that made room to explain, but even those were a lot of information at one time. While I’m not adverse to being dropped into a scene right at the beginning (I honestly thought I missed a prequel or something), I need the life substance of world building to really get me into the story.
Happy book birthday to all the great new books in the world! I feel like each week this September has just been one big surprise after another. One big book publishing after another! This week is no exception as we dive into my current read and some more highly anticipated books being published. Here’s what I’m excited for:
When you’re current read is also being published and you haven’t finished reading the book! That’s how I feel as I approach Tuesday and my sixth day of reading To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. To be honest, my reading life has been a little iffy. I can’t seem to focus on the words and spending more time dumping thoughts into my journal than actually reading pages. But I feel like I’m coming back from that feeling and really starting to get through the book. So far, it’s really good, but it is dense. There’s a lot going on with its single perspective, its main character, and the intrigue throughout the story is quite palatable. I would strongly recommend this book if you’re a fan of science fiction or even fantasy. It’s quite easy to read too without a lot of jargon or lyrical writing. I’ll most definitely be sharing more thoughts when I’m done.
During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she’s delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move.
As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact isn’t at all what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human.
While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation. Now, Kira might be humanity’s greatest and final hope . . .”
From the brilliant mind behind Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell comes a much smaller book! LOL, I’m only kidding. But seriously, Susanna Clark has a new book out and I can’t wait to read it.
Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.
There is one other person in the house-a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.
For readers of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane and fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, Piranesi introduces an astonishing new world, an infinite labyrinth, full of startling images and surreal beauty, haunted by the tides and the clouds.
All I’ve seen are really good reviews for Legendborn. I keep seeing this make its way through the bookstagram community and I’m so excited it’s finally out in the world. I might need to order this one as well. Good grief, where’s my money going?
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.
A flying demon feeding on human energies.
A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.
And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.
The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.
She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.
I feel like 2020 is the year of the spooky books. So many gothic stories like Mexican Gothic and Catherine House are being published, but also excitement around Rebecca being made into a movie. I find myself loving these stories and Horrid is no exception.
Following her father’s death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor’s doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone…and more tormented.
As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident “bad seed,” struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane’s mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won’t reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the “storage room” her mom has kept locked isn’t for storage at all–it’s a little girl’s bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears…. Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more…horrid?
Recently, I’ve been reading a lot of slow burning books. It wasn’t by choice because I don’t read reviews before I start a new book. I just stumble across slower stories. And in the past, I’ve been upset that they moved so slowly. Back when I was a much younger reader, I wanted to read fast. I wanted a story that moved as quickly as possible so it felt like I was watching a movie-quality action film than actually reading a book.
Slow burning stories are a bit of a mixed bag. Some folks absolutely love them. They love languishing in the language and beautiful writing. But others hate them with the heat of a thousand burning suns. They want a story that moves and I completely understand that. It’s even more difficult to know a book will be a slow burn because no one mentions pacing in the synopsis.
However, I’ve noticed that my reading life’s changed a little in this regard. I find myself reading and thoroughly enjoying a slow burn. I always find it interesting when my brain goes from one position and then suddenly changes its mind. I mean, I’m always changing my mind about things but that comes with being open-minded and letting in thoughts that differ from your own. Somehow over the past couple of months living at home and reading the books, I’ve come to appreciate the slow burn more.
I think the main factor that really made me appreciate the slow burn (and you’re going to laugh at this one) was anime especially ones like Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. If you haven’t watched anime or Naruto, you should know that anime most definitely takes advantage of the slow burn. For some anime shows, there’s these long stretches where 10 episodes are dedicated to one battle. Each episode has them just stare each other down the entire time, but then you get the interesting backstory about the villain or the hero. It’s almost a complete sidebar that contributes to the head canon, but doesn’t contribute to the main character and their story.
And after nearly 1000 episodes (Viz Media milked this series for every single dime it was worth) of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden combined, I now have the patience of a cat stalking its prey. I’m pretty sure I can meditate for hours without interruption. I think I might have superpowers as well.
Perhaps it’s because we’re stuck at home that I have the time to dedicate to a slow burn. I don’t have to go anywhere (I mean, there’s nowhere to go), so sitting down with a long and slow read is almost a vacation from the fast-paced world of reading books and writing reviews. I’ve come to enjoy slow burns so much that I can’t handle the speed of a faster paced novel. Here’s an example:
I recently felt this shift while reading The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson. While it was intricate and interesting with some deeper themes throughout, I couldn’t get over the fact that it moved so quickly. I honestly felt like the old man with a cane yelling at the young whipper-snapper to slow the heck down! I’m literally mad that this book read so quickly and it surprised me.
How am I disliking a fast book? There’s so many advantages to reading something that moves quickly. First, you get the book done faster! There’s not languishing on language. There’s no backstory about how the main character did some thing before becoming the greatest ever. It’s all implied or not as important as the main story taking place.
Then I think about Naruto again. I think about how you watched him practice the same jutsu nonstop for a week (and took breaks to eat vile energy balls) until he figured out how to do it. I think about the intricate stories that starts during the first few seasons of Naruto and then carry itself through to Shippuden. I think what I love more than a fast-burn is a slow burn that surprises you with its intricacies. It might sound tedious, but knowing that he worked his butt off to figure out how to do a complicated task is much more interesting than a ready-made character who picks up a sword for the first time and knows exactly how to use it.
One of the drawbacks of the quicker paced novel is that you don’t get to see this kind of growth. It also feels implausible that someone is able to figure out magic components or wield a sword when all they’ve done up to that point was live a servant’s life. There’s also the concern that much of the story won’t be explained because the focus is getting the MC from point A to point B. Let me see how tirelessly it was to put together a battle plan. Explain to me how the knife has like magical powers imbued into it. Tell me about the ancients and the batshit crazy things they used to do. I think what gets sacrificed the most in a faster book is world building and while I’m fine with a looser world where you can imagine more, I much prefer the author taking a moment to explain everything to me. If it happens in the headcanon and contributes to the overall story, then bring it. Although, I will say I was bored to tears during the grass and harvesting chapters of Anna Karenina.
I’ve come to appreciate the journey and the destination. If we were all so excited about the ending, then we would all just skim the whole book to get there. But for me, it’s about the little things. It’s about the deep emotions of one character for another. It’s how the author cleverly moves the story to the end.
What about you? Are you a slow burn reader or do you like a story that moves?
I started reading this book because I was a little bit in my head. The past couple of days have been tough for me, so I decided to give myself a break and read something lighthearted and fun. This book did not disappoint!
Wanted: One (fake) boyfriend Practically perfect in every way
Luc O’Donnell is tangentially–and reluctantly–famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he’s never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad’s making a comeback, Luc’s back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.
To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He’s a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he’s never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.
But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that’s when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don’t ever want to let them go.
My Thoughts
Why do I find the books I really love the most difficult to review? This was such a funny and light read filled with lots of emotions and heart. It reminded me a lot of Bridget Jones’ Diary. Except instead of it being Bridget falling in love with Mark Darcy, it’s Luc falling in love with Mark Darcy. Of course, it’s not entirely like Bridget, but it has a lot of the same characterizations. It features a messy Luc who’s trying to figure out his life, but also needing a boyfriend for the big non profit dinner. It has the straight-laced Oliver (who is also a barrister like Mark Darcy) who has one of those personalities that makes you surprised that he’s fallen in love with someone. Then, it’s got the cast of secondary characters that really bring this book to life. I loved the secondary characters as much as I loved Luc and Oliver.
And let me tell you, folks. We must protect Luc and Oliver with everything we have! Their relationship throughout the novel was really the star of the show. I know there’s some side story with Luc and his parents, but it really was Luc and Oliver that I was looking for in every chapter. I loved how they grew from two very opposite people to people who love each other for it. Luc is kinda messy while he’s trying to figure out the next part of his life. Oliver is so grown up and serious, but also opens up like a big old sunflower.
But I think what I absolutely loved was the tenderness between these two. As their charade continues, you start to see Luc and Oliver fall in love a little. You see Luc get a little bit more awkward trying to impress Oliver and you see Oliver open up from his uptight persona. There was a caring between these two that made me so jealous. Even the sex scene was more romantic than the sex scenes of my real life. Gah, I have to admit I was falling in love with love with this book.
I laughed so hard at this book too. This is one of those books that are supported by the secondary characters. There were so many funny lines and scenes. I mean even calling Luc’s job a non-profit support “beetles that eat shit” is hilarious. OMG, I must give props to a book that uses “bellend” throughout the novel. I mean, it’s an English story so I’m not surprised that it’s used, but I’ve never heard anyone outside of Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear use it. LOL! Yup, that’s the humor in this book, folks.
Of course, lots of representation in this book as well. I loved that Alexis Hall made this feel like a book in England with all the different faces and people that inhabit the story. And he didn’t skimp on bringing these characters to life. Each was so real to me and made the story much more fun and interesting to read.
Overall, a lovable story with so much queer joy. I’ve never read anything else by Alexis Hall, but this has most definitely put him on my radar.
I really went back and forth with my thoughts on this book. On one hand, I really liked it. On the other hand, I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. I loved the surprises around every corner, but I also didn’t like that everything (even characters) were a surprise. How do you enjoy a story, but not enjoy the experience of reading it?
Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.
On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.
But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.
My Thoughts
I love science fiction stories like this one. While I’m a huge fan of space operas and traveling to other planets and exploring the worlds there within, I love keeping it on planet Earth and diving into the fiction of science fiction. Everything from time travel to multiverse existence always excites me. The Space Between Worlds was definitely right up my alley.
I felt like there were multiple dichotomies happening at the same time here. First, there’s Cara’s journeys through the multiverses. As a person who only has 8 surviving dopplegangers in the 382 worlds that exist in this story, she’s the one who can travel to most worlds without the concerns of Nyame and the space/time continuum destroying her. This was the first “between” place and Johnson does an incredible job with describing Cara’s emotions as she travels. I love the idea of Nyame wrapping you in her blanket of multiverse and how each trip for Cara affects her emotionally.
Then there’s the dichotomy of the two cities; Ashtown and Wiley City. Ashtown is filled with low-income folks, criminals, and sex workers all trying to make money and survive with an Emperor who prefers pain and suffering and power over the lives of his subjects. Wiley City is a massive skyscraper where people work and live together. Depending on your wealth, you can live in the comfort of this place without worries over money. For Cara and her dopplegangers, Ashtown was always home and the only place she knows. Then she lives in Wiley City and understands the comforts of being there and tries her best to preserve that.
I love that there’s this class dichotomy here. The uber rich against the lowly poor. There’s also the conversation of race as dark-skinned people mostly live in Ashtown and are subject to the brutal sun (this world’s ozone barely protects humans) and light-skinned people live in Wiley City with filtered lights that protect their skin. I absolutely loved that Cara was the go-between in so many different ways. She’s seen life of the uber wealthy. She’s lived her life as a sex worker. She knows exactly how each world lives and can thus adjust herself accordingly. I love with this knowledge she’s able to be the person to uncover the realities of these worlds and the people who run them.
Then there’s the dichotomy of power. Two brothers who fight for seat of power; one using his mind to create his ideal universe and the other who inherits his throne and selfishly runs it with an overinflated ego. To be honest, there’s so many different topics this book brings up in such a clever way. The way the book is written and the world is set up, it brings a lot of the real world social issues we see and makes them a part of this narrative. With Cara playing the go-between, readers are able to see both sides of the coin and it’s so obvious that not everything in both these towns is black and white.
I was worried this would be another character-driven novel, but there were some excellent twists and surprises all throughout. I won’t spoil them, but I will say the book wasn’t boring. I also appreciated that the book didn’t go too deeply into the quantum mechanics. While it’s loosely based on the theory, it wasn’t too overwhelming to make it difficult for the average reader to understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get into science fiction, but doesn’t know where to start.
I also loved the relationships Cara had with other characters. Johnson really dove into the complexity of these relationships and made her secondary characters feel just as important as Cara. First, there’s Dell. Dell is Cara’s “handler” when she travels through the multiverse. She’s also had a massive crush on her ever since she met her, so there’s a little “office romance,” if you will. I also loved Cara’s stepsister and stepbrother and even the religion that Esther is a big part of. I also found Cara’s relationship with Nik Nik (the Emperor of Ashtown) to be quite dynamic. Honestly, I loved the dynamics of every relationship in this book.
However, I couldn’t get into the writing style. Much of my criticism is about the way this story is written. The beginning of the story felt clunky while Johnson goes into details on how the world works. There were some instances where I wasn’t sure which character was speaking. There were moments where I was confused by the actions the main character would take because I had no idea where they would lead. There was also the big question of “why?” any of this was happening. I wanted there to be more clarity so that I could understand the rest of the story.
I felt like in an effort to keep as much close to the chest, Johnson kept too much too close where almost every single page there’s a big reveal. I like it when authors reveal villains to be one way or another, but I’m not a big fan when everything (even simple conversations) felt like they were surprises around every corner.
Finally, the ending wasn’t my favorite. I liked where the story was going about halfway through and the character’s decisions made sense, but it felt anti-climactic. I wanted there to be way more than we were given, but I also don’t fault the author for ending the story the way they wanted.
Overall, this is a great story for anyone who’s interested in science fiction and wants to read something that isn’t too heavy on the theory and filled with those action packed surprises. It’s a good starter for anyone new to the genre. However, the writing style and pacing of the story really threw me off and personally affected my enjoyment of the story. I’ll definitely be reading more from Micaiah Johnson in the future.
Thanks to Crown Publishing for a gifted copy of this book.
Another Tuesday, another great day of books being published. While today’s list is a little small, it’s quite mighty. One of these books I’ve already tried to read. One of these books comes from a series I’ve been wanting to read. One of these books is brand new to my radar, but I cannot wait to read. Let’s see if you can guess which one is which! Just kidding, here’s what I’m excited that’s out in the world today.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve tried to read The House in the Cerulean Sea three times. I tried twice with an audiobook and then once with the ebook I got from the library. Well, my brain wasn’t really paying attention during the audiobook and my ebook was a loan from the library, so that went back before I even finished the book. But as they say, fourth time’s the charm! Let’s dive in.
Here’s More About The House in the Cerulean Sea
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
My Thoughts
This book was a massive bear hug from a close friend who just wanted to share some love. If I could describe love, it would be this book. Because it’s about love, about acceptance, about changing your perspective, and about being wholeheartedly yourself. Double props go to this book for also making me cry. Seriously, I cried. And I wish I can say it was just a solemn tear after a beautiful read, but it wasn’t. It was ugly and my heart melted into a candy puddle.
I love that we follow this book through Linus’s perspective. He starts off as this pretty boring social worker who goes to various orphanages that house magical children with extraordinary powers. He’s very by-the-book and the kind of guy you think would blow the whistle at the slightest rule-breaking. This goes double for Lucy aka Lucifer, who is the son of the devil. But then you see him figuratively and literally “loosen his tie” and open up during his time on the island. His observations on Arthur and how the little orphanage takes care of themselves. I loved watching him grow and open up; it was such a beautiful sight especially as the last person you would think to open up like that.
I think my favorite part of the novel was watching Linus go from lowly office worker who has nothing to look forward to become someone who cares more deeply about the children he was forced to observe and report. I loved that he looked back at his work at the end and realized that his apathy left these children without a home or people to care for them.
The children were also stars of this book. Chauncey was a mysterious green blob of a human, but he dreams of being a bellhop in the future. Lucy is the anti-Christ, but he’s just a young boy who loves to play and suffers through some terrible nightmares. Talia is a bearded gnome who loves her garden and growing flowers. Sal is a bigger kid who’s very shy and when he’s scared, he turns into a tiny white fluffy dog. Honestly, this cast of kids reminded me a lot of anime (I know, here we go again with the anime comparisons), but having a cast of characters all with their own special powers that only define a small fraction of who they are is one of my favorite parts of this book.
And Arthur. OMG, ARTHUR. In my head, I imagined him as Tom Hiddleston with his cool collected calm, but the fierceness inside him to protect the children from anyone. I loved that Arthur and Linus complemented each other. One was serious and the other a little bit more relaxed, but both fiercely loving these children like their own. I most definitely ship them.
Of course, there’s animosity. I mean, these are kids who have magical powers and not all of them look like your average kid. So there are people who will treat them differently, treat them as a threat and an enemy just because of the way they look. There’s even the bigger DICOMY government-run orphanage that see these kids more as a burden to society they have to work with than what they really are; they’re just kids.
There’s heaps of growth from everyone all around. The kids grow to love another adult who journeys to the island; an adult who has a position to close their orphanage and kick these children out. Even some of the stories from the kids describes their poor journeys through several orphanages only to be kicked out.
I can see what other people’s gripes are about the book. The main character is difficult to like. The story doesn’t further explain the magical children and why they are the way they are. There isn’t some wild plot to follow either. However, I don’t find fault in these things. Approaching this book is similar to approaching general fiction or literary fiction. Not all science fiction or fantasy novels need to be action packed. Some novels are more about the connection between humans or the bigger and more complex themes of our existence and you have to give this book credit for discussing the biggest theme; that humans are most definitely capable of change.
Today I’m sharing a new feature to my blog: Patreon Picks. Every couple of weeks, I’ll be asking my patrons on Patreon what blog post they would like to see. I shared a few different suggestions and they all voted. And the votes are in. This week’s Patreon Picks is a look at how I pick my monthly TBR. I just recently shared my TBR for September too, but excited to get into the details on how I decide which out of the dozens of books I want to read.
Happy September! First, let’s get it out of the way: I can’t believe it’s already September. I feel like we all went into quarantine a month ago and not six months ago. I would be lying if I said it didn’t affect my mental health or my reading life. Each month has been different with its very own ups and downs. Last month, it definitely affected me. This month, I’ve decided to change the way I put these TBRs together.
While I can only read eight books a month, I continue to challenge my reading habits and try and read more. August was tough especially with my mental health waxing and waning with the moon. But a new month is a new opportunity for me to do better, so September, I wanted to continue having some big TBRs.
So this month, I’m going a little bit more aggressive with my TBR including two 800+ page novels. However, I want to change the name from TBR to “Hopefuls.” Because let’s be honest, all my books are to be read. I feel like I read eight books a month only to receive 20 more books next month. Maybe if I give up sleep then I’ll be able to read them all.
Usually I’m scrambling a day or two before the beginning of the new month to figure out what I want to read. I haven’t figured out the process yet, but I feel like I’m getting it down. Maybe I’ll share those insights and share them with you all.
For September, my main focus is to read what I have on Netgalley. I’m quite behind on my reviews (I mean, who isn’t), but there’s going to be concerted effort to really get these books read and reviewed. I also want to read some new books I’ve received as well as start some books that have been out forever and have sequels coming up in the next few months.
Today is a rare event where the first day of the month also happens to be a publishing Tuesday. Also, this Tuesday and the rest of the month is publishing some incredible fiction. I hope you all get a chance to dive into some great reads and find your next favorite story.
Today’s publishing day is just the tip of the iceberg, but the books publishing today are high on my most anticipated reads. I was a little nervous that so many books pushed their pub dates back because of COVID, but now it feels like such a treat during some pretty depressing times. There’s many publishing today, but I’m most excited for:
I think the entire bookish world is ready for Yaa Gyasi’s newest book. I remember reading Homegoing and feeling the transformative nature of Gyasi’s writing throughout the pages. That book was also so well put together and the timelines were hard to ignore when you were reading. But now her latest novel is out in the world and I think the entire world is ready to read it.
Gifty is a sixth-year PhD candidate in neuroscience at the Stanford University School of Medicine studying reward-seeking behavior in mice and the neural circuits of depression and addiction. Her brother, Nana, was a gifted high school athlete who died of a heroin overdose after an ankle injury left him hooked on OxyContin. Her suicidal mother is living in her bed. Gifty is determined to discover the scientific basis for the suffering she sees all around her.
But even as she turns to the hard sciences to unlock the mystery of her family’s loss, she finds herself hungering for her childhood faith and grappling with the evangelical church in which she was raised, whose promise of salvation remains as tantalizing as it is elusive. Transcendent Kingdom is a deeply moving portrait of a family of Ghanaian immigrants ravaged by depression and addiction and grief–a novel about faith, science, religion, love. Exquisitely written, emotionally searing, this is an exceptionally powerful follow-up to Gyasi’s phenomenal debut.
At first, I thought this was going to be another graphic novel. But then on further inspection, I realized this is a ghost story featuring a novice brujo, magic, and a little romance. If you combine romance and magic together, you will see me pick up this dang book. Not to mention that it’s representative and inclusive! You have my full attention!
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
I already fell in love with Alyssa Cole’s writing when I read her A Princess in Theory series and her An Extraordinary Union. But when I found out she’s branching into the thriller category with a “Rear Window”-style story, I knew I would be breaking my habit of not reading thrillers to make room for this one.
Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…
Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo.
But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.
When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear?
I already loved this vampire series Jennifer L Arementrout put out earlier this year and I can’t believe the sequel is already ready to be read and received by her adoring fans. I truly love JLA’s writing and style of storytelling, so I know I’ll happily devour this one as well.
A Betrayal…
Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.
A Choice….
Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.
A Secret…
But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.
Simone and Her Books 