book review: stalking jack the ripper

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
JIMMY Patterson Books, 326 pp.
Published September 20, 2016

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

book review: what should be wild

What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine
Harper, 368 pp.
Published May 8, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this book from Harper via a Goodreads giveaway for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Cursed. Maisie Cothay has never known the feel of human flesh: born with the power to kill or resurrect at her slightest touch, she has spent her childhood sequestered in her family’s manor at the edge of a mysterious forest. Maisie’s father, an anthropologist who sees her as more experiment than daughter, has warned Maisie not to venture into the wood. Locals talk of men disappearing within, emerging with addled minds and strange stories. What he does not tell Maisie is that for over a millennium her female ancestors have also vanished into the wood, never to emerge—for she is descended from a long line of cursed women.

But one day Maisie’s father disappears, and Maisie must venture beyond the walls of her carefully constructed life to find him. Away from her home and the wood for the very first time, she encounters a strange world filled with wonder and deception. Yet the farther she strays, the more the wood calls her home. For only there can Maisie finally reckon with her power and come to understand the wildest parts of herself.

sunday post #17

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.

A storm front and liberal doses of Sudafed seem to have freed my sinuses from the purgatory they were trapped in for the first part of the week. To celebrate I indulged in some pampering that kept getting put off, like getting my brows shaped and visiting the nail salon. While I like keeping my nails well-groomed, the best part about the salon I visit is the massage chairs! To be honest I kind of think they're better than a regular massage. I'm very loyal to one tech in particular and he's been quite busy the last couple of months, so it was nice that our schedules finally synced up.

Today also marks the halfway point of the local film festival I'm attending. I've seen more successes than duds so far, which is pleasantly surprising. My busiest days will be behind me after the weekend but I will still have several weeknights of movie-going up until the festival wraps on Thursday. This is always a fun time of year, although I do wish it didn't (temporarily) make me feel a little disconnected from my friends on- and off-line.

Lastly, a little spot of blog business. You may notice that my "coming up on the blog" section is smaller this week. After seeing some great discussions in the community about post frequency and battling burnout, I've decided to ease up on my schedule just a touch. Instead of consistently posting 5+ posts each week (the Sunday meme not included) I'm going to test out having 3-4 posts/week instead. I'm also going to work on mixing in more discussion oriented posts throughout the summer. I really value your feedback, so don't hesitate to let me know what you think of the (small) changes!

book review: onyx & ivory

Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett
Balzer + Bray, 512 pp.
Published May 15, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free digital ARC of this book from Balzer + Bray via Edelweiss+ for review purposes.

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart.

The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime.

book review: undead girl gang

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
Razorbill, 272 pp.
Published May 8, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this book from Penguin Random House for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Mila Flores and her best friend Riley have always been inseparable. There's not much excitement in their small town of Cross Creek, so Mila and Riley make their own fun, devoting most of their time to Riley's favorite activity: amateur witchcraft.

So when Riley and two Fairmont Academy mean girls die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.

Unfortunately, Riley, June, and Dayton have no recollection of their murders, but they do have unfinished business to attend to. Now, with only seven days until the spell wears off and the girls return to their graves, Mila must wrangle the distracted group of undead teens and work fast to discover their murderer...before the killer strikes again.

down the tbr hole #18

As my Goodreads to-read shelf creeps closer to 500 books, I've been eyeing it with a growing feeling of apprehension. It would take forever to get through so many...and that's not counting all of the new books I hear about along the way. Thankfully I discovered Lost In A Story's series (by way of Boston Book Reader) at the beginning of the year and it sounds like a great way to trim down my TBR.

The guidelines, per Lost In A Story, are simple:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
• Order on ascending date added
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

I'll be going through 10 books every week, meaning it should take me almost the whole year to reach the end! If you'd like to do this yourself, be sure to visit Lost In A Story's original post and let her (and me!) know you'll be joining in the fun.