Review: The Starlight Watchmaker (#2) by Lauren James

On June 27, 2021June 23, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review3 Comments

Hugo is spending the holidays on his friend Dorian’s home planet, Hydrox. Although thrilled at the invitation, Hugo is still astonished that Duke Dorian could possibly want to be friends with an android watchmaker like him. But when the pair land on Hydrox along with their friend Ada, they soon discover that there are much bigger problems afoot. A race of butterflies from a neighbouring star system have evacuated their now-uninhabitable planet, and Hydrox is struggling to find space for the growing number of refugees. Meanwhile, deep in the seas beneath Dorian’s home, a strange creature is on a path of destruction … Can the unlikely trio step in before the crisis gets out of control?
Dive into a strange new world in this truly imaginative companion to The Starlight Watchmaker.

This is such an adorable and imaginative companion to The Starlight Watchmaker. I’m so glad I reread the first one in order to completely connect to this crazy world and lovely characters again, and it definitely helped me fully appreciate this next step on their journey.

Every time I read these books I am blown away by how creative Lauren James is. I can’t even begin to comprehend where the ideas for this amazing world come from, with different planets and species all living and working together. But despite the strange world and planets, I still managed to picture this in all of it’s vivid glory. This reads young, but is also so accessible to all readers and a great introduction to the scifi genre with a focus on the characters. I also particularly enjoyed how climate change is woven throughout this book and brought to the attention of the reader early on.

The characters are so adorable and I loved reading about their relationships with one another. They are so accepting of each other’s quirks and personalities, and this felt like a very important ideal to portray for young readers. They are so well-developed and I really feel for them throughout these stories, which is an impressive feat considering how short these books are.

If you’re looking for an imaginative scifi with a diverse cast of characters and a lovely moral behind their stories, honestly go and pick this Dyslexia friendly (published by Barrington Stoke) series up!

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/thebooksareverywhere

Stacking the Shelves #48

On June 26, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the Shelves4 Comments

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi everyone! I’ve been focusing on buying some hard to find books recently and had a few gifted, so here’s some I picked up in the past few weeks.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Goodreads | Waterstones

I nabbed both of the hardbacks of these recently, because I have a hardback copy of Dumplin’ and wanted the matching set. I got Pumpkin’ new as it has just been released and found a cheap copy of Puddin’ online second hand.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

I’ve also been trying to complete my V.E. Schwab set, and nabbed a hardback of this one.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Being born during a hurricane is unlucky, and 12-year-old Caroline has had her share of bad luck lately. She’s hated and bullied by everyone in her small school on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, a spirit only she can see won’t stop following her, and — worst of all — Caroline’s mother left home one day and never came back.
But when a new student named Kalinda arrives, Caroline’s luck begins to turn around. Kalinda, a solemn girl from Barbados with a special smile for everyone, becomes Caroline’s first and only friend — and the person for whom Caroline has begun to develop a crush.
Now, Caroline must find the strength to confront her feelings for Kalinda, brave the spirit stalking her through the islands, and face the reason her mother abandoned her. Together, Caroline and Kalinda must set out in a hurricane to find Caroline’s missing mother — before Caroline loses her forever.

I was sent a copy of this by the publisher, which I requested because of my love for Felix Ever After. It’s a middle grade and I’m super excited to read it!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Now that Marty is almost 18, he’s about to decide what he wants for his future, and finally moving to London is it. He arrives with nothing but his oboe and some savings from his summer job, but Marty is excited to start his new life–where he’s no longer the closeted, shy kid who slips under the radar and is free to explore his sexuality without his parents’ disapproval.
To his friends back in America, Marty’s life looks like a perfect fantasy: in the span of a few weeks, he’s made new friends, he’s getting closer with his first ever boyfriend, and he’s even traveling around Europe. But Marty knows he can’t keep up the facade. He hasn’t spoken to his parents since he arrived, he’s tearing through his meager savings, and his homesickness and anxiety are getting worse and worse. Will Marty be able to finally find a place that feels like home?

I was also lucky enough to receive a copy of this one from the publisher – thank you Bloomsbury! I’ve heard great things about The Gravity of Us by the same author and I’m curious to check this one out.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students’ dark secrets to light.
Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can’t escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn’t afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power.
Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they’re planning much more than a high-school game..

Another one I was sent by the publisher – and one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year!

Goodreads | Waterstones

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.
Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

I was also gifted a few books from my lovely friend Amy – this one was a proof copy she has had sat around for a while and I really wanted to read.

Goodreads | Waterstones

In 1998, a sixteen-year-old girl is found dead on school property, dressed in white and posed on a swing, with no known cause of death. The novel opens with this image, as related to us by the narrator, Violet, looking back on the night it happened from the present day, before returning to relate the series of events leading up to the girl’s murder.
After an accident involving her Dad and sister, Violet joins Elm Hollow Academy, a private girls school in a quiet coastal town, which has an unpleasant history as the site of famous 17th century witch trials. Violet quickly finds herself invited to become the fourth member of an advanced study group, alongside Robin, Grace, and Alex – led by their charismatic art teacher, Annabel.
While Annabel claims her classes aren’t related to ancient rites and rituals – warning the girls off the topic, describing it as little more than mythology – the girls start to believe that magic is real, and that they can harness it. But when the body of a former member of the society – Robin’s best friend, with whom Violet shares an uncanny resemblance – is found dead on campus nine months after she disappeared, Violet begins to wonder whether she can trust her friends, teachers, or even herself.

I actually have a weird link to this author because of my boyfriend’s family, and I’ve wanted to read it for a while so I was very happy to receive a proof copy from Amy as well!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.

I’ve heard good (and bad) things about this book and author, so when Amy offered me a copy I decided to take her up on it! We’ll see how I get on.

Goodreads | Blackwells

The summer is winding down in San Diego. Veronica is bored, caustically charismatic, and uninspired in her photography. Nico is insatiable, subversive, and obsessed with chaotic performance art. They’re artists first, best friends second. But that was before Mick. Delicate, lonely, magnetic Mick: the perfect subject, and Veronica’s dream girl. The days are long and hot―full of adventure―and soon they are falling in love. Falling so hard, they never imagine what comes next. One fire. Two murders. Three drowning bodies. One suspect . . . one stalker. This is a summer they won’t survive.

I also had this arrive after months of waiting for it after ordering it in March. I’m so glad it’s finally here!

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

On June 25, 2021June 22, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review2 Comments

Goodreads | Waterstones

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats.
Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind.
As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.
The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.

I feel so torn about this one and my feelings towards it are all over the place. On one hand I loved the sisterly bond, family focus and creepy atmosphere. On the other, it just fell really flat. I did expect this one to be different than it ended up being, as it had much more of a fantasy horror focus with a bit of thriller, rather than the other way around. And because of that, I just wasn’t drawn into the story as much as I wanted to be at all. I found the first half of this book quite slow, then it picked up in the middle and lost my interest again at the end.

My favourite part of this book was the lyrical, beautiful writing. It had such creepy, dark undertones but also portrayed the world so well and was heavy on description. It had the perfect feel for the kind of twisted fairytale style this seemed to be going for, and left it a sprawling tale.

Some people go missing because they want to; some go missing because they’re taken.

I did enjoy the sister and family focus, and it made for an interesting backstory. I also didn’t find the plot predictable, and I liked seeing where the story would go. However, it just failed to really grab me. Towards the end of the story, I started wondering if we would really get all of the answers I was craving. And we kind of just…didn’t? Although I didn’t feel completely unsatisfied by the ending, I also didn’t get everything I was looking for.

The characters were so strange, but I definitely felt Iris was the perfect sister to tell this story. I liked the relationship with her mother and how it was explored, and the same goes for the other Hollow sisters and side characters. I just felt a little underwhelmed by scenes that should have been more emotional for me, and I felt there was a lack of connection between me and some of the characters.

And then there are the others—those who go missing because they fall through a gap somewhere and can’t claw their way back.

Although this was a page turner in places and had a great atmosphere, I just didn’t feel as absorbed or thrilled as I wanted to be. I personally feel like this one left a lot to be desired, but I can also see why some people are loving it at the moment! Be warned that this is very gruesome in places and make sure to look up trigger warnings before reading.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

On June 24, 2021June 22, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Random1 Comment

Goodreads | Waterstones

Everyone likes Humaira “Hani” Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship…with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita “Ishu” Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She’s an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that she stands a chance of being elected head girl.
Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after.

This was just the absolute cutest. I buddy read this one with a few friends, and most of our chat was between ‘how cute is this’ and ‘how annoying is this side character’. Hani is a popular girl who has recently come out as bisexual to her friends, who invalidate her sexuality because she’s only dated guys. Ishu is an academic overachiever who wants to become Head Girl, but needs to become more popular to get votes. They begin a fake relationship to mutually benefit them both, which brings them closer together.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the Muslim and Bengali rep. It felt authentic, natural and was so lovely to read about. It shouldn’t feel groundbreaking to have this kind of rep in YA, but it really does. I was reading this the entire time thinking of young Muslim readers who will see themselves in these characters. There are so many little things mentioned in this book, from wearing hijab, to praying, to having peer pressure from classmates to drink, that young Muslim girls will not have seen discussed in books before. And although that is crazy, and sad, I’m so happy to their stories finally shining through in YA. I also loved how this didn’t try to explain terms or coddle readers who are not from a South Asian background, because it is not the job of the author to educate.

I loved how distinct the two main characters and their families were, both having their own voices and interests. Although they do become intertwined with each other’s lives and have some quirks that belong only within the relationship, they also remain true to themselves and their own personalities. I also really liked Hani’s relationship with her family, which was so wholesome and lovely to read about. I especially found that in comparison to Ishu’s parents, it was heartwarming to read about their interactions. Ishu’s relationship with her sister was, although complicated, also lovely to read about.

Despite some of the difficult topics and discussions, I found this one very easy to read and dip in and out of for the buddy read. I became absorbed into the story so quickly, and found myself becoming emotional for different reasons throughout, especially feeling a lot of anger towards anyone who hurt these two girls. The only downside I found with this one is that some aspects of the plot had loose ends, or sometimes felt a little frustrating – especially when it came to the racism within the school.

Overall, this book was so heartwarming and fluffy but also covered some really important topics. I really loved it I’d love to pick up The Henna Wars by the same author!

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll

On June 23, 2021June 18, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review2 Comments

Goodreads | Waterstones

When Cora’s brother drags her along to his boss’s house, she doesn’t expect to strike up a friendship with Adrien, son of the intimidating CEO of Pomegranate Technologies. As she becomes part of Adrien’s life, she is also drawn into the mysterious projects at Pomegranate. At first, she’s intrigued by them – Pomegranate is using AI to recreate real people in hologram form. As she digs deeper, however, she uncovers darker secrets… Cora knows she must unravel their plans, but can she fight to make her voice heard, whilst never losing sight of herself?

I knew this was going to be good because I’ve heard so many amazing things about it, but wow. What a book. What I didn’t expect was to be quite so blown away by this, or quite so reeling with emotion throughout and especially in the last 10 or 20 pages. I was not prepared for or expecting the emotional rollercoaster that this book is, and trust me Elle McNicoll does not hesitate to discuss some really deep and important issues.

Our main character, Cora, is neurodivergent and has autism. She quickly becomes friends with Adrien, who has ADHD. Their friendship was so real and heartwarming to read about, and I loved the portrayals of both of them individually and together. This book is own voices as I believe the author has autism themselves, and it makes the portrayal of Cora’s autism all the more authentic. Not only will this book be amazing for neurodivergent kids, who will finally see themselves on the pages, it will also hopefully serve as an educational tool for all children and help them understand their friends and classmates. Although I am not neurodivergent, I did see myself a lot throughout this book because of Adrien’s homeschooling. I was homeschooled myself, specifically because I struggled in school, and some of the comments made me feel seen in a way I never have before in relation to homeschooling.

I have every right to be here. As me. Exactly as I am. I might be different to you, I might be different to every person in this room, but you have no more of a right to exist than I do.

What I expected from this book was two neurodivergent kids having Scooby-Doo style adventure. And while there are certainly aspects of this throughout, Show Us Who You Are runs so much deeper than I could have expected. It is such an important story that genuinely hit me hard in places and made me really emotional. Seeing Cora explore her own identity and grow in confidence throughout this book really warmed my heart. I rooted for her the whole way.

The characters were amazingly written and great to read about, some cleverly planned to be turned against you when you least expect it. Although I did guess one of the major plot points towards the end, a lot of this book left me reeling with the reveals. I loved the wider cast of characters, especially some of the more heartwarming parents and teachers. Cora’s situation as a child who has recently lost her mother not only allows for some amazing, heart-wrenching discussions about grief, but also single parent rep, which I found really important.

You don’t get to pick and choose which bits of me are fine. All of me is fine.

On top of all of the aspects of this book I adored is that the writing is truly excellent. This was so fast to read, and I read in a couple of sittings over 24 hours, but is also hard-hitting, beautiful and sometimes poetic. It is just perfect for this rollercoaster of a story. I’m so glad I picked it up and I can’t wait to recommend this to people around me, adults and children alike.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney

On June 21, 2021June 16, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review3 Comments

Goodreads | Waterstones

Quinn keeps lists of everything – from the days she’s ugly cried, to “Things That I Would Never Admit Out Loud,” to all the boys she’d like to kiss. Her lists keep her sane.
By writing her fears (as well as embarrassing and cringeworthy truths) on paper, she never has to face them in real life. That is, until her journal goes missing . . .
An anonymous account posts one of her lists on Instagram for the whole school to see and blackmails her into facing seven of her greatest fears, or else her entire journal will go public.
Quinn doesn’t know who to trust. Desperate, she teams up with Carter Bennett – the last known person to have her journal and who Quinn loathes – in a race against time to track down the blackmailer.
Together, they journey through everything Quinn’s been too afraid to face, and along the way, Quinn finds the courage to be honest, to live in the moment, and to fall in love. A razor-sharp, passionate and addictive YA romcom that readers will love.

I really, really loved this book. It is such a heartwarming but brutally honest read with such great characters. Quinn puts all of her hopes, dreams and deepest, darkest thoughts into her journal. Then her journal goes missing, taken by a fellow student who begins to blackmail her. While trying to find her journal, she ends up unexpectedly teaming up with the last person to see it: Carter.

This book had such a found family feel with a close friendship group that I adored. I always love reading about friendships, and I love that these felt really honest and natural. The dialogue and banter between them felt authentic and I enjoyed how they interacted with one another. I especially appreciated the relationship and it didn’t feel like an insta-love, more of a friends to lovers that I adored. It felt real and I rooted for them both.

I don’t know that. Fear is dangerous. Fear kills Black men.” “You think my dad would kill you?” I ask, meeting his gaze. “If your dad had a gun on him that day, I think I might be dead right now.”

Despite the heartwarming easy read this one was, it also didn’t shy away from important subjects, and I felt these topics were written so well. I loved how upfront and honest some of these conversations were, especially about race. Quinn faced her parents and former friends with some very important discussions, and her experiences around racial injustice felt real and honest. Frankly, we need more books like this in YA.

I really liked the main character, Quinn, and I thought the author was so clever to write her the way she did, because of the questionable things she has done in the past. Quinn does make mistakes but also realises it and matures so much throughout these books. These characters felt appropriate for their age but also developed throughout this story, which was brilliant to see.

It hurts that he would fear for his life at my house. That a boy with skin as dark as mine doesn’t feel safe around my father.

Overall, this book had so many amazing points. My only complaint is how one of the seemingly major side characters, Matt, fell off the face of the earth for most of this book after the first couple of chapters. It was so weird. Despite this, I really enjoyed reading this one and would highly recommend it for those who love contemporary reads with a twist! Also, I can’t go without mentioning that title. If that title doesn’t make you want to read it, I don’t think I can convince you.

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

On June 20, 2021June 15, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review9 Comments

Goodreads | Waterstones

Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine’s father. After Mr Earnshaw’s death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine’s brother Hindley and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries. The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure, the evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature.

This book was recommended to me by my friend Sophie, and it’s one I’ve wanted to read for years. One of my favourite books of all time is Jane Eyre, so naturally I wanted to read this one by another Bronte sister. I also visited the setting of Wuthering Heights years ago, and have wanted to read it more since. I was warned by Sophie that this one isn’t narrated by the person you would expect, and is actually told by a housekeeper to the master of the house, telling the story of Wuthering Heights, which is actually the neighbour’s house.

I definitely have a little bit of a love/hate relationship with not only these characters, but the writing and book in general. I found this such an rollercoaster, not in an emotional sense but more in the sense of finding some of this book highly enjoyable and some of it really difficult to take in and focus on. I read this in audiobook format, and I did really like the narration of it. I just found it so strange that I found some parts 5 stars and other parts so much lower.

He’s more myself than I am.

I found the start of this book really enjoyable, and I loved the Gothic aspects of it. I found throughout this book, the Gothic parts really drew me in and had such an amazing atmosphere. The atmosphere came partly from the setting of the Yorkshire moors, which I adored. However, I found some of the parts of this story difficult to read (or listen to) and I just couldn’t really focus on the story. This book follows a very long time span, and multiple character’s in the same families, and are often referred to by their family names. I actually looked up a character map for this one just to make sure I was following the right people.

I did enjoy the writing, I found it quite accessible and utterly charming, which was a nice surprise. I also feel like reading classic books on audio is something I have been drawn towards recently and is becoming a kind of tradition for me. However, I definitely feel like this book would have been much more enjoyable if it had been told by one of the main characters, not a side character relaying the story years after it happened.

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.

Overall, I feel very torn about this one and my feelings on it. I would love to watch a movie adaptation soon to get this story a little straighter in my head and see it from a different perspective!

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Stacking the Shelves #47

On June 19, 2021June 20, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the Shelves2 Comments

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi everyone! It’s been a few weeks since I last posted one of these and I have gained a LOT of books in that time (probably too many). Let’s have a look at what I got!

Bought

Goodreads | Waterstones

Ever felt anxious or alone? Like you don’t belong anywhere? Like you’re almost… invisible? Find your kindred spirits at The Sad Ghost Club.
This is the story of one of those days – a day so bad you can barely get out of bed, when it’s a struggle to leave the house, and when you do, you wish you hadn’t. But even the worst of days can surprise you. When one sad ghost, lost and alone at a crowded party, spies another sad ghost across the room, they decide to leave together. What happens next changes everything. Because that night they start the The Sad Ghost Club – a secret society for the anxious and alone, a club for people who think they don’t belong.

I’ve wanted a copy of this for a while and I was lucky enough to find a signed edition in a Waterstones I visited recently!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

I wanted this cover of The Song of Achilles, which is now out of print, but I managed to find one second hand.

Illumicrate introduces special 'The Infernal Devices' box – TMI Source

These beautiful editions of The Infernal Devices arrived recently! I absolutely love them.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Adrift after her sister Bailey’s sudden death, Lennie finds herself torn between quiet, seductive Toby—Bailey’s boyfriend who shares her grief—and Joe, the new boy in town who bursts with life and musical genius. Each offers Lennie something she desperately needs… though she knows if the two of them collide her whole world will explode.
Join Lennie on this heartbreaking and hilarious journey of profound sorrow and mad love, as she makes colossal mistakes and colossal discoveries, as she traipses through band rooms and forest bedrooms and ultimately right into your heart.
As much a celebration of love as a poignant portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often uproarious, and absolutely unforgettable.

I found this beautiful 10th anniversary edition of The Sky is Everywhere (fun fact, this book inspired my blog name!) recently and just had to pick it up.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

I also came across a copy of this for the first time in person while at work and put it to the side for myself as I’ve heard so many amazing things about it.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death.
When Laia’s grandparents are brutally murdered and her brother arrested for treason by the empire, the only people she has left to turn to are the rebels.
But in exchange for their help in saving her brother, they demand that Laia spy on the ruthless Commandant of Blackcliff, the Empire’s greatest military academy. Should she fail it’s more than her brother’s freedom at risk . . . Laia’s very life is at stake.
There, she meets Elias, the academy’s finest soldier. But Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined – and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Goodreads | Waterstones

I recently decided to unhaul my Fairyloot set of these, and I’ve picked up the paperbacks as I did enjoy the series, just not enough to keep my super special editions.

Goodreads | Waterstones

During the summer of his first year in high school, a young man named Hodaka runs away from home to the bustling city of Tokyo. Alone and exhausted, he decides to kill time in a fast food place, where he meets a young woman named Hina who happens to work there. Little does he know that Hina possesses powers that not only affect the weather, but the whole world…
In Weathering with You, Makoto Shinkai dives into topics like love and sacrifice to show how far one boy goes to protect the thing he loves most. This manga reveals the backstories and true thoughts of the characters who stole the hearts of fans and critics worldwide.

Your Name and Weathering With You are two of my favourite films so I was excited to see the first volume of this manga.

Goodreads | Waterstones

When glamorous socialite Noemi Taboada receives a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging to be rescued from a mysterious doom, it’s clear something is desperately amiss. Catalina has always had a flair for the dramatic, but her claims that her husband is poisoning her and her visions of restless ghosts seem remarkable, even for her.
Noemi’s more suited to cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing, but she heads immediately to High Place, a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside, determined to discover what is so affecting her cousin. She’s tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who is fascinated by Noemi; and not of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he wants to help – but he might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemi digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemi, mesmerised by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to leave this enigmatic house behind …

I’ve wanted to read this for a while and me and Amy want to buddy read it together, so we both picked up copies.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Maeve Chambers doesn’t have much going for her. Not only does she feel like the sole idiot in a family of geniuses, she managed to drive away her best friend Lily a year ago. But when she finds a pack of dusty old tarot cards at school, and begins to give scarily accurate readings to the girls in her class, she realizes she’s found her gift at last. Things are looking up – until she discovers a strange card in the deck that definitely shouldn’t be there. And two days after she convinces her ex-best friend to have a reading, Lily disappears.
Can Maeve, her new friend Fiona and Lily’s brother Roe find her? And will their special talents be enough to bring Lily back, before she’s gone for good?

I’ve also recently heard amazing things about this one, mostly from BooksNest on YouTube. Me, Amy and Jo have decided to read it together soon as we haven’t done a buddy read in a while!

Gifted

Goodreads | Waterstones

Seventeen-year-old Valeria is one of the only survivors of the freeze, a dark magical hold Knnot Mountain unleashed over her village. Everyone, including her family, is trapped in an unbreakable sheet of ice. Ever since, she’s been on the run from the Czar, who is determined to imprison any who managed to escape. Valeria finds refuge with the Thieves Guild, doing odd jobs with her best friend Alik, the only piece of home she has left.
That is, until he is brutally murdered.
A year later, she discovers Alik is alive and being held against his will. To buy his freedom, she must lead a group of cutthroats and thieves on a perilous expedition to the very mountain that claimed her family. Only something sinister slumbers in the heart of Knnot.
And it has waited years for release.

I’ve seen this around a lot and I decided I really wanted the Fairyloot edition, and Amy very kindly gifted one to me!

Goodreads | Waterstones

This one was sent to me by the publishers – thank you! – and I really like the sound of it. Little did I know, it’s the second in a series! Hopefully I can pick up the first at some point and read them both.

Goodreads | Waterstones

In this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out―and going out for their first kill―and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night.
Welcome to the evolution of the vampire―and a revolution on the page.
Vampires Never Get Old includes stories by authors both bestselling and acclaimed, including Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby, Victoria “V. E.” Schwab, and Kayla Whaley.

And last but not least, this one was also sent to me by the publishers – thank you Titan! I heard that V.E. Schwab’s short story is being adapted for Netflix, and I really wanted to read it.

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: Finale (#3) by Stephanie Garber

On June 18, 2021June 14, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

Goodreads | Waterstones

It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates have been freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella has seen Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own. Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it. She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne.
Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own. She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancé, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage. Finaly, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future. She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all.
Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun―with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win…and those who will lose everything.

I feel so torn about this ending to one of my favourite series at all time. I still really enjoyed this book, it just let me down slightly once again when I compare it to Caraval. I have been reading this series alongside Alex, and we’ve had some really interesting discussions about these books. Alex mentioned how these books feel like the author had an amazing idea and gave it all to the first book, meaning the other two are slight let downs and feel slightly forced.

However, I did still enjoy this a lot and I did enjoy it ever so slightly more than Legendary. Legendary was told from Tella’s point of view, after Caraval was told from Scarlett’s. However, Finale has both of the sister’s points of view, which I really liked. Throughout reading Legendary, I wasn’t aware I missed Scarlett’s narration. However, when I started Finale, I found I had missed Scarlett’s narration and the quirks that came with it.

Occasionally, there are minutes that get extra seconds.

I enjoyed the plot of this one, although it did still lack a little something that Caraval had. I also felt that the two sister’s had kind of similar plots and explored similar themes throughout this book, which felt a little confusing and fell flat for me in places. Although I did enjoy reading both of their plot points, I just wish they had a few different elements to tell them apart more clearly.

I loved the setting of this one and I did find it a little more vivid than Legendary. It definitely did feel slightly reminiscent of the first one and the magical, captivating setting of the game of Caraval. This one did have a similar atmosphere that I appreciated, but was still a little lacking in comparison to the first book.

I really love the sisters as strong female protagonists throughout these books, and I also love how Stephanie Garber manages to write character’s and then completely change our opinions of them as the reader. I also want to point out how easy all of these books are to read, which is great for fantasy!

Moments so precious the universe stretches to make additional room for them.

Overall, these books are honestly brilliant, and I am so sad this one wasn’t on par with Caraval. However, I still love this series so much and the first book is one of my favourite books in the world. These are brilliant introductory fantasy reads with strong female characters who I really adore!

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

ARC review: Blackout by Various Authors

On June 17, 2021June 14, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

Goodreads | Waterstones

The irresistible blockbuster YA romance of summer 2021 that celebrates Black love stories, by six of the biggest voices in YA. Perfect for fans of Jenny Han, Netflix’s Let it Snow and Bolu Babalola’s Love in Colour.
When a heatwave plunges New York City into darkness, sparks fly for thirteen teenagers caught up in the blackout. From the exes who have to bury their rivalry and walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn in time to kick off a block party, to the two boys trapped on the subway who come face-to-face with their feelings and the pair of best friends stuck in the library and surrounded by love stories and one very big secret, they are all about to see that when the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths, love blossoms, friendship transforms, and all possibilities take flight.
Six of today’s biggest stars of the YA world bring all the electricity of love to a collection of charming, hilarious and heartbreaking tales that shine the brightest light through the dark.

Thank you to Electric Monkey (Harper Collins) for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This book is released on June 24th in the UK.

I have wanted to read this one as soon as I saw it on 2021 YA releases lists. Yes to all of this. Yes to Black voices and Black love stories. Yes to an anthology. Yes to a New York blackout setting. Yes to cute romance. Yes to queer romance. There are so many things I adored in this book.

This is a collection of short stories following different teenagers throughout one night. On this particular night, New York falls into darkness during a blackout, and I adored this setting. It reminds me of the Friends episode The One With the Blackout, which is also one of my favourite episodes because I love the concept of what happens during a weird phenomenon like a city-wide blackout.

The short story concept was so sweet, especially because they kind of intertwined and the characters in some stories mentioned characters from others, which I really liked. I also liked how one of the stories was placed throughout the book in sections, with other stories breaking it up. My only let down was I expected a big scene at the end bringing all of the characters together, and I was a little sad that didn’t happen.

I love how different these stories were, in setting and story and characters. My favourite of the stories was actually sapphic, and was just so sweet. It was set in a home for older people, and the character’s were so sweet. The only downside I find with short stories is I find I struggle to connect to the character’s quite as much because of the lack of time to become connected to them. However, with Made to Fit by Ashley Woodfolk, my favourite story, I just fell in love with the characters. Also one of these stories was set in New York Public Library, which I adored!

These stories were so cute and fluffy, and made for a perfect summery romance read! I loved the differences between the stories but there actually wasn’t one I disliked. I’d highly recommend this one and especially the Waterstones exclusive edition because those sprayed edges!

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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