Tag: TBR

Memes · TBR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? October 19, 2020

sophrilreads2 Comments
It's Monday What are you reading.png

Good Morning!

It’s the start of another week. It’s Monday! What are you Reading is hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, this is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind.

This past week went better than I expected! I am hoping that this week will be good as well.

Recent Books

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson | Science Fiction | Add to Goodreads

An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens her new home and her fragile place in it, in a stunning sci-fi debut that’s both a cross-dimensional adventure and a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.

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. 

Nocturne by Kat Ross | (The Fourth Talisman #1) | Young Adult, Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

Nocturne, a wilderness of eternal night.
Solis, a wasteland of endless day.

Nazafareen is a Breaker, a mortal who has the rare ability to shatter spell magic—although her power carries a high price. With the memories of her former self erased and nowhere else to turn, she comes to Nocturne hoping to start a new life under the triple moons of the darklands.

But when an assassin forces Nazafareen to flee to the sunlit mortal city of Delphi, she finds herself embroiled in a deeper mystery whose origins lie far in the past. Why was the continent sundered into light and dark a thousand years before? And what really happened to the elegant but ruthless creatures who nearly reduced the world to ashes? The new Oracle might know, but she’s outlawed magic and executes anyone caught practicing it. Nazafareen must hide her powers and find a way out of the city—before it’s too late.

As the net slowly tightens, something ancient and vengeful begins to stir in the arid death zone called the Kiln. A dashing daeva named Darius is pursuing Nazafareen, but so are a multitude of enemies. War is brewing again. Can she stay alive long enough to stop it?

So begins the first installment of an epic new fantasy series from the author of the Fourth Element Trilogy! 

The Best of No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations by Deborah Hawkins | Collection of Blog Posts/ Non-Fiction | Add to Goodreads

As of writing this post I am 16% through this one.

No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations (NoSmallThing.net) was launched in 2010 with the intention of reflecting on experiences that generated feelings of gratitude in order to create a positive mood and orientation to life. As of fall of 2019, over 500 reflections (mindful meditations) have been published along with over 100 tips that can be employed in a gratitude practice.

This mindfulness process is detailed in a companion book, Practice Gratitude: Transform Your Life. It emphasizes the creation of personal gratitude themes, one’s Grateful Dozen, which can help a person see things that spark grateful feelings in new situations. This is a collection of favorite blog posts that came out of this process.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig | Young Adult, Retelling, Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

Currently Reading

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart by C.S. Johnson | (Favan & Flew #1) | Steampunk, Fantasy, Romance | Add to Goodreads

A Chinese Legend.

A British Secret.

Star-Crossed Lovers with Incompatible Magic. 

Brixton Flew works as a professor of wielder instruction at Rembrandt Academy, hoping to erase the regrets of his youth along with the resulting debt. But when he comes face to face with his biggest regret—the woman who broke his heart, Adelaide Favan—Brixton soon realizes his troubles have only begun.

Unable to control her magic, Adelaide knew leaving Brixton was the only way to protect him when they were younger. Now she discovers he is the key to recovering the Dragon Eyes, a legendary treasure connected to her magic and her family’s disgraced legacy—and she knows the risk is great, to both his life and her heart.

With others seeking the power of the Dragon Eyes, Brixton and Adelaide must outwit their foes and face down their families to save London from an ancient legend that sleeps beneath the magic portal in their city.

But the renewed passion growing between them may prove to be the greater peril …

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart is the first book in a new steampunk series by C.S. Johnson, blending together history, romance, mecha-dragons and magic against the glittering backdrop of 1880’s Victorian London.

The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu | (The Eldest Curses #2) | Young Adult, Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

Life is good for Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. They’re living together in a fabulous loft, their warlock son, Max, has started learning to walk, and the streets of New York are peaceful and quiet—as peaceful and quiet as they ever are, anyway.

Until the night that two old acquaintances break into Magnus’s apartment and steal the powerful Book of the White. Now Magnus and Alec will have to drop everything to get it back. They need to follow the thieves to Shanghai, they need to call some backup to accompany them, and they need a babysitter.

Also, someone has stabbed Magnus with a strange magical weapon and the wound is glowing, so they have that to worry about too.

Fortunately, their backup consists of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and newly minted Shadowhunter Simon. In Shanghai, they learn that a much darker threat awaits them. Magnus’s magic is growing unstable, and if they can’t stop the demons flooding into the city, they might have to follow them all the way back to the source—to the very realm of the dead. Can they stop the threat to the world? Will they make it back home before their kid completely wears out Alec’s mom?

Elemental Links by M.A. Leon | Steel and Magic | Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

Along their way, they meet Cassie; a fiery brunette with more secrets than Jake and Louie signed on for. The boys’ unlikely friendship with her turns their run-and-hide strategy on its heels.

Now, instead of fleeing, Jake and Louie charge headlong down a path to challenge the core of the necrom itself. Their new target is Dretlon Valley; the necroms’ settlement in the crook of the Dusk Mountains. But they won’t be alone.

Their journey is fraught with unexpected creatures, friends, and new allies. Aside from tournaments and drakons, Jake and Louie are tested as they’ve never been before. Can they defeat the force that threatens not just Louie, but every adept in Elabrium? Will their allies stand with them against the horde of necrom, whose mere presence threatens not just themselves, but their newfound friends as well?

Midnight Temptation by Shari Nichols | (Ravens Hollow Coven) | Fantasy, Romance | Add to Goodreads

What are the stakes for falling in love?

That’s the question tarot card reader Gillian Howe ponders when she hosts a supernatural speed dating event. Making the perfect match is her passion, too bad she can’t find one for herself. A chance encounter with a wealthy vampire provides her an opportunity to attend an exclusive after-party and prove she isn’t opposed to love. But she finds herself plunged into a secret society of trancing, blood bonds and human escort rings. The night ends in a police raid and of all the vampire detectives in Raven’s Hollow, Garrett Mulroney shows up at the scene. Even if he is scorching, hot, he accused her of a crime she didn’t commit and nearly ruined her life.

Fate has thrown them together again…

Garrett has been down this brutal road before and it didn’t end well. His sire tried to force him into a life of debauchery, but he chose to uphold the law instead. The fact that the one woman he can’t seem to get out of his mind or out of his lust-filled dreams is at the center of his investigation doesn’t bode well. It’s a good thing she hates his guts because it helps douse his growing desire for her and focus on the case. But when Gillian’s cousin is kidnapped into the Du Sang Brotherhood, she becomes the prime witness. Now they’re forced to put their differences aside and go undercover by pretending to be a couple. The more time Garrett spends with Gillian, the more he wants her in his life—and in his bed.

Knowing who to trust and who to love becomes a matter of survival, and possibly the only way to take down the Brotherhood. 

What are you hoping to read this week?

Let’s chat in the comments below!

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Memes · TBR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? October 12, 2020

sophrilreads2 Comments
It's Monday What are you reading.png

Good Morning!

It’s the start of another week. It’s Monday! What are you Reading is hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, this is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind.

This past week went better than I expected! I am hoping that this week will be good as well.

Recent Books

Clash of the Demons by Joseph Delaney | (The Last Apprentice #6) | Young Adult, Fantasy | 3 Stars | Add to Goodreads

“You can’t make alliances with witches and suchlike and hope to avoid being drawn toward the dark.”

As the Spook’s apprentice, Thomas Ward’s first duty is to protect the County from ghosts, boggarts, and other dangerous creatures. But now his mother has come back from her homeland to seek his help. One of the most dangerous of the old witches, Ordeen, is about to return to earth, bringing with her suffering and devastation. Tom’s mother has mustered a powerful army–including Tom’s friend Alice, the Pendle witches, and the assassin Grimalkin–to confront Ordeen. If Tom joins them, the Spook will refuse to take Tom back as his apprentice. What sacrifices will be made in the battle against the dark?

The Hope of Christmas Past by L.G. Rollins | A Dickens of a Christmas Book 1 | Regency Romance, Christmas Story | 5 Stars |Add to Goodreads

Belle Young has waited three years for Lord Wilkins to return from his travels abroad—and a full seven years since he first promised to marry her and carry her away from her aunt’s oppressive home. What better time of year for their reunion than Christmas? Belle is certain Lord Wilkins means to make good on his word—that is, until she’s introduced to the vibrant young woman who followed him home from America, at his invitation. Shocked and confused, Belle is determined to remind Lord Wilkins of his promise to her. After all, she needs this marriage. It’s either that or spend the rest of her life as a nobody, an unwanted ward of her aunt, alone and wholly unloved.

Mr. James Radcliff has never minded his lack of title or high standing among society. He is quite content with is status as gentleman and cousin to the exuberant Lord Wilkins. But then he learns that his cousin is not actually the son of the late earl; if the information ever got out, James would find himself earl and his cousin would be thrust from society. It may not be what most men would do, but James is determined to find the only proof of his cousin’s illegitimacy—and destroy it.

The Hope of Christmas Past is the first in A Dickens of a Christmas series. It is a clean and wholesome Regency Christmas romance; a story of goodness amidst adversity, holiday cheer, and, hope. Each book in this series is a stand-alone and can be read apart or enjoyed in proper order.

Book 1: The Hope of Christmas Past
Book 2: The Joy of Christmas Present
Book 3: The Peace of Christmas Yet to Come

Hocus Pocus & The All New Sequel by A.W. Jantha | Young Adult, Paranormal | 3 Stars | Add to Goodreads

Hocus Pocus is beloved by Halloween enthusiasts all over the world. Diving once more into the world of witches, this electrifying two-part young adult novel, released on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1993 film, marks a new era of Hocus Pocus. Fans will be spellbound by a fresh retelling of the original film, followed by the all-new sequel that continues the story with the next generation of Salem teens.

Shortly after moving from California to Salem, Massachusetts, Max Dennison finds himself in hot water when he accidentally releases a coven of witches, the Sanderson sisters, from the afterlife. Max, his sister, and his new friends (human and otherwise) must find a way to stop the witches from carrying out their evil plan and remaining on earth to torment Salem for all eternity.

Twenty-five years later, Max and Allison’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Poppy, finds herself face-to-face with the Sanderson sisters in all their sinister glory. When Halloween celebrations don’t quite go as planned, it’s a race against time as Poppy and her friends fight to save her family and all of Salem from the witches’ latest death-defying scheme.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu | Graphic Novel, Fantasy | 4 Stars | Add to Goodreads

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Currently Reading

The Best of No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations by Deborah Hawkins | Collection of Blog Posts/ Non-Fiction | Add to Goodreads

As of writing this post I am 16% through this one.

No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations (NoSmallThing.net) was launched in 2010 with the intention of reflecting on experiences that generated feelings of gratitude in order to create a positive mood and orientation to life. As of fall of 2019, over 500 reflections (mindful meditations) have been published along with over 100 tips that can be employed in a gratitude practice.

This mindfulness process is detailed in a companion book, Practice Gratitude: Transform Your Life. It emphasizes the creation of personal gratitude themes, one’s Grateful Dozen, which can help a person see things that spark grateful feelings in new situations. This is a collection of favorite blog posts that came out of this process.

Nocturne by Kat Ross | (The Fourth Talisman #1) | Young Adult, Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

Nocturne, a wilderness of eternal night.
Solis, a wasteland of endless day.

Nazafareen is a Breaker, a mortal who has the rare ability to shatter spell magic—although her power carries a high price. With the memories of her former self erased and nowhere else to turn, she comes to Nocturne hoping to start a new life under the triple moons of the darklands.

But when an assassin forces Nazafareen to flee to the sunlit mortal city of Delphi, she finds herself embroiled in a deeper mystery whose origins lie far in the past. Why was the continent sundered into light and dark a thousand years before? And what really happened to the elegant but ruthless creatures who nearly reduced the world to ashes? The new Oracle might know, but she’s outlawed magic and executes anyone caught practicing it. Nazafareen must hide her powers and find a way out of the city—before it’s too late.

As the net slowly tightens, something ancient and vengeful begins to stir in the arid death zone called the Kiln. A dashing daeva named Darius is pursuing Nazafareen, but so are a multitude of enemies. War is brewing again. Can she stay alive long enough to stop it?

So begins the first installment of an epic new fantasy series from the author of the Fourth Element Trilogy! 

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart by C.S. Johnson | (Favan & Flew #1) | Steampunk, Fantasy, Romance | Add to Goodreads

A Chinese Legend.

A British Secret.

Star-Crossed Lovers with Incompatible Magic. 

Brixton Flew works as a professor of wielder instruction at Rembrandt Academy, hoping to erase the regrets of his youth along with the resulting debt. But when he comes face to face with his biggest regret—the woman who broke his heart, Adelaide Favan—Brixton soon realizes his troubles have only begun.

Unable to control her magic, Adelaide knew leaving Brixton was the only way to protect him when they were younger. Now she discovers he is the key to recovering the Dragon Eyes, a legendary treasure connected to her magic and her family’s disgraced legacy—and she knows the risk is great, to both his life and her heart.

With others seeking the power of the Dragon Eyes, Brixton and Adelaide must outwit their foes and face down their families to save London from an ancient legend that sleeps beneath the magic portal in their city.

But the renewed passion growing between them may prove to be the greater peril …

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart is the first book in a new steampunk series by C.S. Johnson, blending together history, romance, mecha-dragons and magic against the glittering backdrop of 1880’s Victorian London.

What are you hoping to read this week?

Let’s chat in the comments below!

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Read-a-Thon · TBR

My Kinda October TBR

sophrilreads2 Comments

I know that I have been very honest that TBR’s really don’t work for me due to me being a mood reader. So you might be asking then why in the world are you creating one? Well…first, this is not set in stone, second, I have books that I owe reviews on and need to be read and third, I have library loans that will be coming available very soon. Plus I decided to participate in the Hocus Pocus Readathon. I had books that fit already so why not. I am on Team Sanderson Sisters if any of you are participating.

I guess you can say this is a way for me to keep track of everything that I have on my plate and why not share it with you! At the end I will tell you what is slated for the Hocus Pocus Readathon.

Do I think all of this is going to happen? Well I am going to try lol. After putting it all below I realized how much I have to read so we will see.

Need To Read For Reviews

Midnight Temptation by Shari Nichols | (Ravens Hollow Coven) | Paranormal | Add to Goodreads

What are the stakes for falling in love?

That’s the question tarot card reader Gillian Howe ponders when she hosts a supernatural speed dating event. Making the perfect match is her passion, too bad she can’t find one for herself. A chance encounter with a wealthy vampire provides her an opportunity to attend an exclusive after-party and prove she isn’t opposed to love. But she finds herself plunged into a secret society of trancing, blood bonds and human escort rings. The night ends in a police raid and of all the vampire detectives in Raven’s Hollow, Garrett Mulroney shows up at the scene. Even if he is scorching, hot, he accused her of a crime she didn’t commit and nearly ruined her life.

Fate has thrown them together again…

Garrett has been down this brutal road before and it didn’t end well. His sire tried to force him into a life of debauchery, but he chose to uphold the law instead. The fact that the one woman he can’t seem to get out of his mind or out of his lust-filled dreams is at the center of his investigation doesn’t bode well. It’s a good thing she hates his guts because it helps douse his growing desire for her and focus on the case. But when Gillian’s cousin is kidnapped into the Du Sang Brotherhood, she becomes the prime witness. Now they’re forced to put their differences aside and go undercover by pretending to be a couple. The more time Garrett spends with Gillian, the more he wants her in his life—and in his bed.

Knowing who to trust and who to love becomes a matter of survival, and possibly the only way to take down the Brotherhood.

A Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken | (The Scarred Earth Saga #2) |Fantasy |Add to Goodreads

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

Gemma Smythe dedicated her life to the glory of battle. With her fellow War Monks, she worshipped the war gods, rained destruction on her enemies, and raised the dead when the fancy took her. Until her sister Keeley became the prophesied Blacksmith Queen, and Gemma broke faith with her order to journey to the Amichai Mountain and fight by Keeley’s side.

The Amichai warriors are an unruly, never-to-be-tamed lot, especially their leader-in-waiting, Quinn. But when the War Monks declare support for Gemma’s ruthless younger sister Beatrix, the immaturity of her key ally is the least of Gemma’s problems. She has to get to the grand masters, dispel their grudge against her, and persuade them to fight for Keeley and justice. If her conviction can’t sway them, perhaps Quinn’s irritating, irreverent, clearly unhinged, ferocity will win the day . . .

Nocturne by Kat Ross | (The Fourth Talisman #1) | Fantasy, Romance | Add to Goodreads

Nocturne, a wilderness of eternal night.
Solis, a wasteland of endless day.

Nazafareen is a Breaker, a mortal who has the rare ability to shatter spell magic—although her power carries a high price. With the memories of her former self erased and nowhere else to turn, she comes to Nocturne hoping to start a new life under the triple moons of the darklands.

But when an assassin forces Nazafareen to flee to the sunlit mortal city of Delphi, she finds herself embroiled in a deeper mystery whose origins lie far in the past. Why was the continent sundered into light and dark a thousand years before? And what really happened to the elegant but ruthless creatures who nearly reduced the world to ashes? The new Oracle might know, but she’s outlawed magic and executes anyone caught practicing it. Nazafareen must hide her powers and find a way out of the city—before it’s too late.

As the net slowly tightens, something ancient and vengeful begins to stir in the arid death zone called the Kiln. A dashing daeva named Darius is pursuing Nazafareen, but so are a multitude of enemies. War is brewing again. Can she stay alive long enough to stop it?

Elemental Links by M.A. Leon | Steel and Magic Book 1 | Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

“Take him and run.” The last words of Jake’s mother urged him to save his brother Louie. Jake and Louie get thrown into the outside world, where Jake learns his skill with a sword can save their lives, and Louie, gifted with elemental magic, soon learns his magic is part of something much bigger: a world of spirits that wage a war of their own.

Along their way, they meet Cassie; a fiery brunette with more secrets than Jake and Louie signed on for. The boys’ unlikely friendship with her turns their run-and-hide strategy on its heels.

Now, instead of fleeing, Jake and Louie charge headlong down a path to challenge the core of the necrom itself. Their new target is Dretlon Valley; the necroms’ settlement in the crook of the Dusk Mountains. But they won’t be alone.

Their journey is fraught with unexpected creatures, friends, and new allies. Aside from tournaments and drakons, Jake and Louie are tested as they’ve never been before. Can they defeat the force that threatens not just Louie, but every adept in Elabrium? Will their allies stand with them against the horde of necrom, whose mere presence threatens not just themselves, but their newfound friends as well?

Dead Woman Scorned by Michael Clark | (The Patience of a Dead Man #2) | Paranormal, Horror |Add to Goodreads

She’s back, and they’ll regret what they’ve done.

Mildred Wells had a miserable life that carried over to a lonesome death. In the end, they betrayed her–played her the fool.

She was the last to know, but there’s still time to catch up. She’ll formulate her painful plan as they live their lives in blissful ignorance.

With no more family, only vengeance drives her; in fact, it’s all she has. She would have rather rested in peace, but for Mildred, dying isn’t so easy.

The Hope of Christmas Past by L.G. Rollins | (A Dickens of a Christmas Book 1) | Regency Romance, Christmas| Add to Goodreads

With so much at stake this Christmas Season, love will only get in the way.

Belle Young has waited three years for Lord Wilkins to return from his travels abroad—and a full seven years since he first promised to marry her and carry her away from her aunt’s oppressive home. What better time of year for their reunion than Christmas? Belle is certain Lord Wilkins means to make good on his word—that is, until she’s introduced to the vibrant young woman who followed him home from America, at his invitation. Shocked and confused, Belle is determined to remind Lord Wilkins of his promise to her. After all, she needs this marriage. It’s either that or spend the rest of her life as a nobody, an unwanted ward of her aunt, alone and wholly unloved.

Mr. James Radcliff has never minded his lack of title or high standing among society. He is quite content with is status as gentleman and cousin to the exuberant Lord Wilkins. But then he learns that his cousin is not actually the son of the late earl; if the information ever got out, James would find himself earl and his cousin would be thrust from society. It may not be what most men would do, but James is determined to find the only proof of his cousin’s illegitimacy—and destroy it.

The Hope of Christmas Past is the first in A Dickens of a Christmas series. It is a clean and wholesome Regency Christmas romance; a story of goodness amidst adversity, holiday cheer, and, hope. Each book in this series is a stand-alone and can be read apart or enjoyed in proper order.

The Best of No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations by Deborah Hawkins | Blog Posts/Non-fiction | Add to Goodreads

No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations (NoSmallThing.net) was launched in 2010 with the intention of reflecting on experiences that generated feelings of gratitude in order to create a positive mood and orientation to life. As of fall of 2019, over 500 reflections (mindful meditations) have been published along with over 100 tips that can be employed in a gratitude practice.

This mindfulness process is detailed in a companion book, Practice Gratitude: Transform Your Life. It emphasizes the creation of personal gratitude themes, one’s Grateful Dozen, which can help a person see things that spark grateful feelings in new situations. This is a collection of favorite blog posts that came out of this process.

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart by C.S. Johnson | (Favan & Flew #1) | Steampunk, Fantasy, Romance | Add to Goodreads

A Chinese Legend.
A British Secret.
Star-Crossed Lovers with Incompatible Magic.

Brixton Flew works as a professor of wielder instruction at Rembrandt Academy, hoping to erase the regrets of his youth along with the resulting debt. But when he comes face to face with his biggest regret—the woman who broke his heart, Adelaide Favan—Brixton soon realizes his troubles have only begun.

Unable to control her magic, Adelaide knew leaving Brixton was the only way to protect him when they were younger. Now she discovers he is the key to recovering the Dragon Eyes, a legendary treasure connected to her magic and her family’s disgraced legacy—and she knows the risk is great, to both his life and her heart.

With others seeking the power of the Dragon Eyes, Brixton and Adelaide must outwit their foes and face down their families to save London from an ancient legend that sleeps beneath the magic portal in their city.

But the renewed passion growing between them may prove to be the greater peril …

Library Holds Coming To Me This Month

The Lost Book of White by Cassandra Clare | (The Eldest Curses #2) | Paranormal, Fantasy, | Add to Goodreads

Life is good for Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. They’re living together in a fabulous loft, their warlock son, Max, has started learning to walk, and the streets of New York are peaceful and quiet—as peaceful and quiet as they ever are, anyway.

Until the night that two old acquaintances break into Magnus’s apartment and steal the powerful Book of the White. Now Magnus and Alec will have to drop everything to get it back. They need to follow the thieves to Shanghai, they need to call some backup to accompany them, and they need a babysitter.

Also, someone has stabbed Magnus with a strange magical weapon and the wound is glowing, so they have that to worry about too.

Fortunately, their backup consists of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and newly minted Shadowhunter Simon. In Shanghai, they learn that a much darker threat awaits them. Magnus’s magic is growing unstable, and if they can’t stop the demons flooding into the city, they might have to follow them all the way back to the source—to the very realm of the dead. Can they stop the threat to the world? Will they make it back home before their kid completely wears out Alec’s mom?

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig | Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson | Scifi | Add to Goodreads

An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens her new home and her fragile place in it, in a stunning sci-fi debut that’s both a cross-dimensional adventure and a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.

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.

Just Because

My Lady Quicksilver by Bec McMaster | (London Steampunk #3) | Romance, Paranormal, Steampunk | Add to Godoreads

Determined to destroy the Echelon she despises, Rosalind Fairchild is on seemingly easy mission. Get in. Uncover the secrets of her brother’s disappearance. And get out.

In order to infiltrate the Nighthawks and find their leader, Sir Jasper Lynch, Rosalind will pose as their secretary. But she doesn’t count on Lynch being such a dangerously charismatic man, challenging her at every turn, forcing her to re-evaluate everything she knows about the enemy.

He could be her most dangerous nemesis—or the ally she never dreamed existed.

Clash of the Demons by Joseph Delaney | (The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles #6) | Fantasy, Paranormal | Add to Goodreads

“You can’t make alliances with witches and suchlike and hope to avoid being drawn toward the dark.”

As the Spook’s apprentice, Thomas Ward’s first duty is to protect the County from ghosts, boggarts, and other dangerous creatures. But now his mother has come back from her homeland to seek his help. One of the most dangerous of the old witches, Ordeen, is about to return to earth, bringing with her suffering and devastation. Tom’s mother has mustered a powerful army–including Tom’s friend Alice, the Pendle witches, and the assassin Grimalkin–to confront Ordeen. If Tom joins them, the Spook will refuse to take Tom back as his apprentice. What sacrifices will be made in the battle against the dark?

Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel by A.W. Jantha | Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

Hocus Pocus is beloved by Halloween enthusiasts all over the world. Diving once more into the world of witches, this electrifying two-part young adult novel, released on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1993 film, marks a new era of Hocus Pocus. Fans will be spellbound by a fresh retelling of the original film, followed by the all-new sequel that continues the story with the next generation of Salem teens.

Shortly after moving from California to Salem, Massachusetts, Max Dennison finds himself in hot water when he accidentally releases a coven of witches, the Sanderson sisters, from the afterlife. Max, his sister, and his new friends (human and otherwise) must find a way to stop the witches from carrying out their evil plan and remaining on earth to torment Salem for all eternity.

Twenty-five years later, Max and Allison’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Poppy, finds herself face-to-face with the Sanderson sisters in all their sinister glory. When Halloween celebrations don’t quite go as planned, it’s a race against time as Poppy and her friends fight to save her family and all of Salem from the witches’ latest death-defying scheme.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu | Fantasy Graphic Novel | Add to Goodreads

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Hocus Pocus Readathon

These are the books that I am reading towards this readathon.

What are you hoping to read this month?

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Memes · TBR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? October 4, 2020

sophrilreads5 Comments
It's Monday What are you reading.png

Good Morning!

It’s the start of another week. It’s Monday! What are you Reading is hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, this is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind.

This past week went better than I expected! I am hoping that this week will be good as well.

Recent Books

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini | Science Fiction, Space Opera | 5 Stars | Add to Goodreads

Kira Navárez dreamed of life on new worlds.

Now she’s awakened a nightmare.

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 . . .”

Dead Woman Scorned by Michael Clark | (The Patience of a Dead Man #2) | Horror/ Paranormal | 5 Stars| Add to Goodreads

She’s back, and they’ll regret what they’ve done.

Mildred Wells had a miserable life that carried over to a lonesome death. In the end, they betrayed her–played her the fool.

She was the last to know, but there’s still time to catch up. She’ll formulate her painful plan as they live their lives in blissful ignorance.

With no more family, only vengeance drives her; in fact, it’s all she has. She would have rather rested in peace, but for Mildred, dying isn’t so easy.

My Lady Quicksilver by Bec McMaster | (London Steampunk #3) | Victorian Romance, Steampunk| 4 Stars | Add to Goodreads

Determined to destroy the Echelon she despises, Rosalind Fairchild is on seemingly easy mission. Get in. Uncover the secrets of her brother’s disappearance. And get out.

In order to infiltrate the Nighthawks and find their leader, Sir Jasper Lynch, Rosalind will pose as their secretary. But she doesn’t count on Lynch being such a dangerously charismatic man, challenging her at every turn, forcing her to re-evaluate everything she knows about the enemy.

He could be her most dangerous nemesis—or the ally she never dreamed existed.

Currently Reading

The Best of No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations by Deborah Hawkins | Collection of Blog Posts/ Non-Fiction | Add to Goodreads

As of writing this post I am 16% through this one.

No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations (NoSmallThing.net) was launched in 2010 with the intention of reflecting on experiences that generated feelings of gratitude in order to create a positive mood and orientation to life. As of fall of 2019, over 500 reflections (mindful meditations) have been published along with over 100 tips that can be employed in a gratitude practice.

This mindfulness process is detailed in a companion book, Practice Gratitude: Transform Your Life. It emphasizes the creation of personal gratitude themes, one’s Grateful Dozen, which can help a person see things that spark grateful feelings in new situations. This is a collection of favorite blog posts that came out of this process.

The Hope of Christmas Past | A Dickens of a Christmas Book 1 | Regency Romance, Christmas Story |Add to Goodreads

Belle Young has waited three years for Lord Wilkins to return from his travels abroad—and a full seven years since he first promised to marry her and carry her away from her aunt’s oppressive home. What better time of year for their reunion than Christmas? Belle is certain Lord Wilkins means to make good on his word—that is, until she’s introduced to the vibrant young woman who followed him home from America, at his invitation. Shocked and confused, Belle is determined to remind Lord Wilkins of his promise to her. After all, she needs this marriage. It’s either that or spend the rest of her life as a nobody, an unwanted ward of her aunt, alone and wholly unloved.

Mr. James Radcliff has never minded his lack of title or high standing among society. He is quite content with is status as gentleman and cousin to the exuberant Lord Wilkins. But then he learns that his cousin is not actually the son of the late earl; if the information ever got out, James would find himself earl and his cousin would be thrust from society. It may not be what most men would do, but James is determined to find the only proof of his cousin’s illegitimacy—and destroy it.

The Hope of Christmas Past is the first in A Dickens of a Christmas series. It is a clean and wholesome Regency Christmas romance; a story of goodness amidst adversity, holiday cheer, and, hope. Each book in this series is a stand-alone and can be read apart or enjoyed in proper order.

Book 1: The Hope of Christmas Past
Book 2: The Joy of Christmas Present
Book 3: The Peace of Christmas Yet to Come

Clash of the Demons by Joseph Delaney | (The Last Apprentice #6) | Young Adult, Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

“You can’t make alliances with witches and suchlike and hope to avoid being drawn toward the dark.”

As the Spook’s apprentice, Thomas Ward’s first duty is to protect the County from ghosts, boggarts, and other dangerous creatures. But now his mother has come back from her homeland to seek his help. One of the most dangerous of the old witches, Ordeen, is about to return to earth, bringing with her suffering and devastation. Tom’s mother has mustered a powerful army–including Tom’s friend Alice, the Pendle witches, and the assassin Grimalkin–to confront Ordeen. If Tom joins them, the Spook will refuse to take Tom back as his apprentice. What sacrifices will be made in the battle against the dark?

What are you hoping to read this week?

Let’s chat in the comments below!

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Memes · TBR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? September 28, 2020

sophrilreads8 Comments
It's Monday What are you reading.png

Good Morning!

It’s the start of another week. It’s Monday! What are you Reading is hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, this is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind.

I really hope everyone had a great weekend! Sorry for completely disappearing last week. I it has been a rough few weeks and I just couldn’t bring myself to add anything to my days. I realized that if I kept pushing myself the way that I was I was going to end up making myself sick. I only finished one book in the last few weeks but I am slowly getting myself back on track with this “new” “new” normal that we now have. This time I am approaching things in a different way and making sure that I add some “me” time to the mix. I internalize everything so after so long you and your body can only take so much. Anyway you are not here to hear about me you are here for the books. So onto the book I read and what I am hoping to read.

Recent Books

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore | (A League of Extraordinary Women #2) | Regency Romance | 5 Stars | Add to Goodreads

A lady must have money and an army of her own if she is to win a revolution – but first, she must pit her wits against the wiles of an irresistible rogue bent on wrecking her plans…and her heart.

Lady Lucie is fuming. She and her band of Oxford suffragists have finally scraped together enough capital to control one of London’s major publishing houses, with one purpose: to use it in a coup against Parliament. But who could have predicted that the one person standing between her and success is her old nemesis, Lord Ballentine? Or that he would be willing to hand over the reins for an outrageous price—a night in her bed.

Lucie tempts Tristan like no other woman, burning him up with her fierceness and determination every time they clash. But as their battle of wills and words fans the flames of long-smouldering devotion, the silver-tongued seducer runs the risk of becoming caught in his own snare.

As Lucie tries to out-manoeuvre Tristan in the boardroom and the bedchamber, she soon discovers there’s truth in what the poets say: all is fair in love and war…

Currently Reading

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini | Science Fiction, Space Opera | Add to Goodreads

As of writing this post I am 36% through this one.

Kira Navárez dreamed of life on new worlds.

Now she’s awakened a nightmare.

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 . . .”

The Best of No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations by Deborah Hawkins | Collection of Blog Posts/ Non-Fiction | Add to Goodreads

As of writing this post I am 16% through this one.

No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations (NoSmallThing.net) was launched in 2010 with the intention of reflecting on experiences that generated feelings of gratitude in order to create a positive mood and orientation to life. As of fall of 2019, over 500 reflections (mindful meditations) have been published along with over 100 tips that can be employed in a gratitude practice.

This mindfulness process is detailed in a companion book, Practice Gratitude: Transform Your Life. It emphasizes the creation of personal gratitude themes, one’s Grateful Dozen, which can help a person see things that spark grateful feelings in new situations. This is a collection of favorite blog posts that came out of this process.

Dead Woman Scorned by Michael Clark | (The Patience of a Dead Man #2) | Horror/ Paranormal | Add to Goodreads

As of writing this post I am 27% through this one.

She’s back, and they’ll regret what they’ve done.

Mildred Wells had a miserable life that carried over to a lonesome death. In the end, they betrayed her–played her the fool.

She was the last to know, but there’s still time to catch up. She’ll formulate her painful plan as they live their lives in blissful ignorance.

With no more family, only vengeance drives her; in fact, it’s all she has. She would have rather rested in peace, but for Mildred, dying isn’t so easy.

What are you hoping to read this week?

Let’s chat in the comments below!

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Memes · TBR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? September 14, 2020

sophrilreads3 Comments
It's Monday What are you reading.png

Good Morning!

It’s the start of another week. It’s Monday! What are you Reading is hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, this is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind.

Recent Books

Lycans and Legends: A Steampunk Fairy Tale by Melanie Karsak | (Steampunk Red Riding Hood #6) | Fantasy, Steampunk, Retelling | 5 Stars | Add to Goodreads

Someone is trying to assassinate the Queen.After stopping a mysterious preternatural assailant wielding an enchanted dagger, Clemeny is on the hunt. Why is someone after Victoria? To find answers, Clemeny Louvel must travel to the one place she’s been avoiding, the Summer Country. Among the mist and standing stones, secrets about her case-and herself-are hiding. An ancient grudge with roots deep in the heart of Britannia is about to unfold on the Victorian stage. Unless Clemeny can stop it first.Dive into the exciting final chapter of Clemeny’s adventures in Lycans and Legends. Journey to gaslamp London in the 19th century in this steampunk retelling of the classic Red Riding Hood fairy tale by New York Times bestselling author Melanie Karsak.

Awaken the Three by D.L. Jennings | (Highglade #2) | Fantasy | 4.5 Stars | Add to Goodreads

Beyond the Wastes of Khulakorum, a storm is rising . . .

The Shaper of Ages is gone, and along with her, the Breaker-yet gods are not the only threat to the peace of the living.

Aldis Tennech, the once-great general of the armies of Gal’dorok, finds himself in exile. His only hope of reclaiming glory lies in the hands of a self-proclaimed emperor, and the unearthly powers that put him there. Meanwhile, improbable alliances are forged in the north as unexpected enemies rear their heads and threaten ruin-with a single thread in common, connecting them all.

In the sequel to his award-winning novel Gift of the Shaper, D. L. Jennings once again brings to life an epic tale of war and chaos as earthly armies fight for otherworldly prizes. Ancient powers lying dormant must be called upon, bringing strength to those who need it and conquest to those who seek it; battles will rage and cities will fall, but only the most desperate or reckless would seek . . .

. . . to awaken the three.

Monstress #28 by Marjorie M. Liu | (Monstress (Issues) #28) | Comic, Fantasy | 5 Stars | Add to Goodreads

Trapped in a burning city under siege, Kippa must survive against all the odds.

Monstress #29 by Marjorie M. Liu | (Monstress (Issues) #29) | Comic, Fantasy | 5 Stars | Add to Goodreads

On the battlefield, Maika confronts the ghosts of Constantine and Kippa tries to make amends.

Monstress #30 by Marjorie M. Liu | (Monstress (Issues) #30) | Comic, Fantasy | 5 Stars | Add to Goodreads

Who will win this crucial first battle between the Federation and Arcanics? And whose side is Maika on, anyway?

Adler #3 by Lavie Tidhar, Paul McCaffrey (Illustrator) | Adler Comics #3 | 5 Stars | Add to Goodreads

From the World Fantasy Award-winning writer Lavie Tidhar and artist Paul McCaffrey (DC’s Men of War, TMNT) comes an all-new story written in the vein of Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen!

Irene Adler and her team of Victorian heroines encounter a mysterous villain, even more dangerous that Moriarty!

Altered Helix by Stephanie Hansen | (Altered Helix #1) | Mystery, Romance | Add to Goodreads

I didn’t want to take the traditional path. First, I wasn’t ready for college. Second, I was going to live with my best friend, Tiff, and work at the Haunted House. Third, did I mention the hot guy Josh that works there too?

The most exciting thing about Austria’s new job, at a local haunted house, was the fact that the toughest looking people screamed the loudest. But when she meets the boy without a home, Josh, Austria’s life takes intriguing and eventful turns. Up until now, Josh has managed to hang with his Street crowd, but they’re in danger, and so is Austria, the girl Josh recently fell for. The group finds themselves joining forces with previously considered enemies who also now find themselves in danger.

Deeply compassionate and full of twists, Altered Helix captures the struggle of polarized people that must work together for the greater good.

Currently Reading

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini | Science Fiction, Space Opera | Add to Goodreads

Kira Navárez dreamed of life on new worlds.

Now she’s awakened a nightmare.

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 . . .”

Ride the Wave by Elizabeth Briggs | (Her Elemental Dragons #4)| Fantasy, Romance, Reverse Harem | Add to Goodreads

The epic conclusion to the Her Elemental Dragons series!

The Black Dragon and her men may think they’ve defeated me and my mates, but we’re not giving up without a fight. We’re the only ones who can restore balance to the world, even if it means destroying my family in the process. This time we’re taking the battle to them and we will overthrow their oppressive rule—no matter the cost.

But what if the price of victory is my very soul?

What are you hoping to read this week?

Let’s chat in the comments below!

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Memes · TBR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? September 7, 2020

sophrilreads4 Comments
It's Monday What are you reading.png

Good Evening!

It’s the start of another week. It’s Monday! What are you Reading is hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, this is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind.

Recent Books

Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey | (Harper Hall of Pern #1) | Fantasy |DNF | Add to Goodreads

Journey to the wonder-filled world of Pern in the first volume of Anne McCaffrey’s best-selling Harper Hall Trilogy. Dragonsong is the spellbinding tale of Menolly of Half Circle Hold, a brave young girl who flees her seaside village and discovers the legendary fire lizards of Pern.

All her life, Menolly has longed to learn the ancient secrets of the Harpers, the master musicians of Harper Hall. When her stern father denies her the chance to make her dream come true, Menolly runs away from home. Hiding in a cave by the sea, she finds nine magical fire lizards who join her on a breathtaking journey to Harper Hall.

Anne McCaffrey’s enchanting tales of Pern, with all their colorful dragons and fantastic characters, have won her millions of fans around the world. The winner of the Hugo and Nebula Award, she is one of the best-loved writers in all of fantasy literature.

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim | (Scavenge the Stars #1) | Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling | 3.5 Stars | Add to Goodreads

When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide.

Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…

Star Daughter Shveta Thakrar | Young Adult, Fantasy | DNF | Add to Goodreads

The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. Pretending to be “normal.” But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star’s help to heal him. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago.

Sheetal’s quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family’s champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens–and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all.

This gorgeously imagined YA debut blends shades of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy. 

Arrowood by Mick Finlay | (Arrowood #1) | Historical Fiction, Mystery | 2 Stars | Add to Goodreads

London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood.

The Afghan War is over and a deal with the Irish appears to have brought an end to sectarian violence, but Britain’s position in the world is uncertain and the gap between rich and poor is widening. London is a place where the wealthy party while the underclass are tempted into lives of crime, drugs and prostitution. A serial killer stalks the streets. Politicians are embroiled in financial and sexual scandals. The year is 1895.

The police don’t have the resources to deal with everything that goes on in the capital. The rich turn to a celebrated private detective when they need help: Sherlock Holmes. But in densely populated south London, where the crimes are sleazier and Holmes rarely visits, people turn to Arrowood, a private investigator who despises Holmes, his wealthy clientele and his showy forensic approach to crime. Arrowood understands people, not clues.

The Damned by Renée Ahdieh | (The Beautiful #2) | Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance | 5 Stars |Add to Goodreads

Following the events of The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly. But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien.

Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not quite ready to learn.

Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.

Currently Reading

Ride the Wave by Elizabeth Briggs | (Her Elemental Dragons #4)| Fantasy, Romance, Reverse Harem | Add to Goodreads

The epic conclusion to the Her Elemental Dragons series!

The Black Dragon and her men may think they’ve defeated me and my mates, but we’re not giving up without a fight. We’re the only ones who can restore balance to the world, even if it means destroying my family in the process. This time we’re taking the battle to them and we will overthrow their oppressive rule—no matter the cost.

But what if the price of victory is my very soul?

Awaken the Three by D.L. Jennings | Fantasy | Add to Goodreads

Beyond the Wastes of Khulakorum, a storm is rising . . .

The Shaper of Ages is gone, and along with her, the Breaker-yet gods are not the only threat to the peace of the living.

Aldis Tennech, the once-great general of the armies of Gal’dorok, finds himself in exile. His only hope of reclaiming glory lies in the hands of a self-proclaimed emperor, and the unearthly powers that put him there. Meanwhile, improbable alliances are forged in the north as unexpected enemies rear their heads and threaten ruin-with a single thread in common, connecting them all.

In the sequel to his award-winning novel Gift of the Shaper, D. L. Jennings once again brings to life an epic tale of war and chaos as earthly armies fight for otherworldly prizes. Ancient powers lying dormant must be called upon, bringing strength to those who need it and conquest to those who seek it; battles will rage and cities will fall, but only the most desperate or reckless would seek . . .

. . . to awaken the three.

Lycans and Legends: A Steampunk Fairy Tale by Melanie Karsak | (Steampunk Red Riding Hood #6) | Fantasy, Steampunk, Retelling | Add to Goodreads

Someone is trying to assassinate the Queen.After stopping a mysterious preternatural assailant wielding an enchanted dagger, Clemeny is on the hunt. Why is someone after Victoria? To find answers, Clemeny Louvel must travel to the one place she’s been avoiding, the Summer Country. Among the mist and standing stones, secrets about her case-and herself-are hiding. An ancient grudge with roots deep in the heart of Britannia is about to unfold on the Victorian stage. Unless Clemeny can stop it first.Dive into the exciting final chapter of Clemeny’s adventures in Lycans and Legends. Journey to gaslamp London in the 19th century in this steampunk retelling of the classic Red Riding Hood fairy tale by New York Times bestselling author Melanie Karsak.

What are you hoping to read this week?

Let’s chat in the comments below!

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook