Monday, September 30, 2024

*Top Ten Tuesday* Books I Bought Because of the Hype



Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is supposed to be books I read or avoided because of the hype, but I'm shifting it just a little to be books that I've bought at the thrift store because of hype. Most of the books on this list are books that I just bought this week (except for the last three because I needed to get to ten). So here we go, ten books that I bought because of hype (and I'm totes going to read them, eventually I'm sure). 


Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
This one is honestly mostly a name recognition thing rather than the book specifically, and fortunately I have Six of Crows as an ebook. 


The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
My Facebook wife is a huge Richelle Mead fan, so I pretty much always pay attention when I see her name on the shelves. 


The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
I see this author shouted from the rooftops pretty much any time people ask for good thriller recommendations, and since we're heading into spooky season, I just had to grab it. 


Graceling by Kristin Cashore
I managed to grab this one and Fire at the thrift store today, based purely on author name recognition.


Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Do I even have to explain the hype on this one? Honestly it's more surprising that I didn't already own it because I always buy her books when I find them (I just don't often find them at the thrift store). 


Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This is another one that has gotten tons of hype on the internets, and I have Amazon Prime so I could totally stream the show after I read the book of course. 


Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
This book has been all over the place. I personally anticipate enjoying this book since I've liked other books I've read by Kingsolver. But the copy I found is the large print version, so I'm going to keep my eye for another copy. 


The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I'm going to be real honest here, because I was constantly confusing this book with The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and could never remember which one I already had (so I ended up buying two copies of each). Both of them have received quite a bit of hype though, so I'm not even mad about it. 


This book had so much hype when it first released, so I was excited when I found a copy at the thrift store (with the original cover of course, not this movie cover). 


Beartown by Fredrik Backman
I feel like Backman's name is all over the internet for several different books. I really enjoyed A Man Called Ove, so I always buy his books when I find them at the thrift store. 

So there we go, 10 books that I bought simply because of hype. I don't yet have any opinions on them as I haven't read them yet. The number of them that I discovered I already own the ebook version of while building this post is embarrassing (it's over half). Have you read any of these books? 

If you're stopping by from the link-up, please be sure to leave a link to your post below so I can stop by and learn about more hyped books to keep my eyes out for when I'm thrift store shopping. - Katie 
 
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Friday, September 27, 2024

*Stacking the Shelves* September 28, 2024


(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme run by Reading Reality in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature any books I buy at Barnes and Noble and all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon, within reason. For instance, this week on Tuesday I went on a free book buying binge, but I'm not going to be listing all 200+ books I one-clicked for free.

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. All Goodreads First Reads ebook wins unless otherwise specified.

Love in the Scottish Winter Highlands by Beatrice Bradshaw - I grabbed this book as a freebie (it may still be free). 
Fables from Russia by Samuel DenHartog - This was a free book from a Facebook ad. (It may still be free.)
Fables from Blackfeet by Samuel DenHartog - This was another Facebook ad freebie (may still be free).
Fables from Scotland by Samuel DenHartog - You guessed it, another Facebook ad freebie (maybe still free).
Fables from Korea by Samuel DenHartog - Facebook ad freebie (maybe still free). 
Fables from Sweden by Samuel DenHartog - Last Facebook ad freebie for a bit (maybe still free). 
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins - I snagged this one on sale for just $2.99 (no longer that price). 
The Haunting of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates - I snagged this baby on sale for just $0.99 (no longer on sale). It looked like a great October read, and October is right around the corner.
Run on Red by Noelle West Ihli - I got this on sale for just $0.99. I recently read another book by this author for a book club meeting, so figured I'd take advantage of this great price.
The Knowledge of Sin by Matt Calhoun
Fast Facts: Self-Esteem by Kevin FitzMaurice
Hotel Goodbyes by Stephen Jon Thompson
The Gilded Cage of Women by Jayne Catherine Conway
Christmas All Year by various authors - I'm pretty sure I snagged this one as a freebie (it still shows as free on Wednesday when I'm starting the post build). 
A Cure for Sorrow by Jen Wheeler
Little Sister Song by Sara Creasy - I think this was a book I one-clicked as a freebie too (still listed as free on Wednesday).
Once You're Mine by Morgan Bridges - I got this book on sale for just $3.99, at least I think that was a sale price because I had the paperback in my cart as one of my book clubs was talking about reading this for our October book (we picked something else) and the paperback wasn't much more than the ebook.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - My husband surprised me with a trip to B&N and told me I could pick 5 books. This was the first obvious choice because I just joined a new book club and it's the book for the meeting tomorrow. 
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix - This was the second book I picked. I haven't read anything by Hendrix before but I couldn't resist this one with the cover and title. 
The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher - This was the third book I picked at B&N. I'm reading another book by Kingfisher for one of my book clubs this month, so I figured I might as well go all in on this author. 
The Legacies by Jessica Goodman - This was my fourth pick, and the only book I bought that wasn't a Buy One, Get One 50% off pick. The blurb is giving Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington vibes, and I loved that book. 
Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper - I agonized over my 5th pick, because it was my last shot and there were still so many books I wanted. What finally sold me is that it's got a more cozy vibe than my other selections, and I'll probably want a switch by the time I finish reading them. 
Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger - I impulse bought this book while I was at the grocery store to buy milk. 
The It Girl by Ruth Ware - The hardback copy of this book was in the bargain books bin while I was buying that milk for just $6, so I just had to get it too. 
The Highlander's Return by Lynsay Sands - This was a Goodreads win, which I don't typically comment on, but I was so excited for this ebook win, because In Her Highlander's Bed was one of the books that helped me return to reading two years ago after like a 9 month book drought. 
A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs - I grabbed this book for $1.99 (but I had credits from Kindle Rewards, so it was like it was free). 
The Diva Runs out of Thyme by Krista Davis - I bought this book for full price (because it's only $4.99) because of an element on the cover that meets criteria for a reading challenge I'm hoping to participate in this October. 
Bad Reputation by Emma Barry - This was my selection for Kindle First Reads this month (none of the books really caught my eye, which is why I only just now chose one, because no way I'm passing up that perk of being a Prime member). 
When We Were Friends by Jane Green - This was a bonus free read from Kindle First Reads, so of course I one-clicked it too. 
Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston - I grabbed this book on sale for just $2.99 (no longer on sale probably) because I love a good Fairytale retelling, and this one's got a good cover. 

So that's all the books I've added to my shelves this past week. What beauties have you picked up? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post so I can be sure to pay you a visit too. - Katie 
 
Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

*Book Blogger Hop* Fall Feels (September 27)



We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

With the changing of seasons from summer to fall in September, do you have a favorite book that reflects the essence of this transitional period or one that you enjoy reading when the temperature cools down? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I don't really have any books that come to mind for this prompt. I'm not a big re-reader and just read whatever appeals at any given point in time (or whatever is my next book club read if I'm getting close to my next meeting). I do tend to want to read more spooky books as we head into October, but that has more to do with Halloween than cooling temperatures. Luckily, this year several of my book clubs have specifically chosen more spooky books for our October meeting to meet that desire for me. It's like a win-win. 

What about you? Is there a specific book you tend to recommend as we enter real pumpkin spice season? If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post so I can head over and see your full answer. - Katie 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

Monday, September 23, 2024

*Top Ten Tuesday* Books on My Fall 2024 TBR



Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is books on my fall 2024 TBR. That means it's time for me to play another round of Netgalley request roulette. For any of you that aren't aware, Netgalley request roulette is a game I created and play with myself where I just hop on Netgalley and request ten books in a single genre to see which ones I'll get approved for. This week I'll be requesting YA titles. Let's go!

Title: No Place Left to Hide
Author: Megan Lally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: January 7, 2025
Genre: Thriller
Request: Approved

Blurb

Some secrets just won't stay hidden in this twisty new thriller from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Lally!

To Brooke, image is everything. She works hard to maintain perfect grades, perfect looks, a perfect life—especially after "the incident" that threatened it all. Getting into her dream university puts her that much closer to a fresh start. How can she say no to celebrating with all her classmates?

Hanging out with her crush by the bonfire is the perfect end to the night. Except it isn't the end. An old truck starts aggressively tailing Brooke and her best friend on the isolated road toward home. Someone thinks they know the truth about "the incident," and they won't stop until it's all out in the open. This terrifying drive is about to bring out Brooke's worst fears…if she survives it.



Title: Murder Between Friends
Author: Liz Lawson
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: April 22, 2025
Genre: Thriller
Request: Pending

Blurb

Two years ago, the murder of a neighbor tore three best friends apart--now the killer is going to walk free and the ex-friends are going to have to face the past--and each other--in another twisty thriller from the New York Times bestselling co-author of The Agathas.

Grace, Henry, and Ally grew up together on the same block. They used to be best friends--until Grace's testimony put Henry's brother, Jake, away for killing their English teacher. Now, two years later, Ally and Henry hate Grace, and Grace is doubting what she thinks she saw that night. 

It feels like everyone's getting a second chance, then, when due to a mistrial, Jake is suddenly released. And Henry 
knows his brother is innocent, but when Grace reaches out to say she’s rethinking what she saw the night of the murder, Jake’s reaction is confusing. He doesn’t want Henry—or Grace--getting involved.

For Ally not getting involved isn’t an option, and there’s nothing Grace can say to convince Ally she’s not the enemy. But can Ally afford to push Grace out when she’s one of the only other people willing to believe in Jake’s innocence?  

The clock is ticking. Jake’s new trial date is about to be set, and he's sure to be found guilty again unless there's new evidence to prove he's innocent. Grace, Henry, and Ally are going to have to decide whether you can trust an old friend now that they’re your enemy.


Title: Unhallowed Halls
Author: Lili Wilkinson
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: February 18, 2025
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Request: Pending

Blurb

DARK ACADEMIA...WITH DEMONS.

A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of 
Curious Tides.

Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.

Agathion is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion's halls--the only problem is, they're all keeping secrets from her. 

Page doesn't know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots--roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.


Title: The Summer I Ate the Rich
Author: Make Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: April 22, 2025
Genre: Horror
Request: Pending

Blurb

A bone-chilling contemporary YA horror about what happens when a Haitian American girl uses her previously hidden zombie abilities to exact revenge on the wealthy elites who’ve caused her family pain.

Brielle Petitfour loves to cook. But with a chronically sick mother and bills to pay, becoming a chef isn’t exactly a realistic career path.

When Brielle’s mom suddenly loses her job, Brielle steps in and uses her culinary skills to earn some extra money. The rich families who love her cooking praise her use of unique flavors and textures, which keep everyone guessing what’s in Brielle’s dishes. The secret ingredient? Human flesh.

Written by the storytelling duo Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, 
The Summer I Ate the Rich is a biting, smart new horror inspired by Haitian zombie lore that scrutinizes the socioeconomic and racial inequity that is the foundation of our modern times. Just like Brielle’s clients it will have you asking: What’s for dinner?


Title: Wicked Darlings
Author: Jordyn Taylor
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: February 11, 2025
Genre: Thriller
Request: Pending

Blurb

From the author of The Revenge Game comes a twisty YA thriller about the underbelly of Manhattan's high society, where nothing is off-limits—not even murder.

Aspiring journalist Noa has a secret she's been keeping. Ever since her sister's tragic death, she's felt almost...relieved. Noa and Leah had been locked in competition with one another since childhood, and things came to a head when her sister scored a glitzy internship at a New York society newspaper. Noa can't help but revel in her new found autonomy. 

But when she gets a lead about the sketchy circumstances surrounding her sister’s untimely death, she knows she needs to investigate−she owes it to Leah.

Noa sets out to infiltrate the seedy underbelly of Manhattan high society to investigate her sister’s final days. Along the way she finds herself entangled with the glamorous Avalons and their close-knit circle of friends and frienemies. But will Noa be able to resist the allure of the Avalons' world and uncover a shocking scandal. Or will she find herself in over her head...like Leah?



Title: Getting Away with Murder
Author: Kathryn Foxfield
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: November 5, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Request: Pending

Blurb

The bestselling author of Good Girls Die First is back with an entertaining, high-octane and read-in-a-single-sitting new thriller.

Walking disaster Saffron and her perfectionist twin sister Georgia have only one thing in common-they are both obsessed with battle royale video game Sole Survivor.

While working at a brand new, high tech escape room complex, Saffron poses a question to the resident AI: which high school stereotype would survive the longest in a real life version of Sole Survivor? She is convinced a rebel like her would beat a know-it-all like Georgia. Unbeknown to her, the AI decides to determine the answer to her question by testing it out for real. It invites Saffron and Georgia's gamer friends to a preview of the escape rooms, but then it locks the doors and turns the rooms into a life-or-death battle to be the last player standing.

The rebel, the know-it-all, the princess, the jock, the geek, the weirdo, the star, the artist and the criminal. Just like in Sole Survivor, only one can survive the night...

  • It's Cabin in the Woods meets Squid Game
  • Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus.
  • Knife-edge tension and twists you won't see coming.


Title: We Did Nothing Wrong
Author: Hannah Jayne
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: December 3, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Request: Pending

Blurb

Lia thought of the dark night, of the broken street light.
Had Diana gone out to meet her? Had she been waiting for her, alone in the park? 

Or had someone been waiting for Diana?

Lia and Diana are the"it girls" of Empire Hill High. Their lives are perfect....until Diana disappears and the rumors start flying. 

Everyone thinks Diana is a runaway, including the police. Lia is secretly convinced it's all a prank. Then she finds a crushed red rose tied with a candy-cane ribbon where Diana went missing. And next to it, a note: 

YOU

It's the same ribbon Lia's received on gifts from a "secret admirer." Did someone come for Diana that night? And will Lia be next?


Title: Lonely Places
Author: Kate Anderson
Publisher: North Star Editions
Release Date: October 29, 2024
Genre: Horror
Request: Approved

Blurb

After a traumatic experience steals her younger sister Guthrie’s voice, sixteen-year-old Chase and her family move to an isolated fire lookout in Pando, a grove of Aspen tree clones connected by a massive underground root system. The lookout is supposed to give the family stability after years spent traveling the country in a converted school bus, but all Chase wants is to go back to the hometown they fled eight years ago.

When Chase gets a job at a nearby summer camp, she learns that something happened at the lookout, something no one wants to talk about. Chase isn’t entirely surprised: Pando is a place where odd things happen, like birds singing on a loop or bones sprouting out of the ground like wildflowers. Worse? Pando is changing Guthrie, and Chase doesn’t know how to stop it or even if she should.

Despite her resolve to protect Guthrie, Chase becomes increasingly distracted by Wilder, the lifeguard at camp who offers her a taste of normalcy and a new perspective on her skoolie family. But more time with Wilder means less time with Guthrie, and the mysterious force in the forest draws Guthrie deeper into its darkness—until she’s nowhere to be found. Chase must face her own childhood trauma and find her way into a strange and sinister world to rescue her sister before Guthrie is lost to the lonely places forever.



Title: The Kiss of the Nightingale
Author: Adi Denner
Publisher: Tundra Books
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Genre: Fantasy
Request: Approved

Blurb

A stolen magical gem transforms an orphan's destiny . . . a stunning and completely unputdownable romantasy novel set in an alternative historical Paris, The Kiss of the Nightingale weaves together the seduction of Bridgerton and the magic of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series.

1890, Lutèce: In this city, Talents are everything: precious gems that gift unrivalled skills to their owners. The most coveted, Elite Talents, are claimed by the aristocracy, passed through generations by blood magic.

Cleodora dreamed of inheriting her father's Tailoring Talent, but when he died, the magic died with him. Now she’s left with empty promises, a dress shop she can’t keep afloat, and her bed-ridden younger sister.

But everything changes when she meets the dark-eyed Lady Dahlia Sibille. Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent — a chance to save her beloved sister and rewrite her own fate. From the first instant, Cleodora is bewitched. . . there's just one catch: she needs to steal an Elite Talent from the prestigious Lenoir family.

As Lutèce's nightingale, Cleodora is the star of the opera's galas and balls, worlds away from the darkness and dust of home. But the handsome yet infuriating Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected.

Soon, the Vicomte's teasing smiles win her over, even as Dahlia's seductive whispers linger in her ears. Torn between Dahlia, who gave her everything, and the Vicomte, who holds the price of her freedom, is Cleodora in danger of losing it all? Or can she prove that magic isn’t the only gift that counts?



Title: You're Dead to Me
Author: Amy Christine Parker
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: December 10, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Request: Approved

Blurb

Gossip Girl meets Happy Death Day in this YA horror novel following high school outcast and anonymous social media gossip Ruby, who comes face-to-face with her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress. With less than a week until the dance, Ruby must unmask her killer—or die trying.

Ruby is a scholarship senior at elite Oleander High School with a chip on her shoulder and an attitude to match—which she puts to good use as the infamous local anonymous gossip blogger ReputationKiller. When she’s outed as the voice behind the account, the entire town turns against her.

But after she’s scared witless by a vision of her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress, she is faced with an awful truth. Someone out there doesn’t just hate her—they want her dead.

With less than a week until the prom, Ruby starts investigating. Turns out Oleander Bay isn’t the picture-perfect resort town it appears to be. With so many secrets, scandals, and people hell-bent on covering them up at all costs, the murderer could be anyone. Can Ruby beat the clock counting down to prom—and her death—and survive the night?



There was definitely a theme to the books I requested for Netgalley request roulette this week. It's almost like we're heading into spooky season or something. I've also just really been digging the YA thriller/horror books lately in general. How many of these books do you think I'll get approved for?

What books are on your fall TBR list? If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can make sure to check out your list too. - Katie 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

*Review* Josie, Johnnie and Rosie and the Ocean Rescue by Michael Panzner

 

Genre: Children's 3-7 years
Published: August 28, 2023
Pages: 32


Follow the adventure of three wonderful friends – a little girl and twin unicorns – who journey to the beach and end up saving a family of fish. After rescuing them, the trio realizes the sea and the sand also need their help, and they join with others to clean things up. Aided by special unicorn magic, they restore nature’s beauty and show how to make our world a better place.

Here's what one LibraryThing early reviewer had to say about 
Josie, Johnnie and Rosie and the Ocean Rescue!:

As I love reading to kids, the grade two's I read to had this to say about the book.....
  • "I liked it,"
  • "It was about cleaning up the ocean so the animals can stay safe."
  • "I liked the unicorns!"
  • "I liked the fish jumping around at the end."
  • "It is a kind book."
  • "They help save the ocean to make a difference for future generations."
  • "It helps others to learn how to change the world."
  • "It is about bravery and kindness."
  • "It was about saving the ocean."
  • "It is nice and cool that it teaches a lesson."
  • "Magical and adventurous."
  • "It is about teamwork and making a good influence on the world."


I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a story about a girl and her twin unicorns. They are having a beach picnic when they see fish that need rescued from a net. Then they decide to clean up the trash on the beach and talk about how to make the world a better place. 

While this story doesn't rhyme, it feels like it should. And I think I'd be more inclined to read it more times if it did. As it stands, I'll still be okay reading it a few times because it was a cute story and I like the overall message. The illustrations were very pastel. 

Overall I give this book 3.87659 out of 5 stars. - Katie 




Michael Panzner is a long-time freelance writer who's always been a child at heart. Inspired by the countless stories he's shared with his children and grandchildren, Michael crafts tales designed to entertain, spark the imagination, and instill values like kindness, courage, empathy and perseverance. Having lived and worked in various locales, including the U.S. Northeast, North Carolina, and London, England, Michael now resides in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, Catherine.

Brooke Beaver is an illustrator with a BFA in Graphic Design. She has worked with wonderful authors, illustrating their children's books and enjoys the fun, whimsical world of working in children's literature.