blog tour: sorcery of thorns + review

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 464 pp.
Published June 4, 2019

DISCLAIMER: I received a free ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

From the New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens comes an imaginative fantasy about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

book review: wicked saints by emily a. duncan

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
Wednesday Books, 400 pp.
Published April 2, 2019

DISCLAIMER: I received a free eARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy.

book review: empress of all seasons by emiko jean

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean
HMH Books for Young Readers, 384 pp.
Published November 6, 2018

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace’s enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete—all except yōkai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy.

Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yōkai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari’s fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yōkai outcast.

Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku in this beautifully written, edge-of-your-seat YA fantasy.

book review: the waking forest by alyssa wees

The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees
Delacorte, 304 pp.
Published March 12, 2019

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

The waking forest has secrets. To Rhea, it appears like a mirage, dark and dense, at the very edge of her backyard. But when she reaches out to touch it, the forest vanishes. She’s desperate to know more—until she finds a peculiar boy who offers to reveal its secrets. If she plays a game.

To the Witch, the forest is her home, where she sits on her throne of carved bone, waiting for dreaming children to beg her to grant their wishes. One night, a mysterious visitor arrives and asks her what she wishes for, but the Witch sends him away. And then the uninvited guest returns.

The strangers are just the beginning. Something is stirring in the forest, and when Rhea’s and the Witch’s paths collide, a truth more treacherous and deadly than either could ever imagine surfaces. But how much are they willing to risk to survive?

book review: four dead queens by astrid scholte

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 432 pp.
Published February 26, 2019

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher via BookishFirst for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she's, in fact, one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie's former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens.

book review: enchantée by gita trelease

Enchantée by Gita Trelease
Flatiron Books, 464 pp.
Published February 5, 2019

DISCLAIMER: I received a free manuscript of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Love.
Magic.
Revolution.

When smallpox kills her parents, seventeen-year-old Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic--la magie ordinaire--Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won't hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family's savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

With the dark magic she learned from her mother, Camille transforms herself into 'the Baroness de la Fontaine' and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. Her resentment of the rich at odds with the allure of glamour and excess, Camille is astonished to find that her would-be suitor Lazare, a handsome young inventor whom she thought shared her dreams of liberty, is also living a double life.

As the Baroness de la Fontaine, Camille gambles at cards and flirts, desperate to maintain her place at court and keep herself and her sister off the streets. But la magie has its costs. When a scheming courtier blackmails her and Lazare's affections shift, Camille loses control of her secrets. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose--love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, reality or la magie--before Paris burns.

sunday post #41

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

This week marks my last five days at my soon-to-be-former job — yay! My supervisor actually "forgot" that the 11th was my last day...despite getting almost a month's notice. He tried to talk me into staying on until the end of the month, apparently not fully understanding the concept of taking a full-time, salaried position somewhere else. The whole conversation just makes me so much more grateful to be moving on to a company and a position that are much better suited to where I am professionally and personally.

My New Year's Eve was spent quietly at home, watching masterclass episodes of the Great British Baking Show. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of my hobbies, specifically reading and watching movies in my spare time, rather than aimlessly watching the same YouTube channels again and again. It feels good to have the motivation and presence of mind to want to spend my free time in a more structured way (although I'll never knock vegging out from time to time!). This is also the third year I'm participating in Yoga With Adriene's 30 Days of Yoga challenge; after several weeks away from the mat some muscles are definitely in protest, but I love the feeling of practicing again. I don't have any specific goals for the monthly challenge, or my yoga practice going forward, but I am hoping to rebuild a little bit of strength and introduce a little more calm into my days :)

book review: slayer by kiersten white

Slayer by Kiersten White
Simon Pulse, 416 pp.
Published January 8, 2019

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.

blog tour: white stag + q&a with kara barbieri

White Stag by Kara Barbieri
Wednesday Books, 368 pp.
Published January 8, 2019

The first book in a brutally stunning series where a young girl finds herself becoming more monster than human and must uncover dangerous truths about who she is and the place that has become her home.

As the last child in a family of daughters, seventeen-year-old Janneke was raised to be the male heir. While her sisters were becoming wives and mothers, she was taught to hunt, track, and fight. On the day her village was burned to the ground, Janneke—as the only survivor—was taken captive by the malicious Lydian and eventually sent to work for his nephew Soren.

Janneke’s survival in the court of merciless monsters has come at the cost of her connection to the human world. And when the Goblin King’s death ignites an ancient hunt for the next king, Soren senses an opportunity for her to finally fully accept the ways of the brutal Permafrost. But every action he takes to bring her deeper into his world only shows him that a little humanity isn’t bad—especially when it comes to those you care about.

Through every battle they survive, Janneke’s loyalty to Soren deepens. After dangerous truths are revealed, Janneke must choose between holding on or letting go of her last connections to a world she no longer belongs to. She must make the right choice to save the only thing keeping both worlds from crumbling.

sunday post #40

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

I can't believe the year is practically over! Christmas went well and was a very quiet affair, just my parents and I. That's usually how we celebrate and I love the low-key tone the entire day has, rather than spending long hours stressing over meals, outfits, and entertaining distant relatives. Holidays still take a bit of preparation though, so between the weekday timing of Christmas and the lingering need to finish some projects before moving on to my new job, it was plenty busy this week.

Beyond my gradual re-read of Goblet of Fire I got very little reading done and almost no blog hopping; I'm hoping to catch up today, along with the necessary errands and chores, before starting another wonky work week. I have Monday and Tuesday off, with no big plans for New Year's Eve, then make a quick work trip on Wednesday. Honestly, I'm just excited at the prospect of getting back into the usual swing of things and settling into my new office for good! It feels like I've run around like a crazy person for the last month, and there's no better time to start fresh than on January 1st!

book review: the winter of the witch by katherine arden

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
Del Rey Books, 384 pp.
Published January 8, 2019

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her own path in a world that would rather lock her away. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

sunday post #39

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

It's been a long, but good, week. On Monday I broke the news I teased in last Sunday Post to my boss: I'm starting a new job in January! I'll have a much shorter and less stressful commute, better pay, and overall a more comfortable environment, so this is a very good thing. My current job has offered a lot of great experience, which I'm grateful for, but it was obvious to me very early after starting that I could not and would not want to build a career with that group. I'll be with them through the first part of January in order to wrap up some on-going projects, then make my transition!

Phantom of the Opera was fantastic, with one glaring exception: the venue allows late seating, so for the first 20 minute or so, ushers and late-comers were standing in front of our section and blocking the view of the stage. Since I'm a season subscriber I shared my very negative impression of that particular policy with their office, but I don't know if it will change anything for future shows. The set design and performances were all outstanding, though, so if the American touring company visits your city I highly recommend catching a show!

With Christmas coming up, my weekly schedule will be totally wonky. I am taking a couple of days off of work and hope to get a lot of seasonal tidying, shopping, and reading done in the meantime. Today and tomorrow I'll also do a lot of prep work for Christmas Day, including all my holiday baking!

the best books i read in 2018

I can't believe another year has come and gone! As I write this post, I've officially read 100 books in 2018, a number I never would have believed possible just twelve short months ago. When you encounter so many books — so many stories and so many ways of telling them — you inevitably encounter a few disappointments. Luckily, I've had far more success than failure when it came to picking my current reads this year, and I've discovered plenty of new favorites that I know I'll gush over for years to come. Below the cut are some of my absolute favorite titles read throughout the year. Some are new releases, some are backlist titles, but all of them are equally deserving of a new reader or two. Which one will you choose?

sunday post #38

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

My last big work trip of the year was this past week (to Philadelphia) and I'm so happy to have it behind me! I'll have some exciting professional news to share next week, but first I needed to get that last task out of the way. The trip ended on high note, as well. While waiting for my 6 AM flight back home I ran into an old friend from high school —they'd also gone to Philly for work and we were taking the same plane home! Because we were on an airline with no assigned seating, we got to sit next to one another and catch up, which made the three hours breeze by.

Tonight I have a fun little Christmas party to attend. For the last few years, a group of girls have hosted a potluck tacky sweater and sock exchange party. Everyone brings a snack and wears an outrageous Christmas sweater, then after we've all had a chance to eat we do a Secret Santa-ish exchange of tacky winter socks. It's always a lot of fun and very laid back, which is the perfect kind of get-together for this time of year!

And my musical season tickets begin this week too! On Wednesday I get to see Phantom of the Opera; it's been years since I got to see the stage musical and I'm really excited to have a little solo date night.

tagged: end of the year book tag

I wasn't actually tagged by anyone, but I've seen this particular meme going around as part of the blogmas celebrations! Now I don't know about y'all, but personally I love end-of-year wrap-ups, summaries, stats, and all the other "big picture" goodies that people post in December and January. This tag gives the perfect taste of how 2018 went and how I hope 2019 will go, plus it gets me thinking on my own wrap-up posts that still need to be written!

book review: vengeful by v.e. schwab

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
Titan Books, 575 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

Eli Ever and Victor Vale were only medical students when their mutual discovery that near-death experiences can, under the right conditions, manifest extraordinary abilities.

They were best friends, and rivals, and then enemies. They were dead, then alive, and then---Eli killed Victor, once and for all.

Or so he thought---but Sydney Clarke felt otherwise, and used her own superpower to tip the scales. Now, a trio hides in the shadows, while another takes advantages of post-death life to take over the city of Merit.

If there can be life after death—will there be calm after vengeance, or will chaos rule?

sunday post #37

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

Another week, another trip. This time I had to visit a site in southern Georgia, but luckily I flew into Atlanta. I drove there several times in college for football games and built up a small list of places I liked to visit; it was nice getting to stop into some again after a few years! Travelling somewhere slightly familiar made everything a little less tiring, a nice treat as the holidays loom closer.

I did manage to get a tablet shipped to me before I left: I went with the Amazon Fire 8! I'm really pleased with all the features you can get for a budget price point. It has a decent screen for watching movies and TV shows, as well as enough space for a few e-books (not something I regularly read, but much better than my smartphone for the occasional e-ARC sent my way). Thank you to everyone who chimed in with their suggestions last week!

fictional worlds i never want to live in

Every reader has a favorite world, a place they would escape to in reality if they could, and not just through the printed word. But for all the beauty in literature, there are those kingdoms, countries, and planets that we wouldn't want to set foot on in a million years. These are a few of those places—all from books I absolutely adored and highly recommend picking up!—that I was delighted to explore in fiction, but hope to avoid in real life.

book review: the sisters of the winter wood by rena rossner

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
Redhook, 464 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free finished copy of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life - even if they've heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.

But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.

Soon a troupe of mysterious men appear in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods...

The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be - and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer.

sunday post #36

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

This week I traveled to snowy Wisconsin and learned I was not built for sub-freezing temperatures! The good news is my work went smoothly and I managed to drive on the icy roads without an accident; even though I was perpetually cold, it was still a success.

Work continues to dominate the news in my personal life, for better or worse. No, this week it's for the better! There are more changes on the horizon that should give me more flexibility, more room for growth, and make me happier overall. I'm excited about the next couple of months as these changes develop, even if it means a little extra stress in the short-term.

Also, with all of this travelling I'm starting to think about picking up an inexpensive tablet for random internet surfing and Netflix-watching while I fly, if only to help save the battery on my phone. Which I need to keep powered up for actual calls (taking calls? on a cell phone? what??). Do any of y'all have recommendations for tablets you like?