Amari Peters knows three things. Her big brother Quinton has gone missing. No one will talk about it. His mysterious job holds the secret . . . So when Amari gets an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain this is her chance to find Quinton. But first she has to get her head around the new world of the Bureau, where mermaids, aliens and magicians are real, and her roommate is a weredragon. Amari must compete against kids who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives, and when each trainee is awarded a special supernatural talent, Amari is given an illegal talent – one that the Bureau views as dangerous. With an evil magician threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is the enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton . . .
Thank you to Egmont books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a fantastic middle grade book filled with magic and wonder. It follows Amari Peters, who is a young Black girl with a missing older brother. She finds out early in the story that her brother belonged to a top-secret magical organisation, and that she has a chance to attend the same magic school her older brother did.
I love how this book tackles subjects such as race and class from the first chapter, and also introduces the topics in a way very accessible to young readers. I feel like so many people will relate to Amari as a main character and it’s so lovely to see more diverse main characters. Amari faces all kinds of oppression throughout this book and is still such a brave, confident and strong female protagonist – we need more people like her in middle grade!
You’re not going to change the world
This is the kind of middle grade that everyone will find enjoyment in. I found it so easy to read and loved the action, and I feel like children will find it so fun and entertaining. Despite being quite a long middle grade at almost 400 pages, this doesn’t feel like a long book at all as it’s a very quick one to get through with constant action and change in pace. There are so many different ways this story could go, and I’m excited to see where this series will head.
I love how this book tackles some harder topics without feeling like it is trying to combat them. These topics were woven in very naturally and will be brilliant for younger readers. This book was also so jam packed with magic and uses some great fantasy tropes we know really well to create a fresh and interesting story.
unless you hang with people who want to change the world too.
Overall, I can’t wait to see where this series goes and I loved the introduction to Amari – I think she’s going to be such an important protagonist but also has such an entertaining story!
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 all! I’ve actually been so much better with my book buying recently and I’m happy to say I only have one book on this list that I’ve bought in the past week, and I’ve actually already read it!
Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret. She’s a gumiho—a nine-tailed fox who survives by consuming the energy of men. But she’s also half-human and has a soft spot for people. So she won’t kill indiscriminately. With the help of a shaman, Miyoung only takes the lives of men who have committed terrible crimes. Devouring their life force is a morbid kind of justice . . . or so she tells herself. But killing men no one would ever miss in bustling modern-day Seoul also helps Miyoung keep a low profile. She and her mother protect themselves by hiding in plain sight. That is until Miyoung crosses paths with a handsome boy her age as he’s being attacked by a goblin in the woods. She breaks her mother’s cardinal rule—revealing herself and her nine tails—to save Jihoon from certain death. In the process, she loses her fox bead—her gumiho soul. Without it, she will die. When Miyoung and Jihoon next meet, there’s no doubt they are drawn to each other. But their tenuous romance could be over before it even begins, as Miyoung’s efforts to restore her fox bead by the next full moon ensnares them in a generations-old feud, forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon’s.
I actually read a proof of this a while ago, but decided to give it to Courtney because I thought she’d enjoy it more than me (and she did!). However, I’ve recently been itching to pick up the second book (which has absolutely nothing to do with that gorgeous cover…) and I also wanted to reread this one. I managed to grab the Fairyloot edition of the first book for quite cheap on eBay, and now I can get the matching hardback of Vicious Spirits!
Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escaping meant he would get his life back. But no one knew what sort of a life they were going back to… Burned and baked, the earth is a wasteland, its people driven mad by an infection known as the Flare. Instead of freedom, Thomas must face another trial. He must cross the Scorch to once again save himself and his friends.
Well, that was darker than expected. Reading this book made me realise how I often recommend this series to young teens at the bookshop I work in, and even I was slightly creeped out. There is definitely some scenes in here that weren’t included in the movies (at least not that I remember) and I can fully see why they were left out, because they were very dark. The earlier scenes also reminded me of some parts from Terminator 2: Judgement Day and I think if you’ve read this one and watched the films you will know what I mean!
In some ways this book did have a bit of second book syndrome and felt a little like a bridge book between the first and third books. I think this was partly because this book features a journey across a hot, flat desert…which made it feel like a journey bridging the two books and also made it feel a little flat. Which might sound stupid, but I honestly think it gave me some strange symbolism.
i felt her absence. it was like waking up one day with no teeth in your mouth.
I also felt a little bit of a disconnect to the characters and I just wish I felt more for the horrific things these characters go through. This book was quite dark in places and the characters have some incredibly traumatic times – however I just didn’t feel enough sympathy for them in my opinion.
One of the most positive parts of this book for me was the plot. The chapters were super short and I found this so easy to read because I didn’t want to put it down! I found this slightly quicker and easier to read than The Maze Runner (despite me reading that over a fewer amount of days). I just thought this one was slightly easier to pick up and felt a little more compelling than the first.
you wouldn’t need to run to the mirror to know they were gone
Overall this one was a little mediocre in comparison to my pleasant surprise of the first one in the series! However, I’m excited to read The Death Cure soon as I haven’t seen the film of that one so I have no idea what to expect there.
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a separate blog post for my monthly TBR, but I thought this would be an nice way to include my BookTube channel and showcase my TBR game! I recently created a TBR game called TBR mini golf, where I play mini golf to decide which books I will read in the following month. You can check out the July edition (which was the first edition) here, and I will put my August TBR game video below for you to check out!
If you didn’t know, TBR stands for To Be Read! I thought I would mention the books I chose in my August TBR in a dedicated blog post, so here they are…
Ash Persaud is about to become a reaper in the afterlife, but she is determined to see her first love Poppy Morgan again, the only thing that separates them is death. Car headlights. The last thing Ash hears is the snap of breaking glass as the windscreen hits her and breaks into a million pieces like stars. But she made it, she’s still here. Or is she? This New Year’s Eve, Ash is gets an RSVP from the afterlife she can’t decline: to join a clan of fierce girl reapers who take the souls of the city’s dead to await their fate. But Ash can’t forget her first love, Poppy, and she will do anything to see her again… even if it means they only get a few more days together. Dead or alive…
The first prompt I received in my TBR game was one word title and I decided to go for Afterlove. I was lucky enough to be sent a proof copy of this one so thank you to Hodder! I’ve been wanting to read this for a while and I’m looking forward to finally picking it up.
Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay, and it’s up to Cee to cross the ocean and find her. In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara lives in an eco-city built for people who protected the planet―and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return. Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But nevertheless, she decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.
I picked the prompt special edition for my second pick, and I chose The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He, and I’m so excited for it. I’ve heard amazing things about this one and I’m confident I’ll love it, and I also bought this gorgeous Owlcrate edition which I love!
Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun… 10:00 a.m.: The principal of Opportunity, Alabama’s high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve. 10:02 a.m.: The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class. 10:03: The auditorium doors won’t open. 10:05: Someone starts shooting. In 54 minutes, four students must confront their greatest hopes, and darkest fears, as they come face-to-face with the boy with the gun.
I then picked the prompt book you’ve had for over a year and I chose This Is Where It Ends. I’ve actually already read this book (review to come soon!) and I really liked it.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach. As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
I then got the prompt longest book, which is daunting but I ended up with House of Earth and Blood. I read A Court of Silver Flames over the course of a couple of days, so I’m happy this one ended up being the longest book on my TBR! This is the last book by Sarah J Maas I need to read and I always love her books, so I’m sure it will be a great read.
Olivia is an expert at falling in love . . . and at being dumped. But after the fallout from her last breakup has left her an outcast at school and at home, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf. A crush-free weekend at Farmland Music and Arts Festival with her best friend is just what she needs to get her mind off the senior year that awaits her. Toni is one week away from starting college, and it’s the last place she wants to be. Unsure about who she wants to become and still reeling in the wake of the loss of her musician-turned-roadie father, she’s heading back to the music festival that changed his life in hopes that following in his footsteps will help her find her own way forward. When the two arrive at Farmland, the last thing they expect is to realize that they’ll need to join forces in order to get what they’re searching for out of the weekend. As they work together, the festival becomes so much more complicated than they bargained for, and Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other, and music, more than they ever could have imagined.
I then picked the prompt romance, which I liked because it gave me so much scope to pick a lot of different books. After a bit of deliberation, I picked Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson. I knew this was one I wanted to read over the summer so thought I would squeeze it in, and I’m also excited to read it because I loved You Should See Me in a Crown which I read last year.
So that was my August TBR! I’m so excited to read all of the books on this one which is really cool.
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 have to admit, this is exactly what I wanted House of Hollow to be. Both have parallels, but this was much more what I expected (and wanted) for the trope of ‘girl goes missing and could be in a place nobody can reach her’. Even though the trope was similar to others I’ve seen, this book was so unique in it’s premise and plot itself, which I loved. It felt like such an oddity of YA, and breaches a gap between contemporary and magical realism, giving off a spooky feel.
I really liked the atmosphere and felt it was portrayed really well. I definitely had goosebumps in places and felt slightly spooked by the scenes in this book, which beautifully showed the thinning of the veil between our world and somewhere else. I really enjoyed how much tarot played a part in the story and the fact it is set in the real world makes the story easy to follow.
The characters were so diverse and I really liked the friendship dynamic. I think my biggest struggle was sometimes how much I disliked the main character, Maeve, who occasionally felt very immature in her actions and the way she spoke to people around her. Although she did grow throughout the book, I did sometimes struggle to like her character. However, I loved the side characters and the way all of their stories intertwined and they all had different plots working alongside each other. Each character had their own struggles and demons but they came together to fight as a team.
One of the main characters spends this book exploring his gender identity, which I really enjoyed reading about and sparked some really interesting and important conversations between the characters. The entire cast felt very diverse and it was great to see a non-binary side character, although I found the main character still presumed the genders of others, which felt a little backwards in places. I did really like the romance, however, and seeing how the two characters communicated with one another and had a level of understanding I didn’t expect really warmed my heart.
This book is set in Ireland, which I really liked. It also felt like it played a key role in the story, including discussions of the Catholic Church but also the folklore of Ireland. This brought out some really interesting and important topics that I definitely wasn’t expecting to come up.
If you’re looking for a quirky and atmospheric creepy YA, I would really recommend this one. I can see how this is only the first one in a series and I’m looking forward to seeing where Maeve’s story goes!
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! As usual, it’s been a couple of weeks since I updated you and of course I have acquired a substantial amount of books in that time. I have been buying a few and have been very generously gifted a few too, so here they are! I will also be having a June book haul going up on my BookTube channel soon, so you can check that out here.
Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay, and it’s up to Cee to cross the ocean and find her. In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara lives in an eco-city built for people who protected the planet―and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return. Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But nevertheless, she decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.
I’ve been hearing about this book everywhere and as soon as I saw the Owlcrate edition I knew I wanted it. Luckily I found most of the box on eBay and I’m so glad I did because I love the lilac tones in this one!
Ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, Leena escapes to her grandmotherEileen’s house for some overdue rest. Newly single and about to turn eighty, Eileen would like a second chance at love. But her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen… So Leena proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love, and Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with a rabble of unruly OAPs to contend with, as well as the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – local schoolteacher, Leena learns that switching lives isn’t straightforward. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, and with the online dating scene. But is her perfect match nearer to home than she first thought?
I actually bought this one a few months ago in a charity shop very cheaply, but my mum has been reading it and passed it back to me in the past few days, so I decided to include it in this haul.
Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother. Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die. Peniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.
This one was a completely random purchase because I saw this and could not resist the beautiful hardcover edition. I also want to read both this one and Spin the Dawn by the same author!
I had a few preorders come through including this one that came out in paperback! I read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing a few months ago and loved it, so I’ve been very excited for this one.
I received a lot of books recently, including this one which I absolutely love! Amy bought this one for me to match my edition of Vicious, and I’m so happy to have both copies.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive. Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive. Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous-it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost, Da’s death was hard enough, but now that her little brother is gone too, Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself may crumble and fall.
Mark also bought me a book, mainly because we were very curious about how this edition matched my editions of This Savage Song. I’ve been collecting V.E. Schwab books to complete my set if you couldn’t tell!
Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined–it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri’s unique family lineage. When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community. There is more to Bri’s sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it . . . until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family.
I also received some lovely books from publishers, including this one from Bloomsbury which I am so excited for, as I recently read Cinderella is Dead that I really liked.
Nina Dean has arrived at her early thirties as a successful food writer with loving friends and family, plus a new home and neighbourhood. When she meets Max, a beguiling romantic hero who tells her on date one that he’s going to marry her, it feels like all is going to plan. A new relationship couldn’t have come at a better time – her thirties have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she was sold. Everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone’s moving to the suburbs. There’s no solace to be found in her family, with a mum who’s caught in a baffling mid-life makeover and a beloved dad who is vanishing in slow-motion into dementia.
I was also sent a paperback of Ghosts from Penguin (thank you!) as I am on the blog tour for this soon, which you will be able to look forward to.
Ash Persaud is about to become a reaper in the afterlife, but she is determined to see her first love Poppy Morganagain, the only thing that separates them is death. Car headlights. The last thing Ash hears is the snap of breaking glass as the windscreen hits her and breaks into a million pieces like stars. But she made it, she’s still here. Or is she? This New Year’s Eve, Ash is gets an RSVP from the afterlife she can’t decline: to join a clan of fierce girl reapers who take the souls of the city’s dead to await their fate. But Ash can’t forget her first love, Poppy, and she will do anything to see her again… even if it means they only get a few more days together. Dead or alive…
I was also sent quite a few books from Hachette as part of their recent event for Waterstones booksellers. This was definitely the book I was the most excited for in the parcel as I also have a signed edition preordered!
Sarfraz Manzoor grew up in a working-class Pakistani Muslim family in Luton – where he was raised to believe that they were different, they had an alien culture and they would never accept him. They were white people. In today’s deeply divided Britain we are often told they are different, they have a different culture and values and they will never accept this country. This time they are Muslims. Weaving together history, reportage and memoir, Sarfraz Manzoor journeys around Britain in search of the roots of this division – from the fear that Islam promotes violence, to the suspicion that Muslims wish to live segregated lives, to the belief that Islam is fundamentally misogynistic.
There was a great collection of non-fiction too, including this one which sounds so interesting and important.
Phil Wang has been asked this question so many times he’s finally written a book about it. In this mix of comic memoir and observational essay, one of the UK’s most exciting stand-up comedians reflects on his experiences as a Eurasian man in the West and in the East. Phil was born in Stoke-on-Trent, raised in Malaysia, and then came of age in Bath – ‘a spa town for people who find Cheltenham too ethnic’. Phil explores the contrasts between Eastern and Western cultures and delves into Britain and Malaysia’s shared histories, bringing his trademark cynicism and wit to topics ranging from family, food, and comedy to race, empire, and colonialism. Sidesplitter is a hilarious and incisive look at being mixed race and belonging to two home countries at once.
Another book included that sounds important but also I know will bound to be entertaining as I really like Phil Wang as a comedian! I was very excited to receive this one too so thank you Hachette!
Ed Patrick is an anaesthetist. Strong drugs for his patients, strong coffee for him. But it’s not just sleep-giving for this anaesthetist, as he navigates emergencies, patients not breathing for themselves and living with a terrifying sense of responsibility. It’s enough to leave anyone feeling numb. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of laughing gas to be had.
This one has very This Is Going to Hurt vibes which although I haven’t read I have heard amazing things about, so I’m looking forward to reading this one.
It begins between the Creation and Noah’s Flood, follows the footsteps of the earliest generation of giants from an age when the children of Cain and the progeny of fallen angels walked the earth, to the founding of Britain, England, Wales and Scotland, the birth of Christ, the wars between Britons, Saxons and Vikings, and closes with the arrival of the Normans. These are retellings of medieval tales of legend, landscape and the yearning to belong, inhabited with characters now half-remembered: Brutus, Albina, Scota, Arthur and Bladud among them. Told with narrative flair, embellished in stunning artworks and glossed with a rich and erudite commentary. We visit beautiful, sacred places that include prehistoric monuments like Stonehenge and Wayland’s Smithy, spanning the length of Britain from the archipelago of Orkney to as far south as Cornwall; mountains and lakes such as Snowdon and Loch Etive and rivers including the Ness, the Soar and the story-silted Thames in a vivid, beautiful tale of our land steeped in myth. It Illuminates a collective memory that still informs the identity and political ambition of these places.
I love the sound of this and the cover is so pretty! Weirdly it doesn’t have a Goodreads page yet, but you can preorder it from Waterstones.
Summer love…gone so fast. Will Tavares is the dream summer fling―he’s fun, affectionate, kind―but just when Ollie thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After, summer vacation ends and Will stops texting Ollie back. Now Ollie is one prince short of his fairy tale ending, and to complicate the fairy tale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country. Which he minds a little less when he realizes it’s the same school Will goes to…except Ollie finds that the sweet, comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted―and, to be honest, a bit of a jerk. Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn’t ready for a relationship, especially since this new, bro-y jock version of Will seems to go from hot to cold every other week. But then Will starts “coincidentally” popping up in every area of Ollie’s life, from music class to the lunch table, and Ollie finds his resolve weakening. The last time he gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again. Right? Right.
Last but not least for this list, I found an old proof of this hidden away at the bookshop I work in and decided to pick it up! I think Alex and I will be reading this one together as she also picked up a copy recently.
Hello! It’s time for my June wrap-up which was my best reading month EVER. I read 24 books in June as part of Whatever-You-Want-a-Thon which was hosted by Maddie from Book Browsing Blog on YouTube. Although 5 of these were graphic novels, I’m still super proud of how many full length novels I read as well. You can see this wrap up as a video on my YouTube channel below.
I also did my first edition of my brand new TBR game on my BookTube recently for my July TBR! I played mini golf to decide my TBR and it was so much fun. You can see the video below:
Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike. Particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated when one of The Maidens, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything – including her own life.
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father.Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over. But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner. Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic.
Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more…? Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie – the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months – but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…
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.
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 is not just a book about running. It’s a book about cupcakes. It’s a book about suffering. It’s a book about gluttony, vanity, bliss, electrical storms, ranch dressing, and Godzilla. It’s a book about all the terrible and wonderful reasons we wake up each day and propel our bodies through rain, shine, heaven, and hell.
When Father goes away with two strangers one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered. They andtheir mother have to move from their comfortable London home to go and live in a simple country cottage, where Mother writes books to make ends meet. However, they soon come to love the railway that runs near their cottage, and they make a habit of waving to the Old Gentleman who rides on it. They befriend the porter, Perks, and through him learn railway lore and much else. They have many adventures, and when they save a train from disaster, they are helped by the Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of their father’s disappearance, and the family is happily reunited.
A passionate, hilarious and heartfelt YA romcom debut full of juicy secrets and leap-off-the-page chemistry about how we choose to live our lives and what it means to live your truth. For fans of Jenny Han, Nicola Yoon and Justin A. Reynolds. 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.
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.
The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks and vampires. There the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray. Follow Brother Zachariah and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festive celebrations, Anna Lightwood’s first romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin and Tessa Gray plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah…
When Cora’s brother drags her along to his boss’s house, she doesn’t expect to strike up a friendship with Adrien, sonof 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?
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.
By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only black kids at Jefferson Academy. By night, she joins hundreds of thousands of black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm. But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Driven to save the only world in which she can truly be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?
Wealthy students from across the galaxy come to learn at the prestigious academy where Hugo toils as a watchmaker. But he is one of the lucky ones. Many androids like him are jobless and homeless. Someone like Dorian could never understand their struggle – or so Hugo thinks when the pompous duke comes banging at his door. But when Dorian’s broken time-travel watch leads them to discover a sinister scheme, the pair must reconcile their differences if they are to find the culprit in time.
Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he’s seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system. Then one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighbourhood escalates into tragedy. “Boys just being boys” turns out to be true only when those boys are white. The story that I think will be my life starts today Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal’s bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it?
Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure…before he disappears without a word. Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating. When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.
It’s 200 years since Cinderella found her prince, but the fairytale is over. Sophia knows the story though, off by heart. Because every girl has to recite it daily, from when she’s tiny until the night she’s sent to the royal ball for choosing. And every girl knows that she has only one chance. For the lives of those not chosen by a man at the ball . are forfeit. But Sophia doesn’t want to be chosen – she’s in love with her best friend, Erin, and hates the idea of being traded like cattle. And when Sophia’s night at the ball goes horribly wrong, she must run for her life. Alone and terrified, she finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s tomb. And there she meets someone who will show her that she has the power to remake her world.
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity, and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Increasingly isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft. When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, wrathful Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia. There she learns to harness her occult craft, drawing strength from nature. But she will not always be alone; many are destined to pass through Circe’s place of exile, entwining their fates with hers. The messenger god, Hermes. The craftsman, Daedalus. A ship bearing a golden fleece. And wily Odysseus, on his epic voyage home. There is danger for a solitary woman in this world, and Circe’s independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.
★★★ 3 out of 5 stars
It’s hard to choose my favourite book of the month as I had quite a few 5 stars for a change, but I’m going to go with SLAY! My least favourite was sadly Circe.
I don’t have too much of a TBR in July which is so nice and a lovely break after Whatever-You-Want-a-Thon! I do have a few buddy reads and proofs I need to read too, but I’m definitely not expecting to read quite as much as June, which is completely fine as I have a lot going on at the moment!
What did you read in June and what are you hoping to read in July?
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…
There are a few people in this world that I will read anything they ever produce. Alice Oseman being one of them. Makoto Shinkai being another. I love Your Name, it is one of my favourite films in the world and I also love the light novel and manga. Weathering With You quickly became another favourite, and I read the light novel soon after the movie release. Me and Mark spotted this manga recently and knew we both wanted to pick it up, as we both loved the film so much. This is the first of 3 volumes (completed as far as I am aware) in the Weathering manga, and I read this in around half an hour. Naturally, the art style is well suited to manga due to the film being anime. I also love how some pages are completely given over to one drawing, giving big scenes the space, size and therefore impact they deserve.
Copyright Vertical Comics 2020
I love the characters in Weathering so much, and just thinking about their friendship makes me emotional. This first volume heavily focuses on them meeting and developing their friendship, which already feels authentic and heartwarming. I also really enjoyed the slightly different insight reading the manga gives to Hodaka’s thought processes and feelings. His story feels almost slightly more raw due to this narrative, and even though only a few pieces of dialogue were changed, I felt the change.
I’m really excited to pick up the rest of this manga and it has definitely made me want to rewatch the film!
It’s 200 years since Cinderella found her prince, but the fairytale is over. Sophia knows the story though, off by heart. Because every girl has to recite it daily, from when she’s tiny until the night she’s sent to the royal ball for choosing. And every girl knows that she has only one chance. For the lives of those not chosen by a man at the ball . are forfeit. But Sophia doesn’t want to be chosen – she’s in love with her best friend, Erin, and hates the idea of being traded like cattle. And when Sophia’s night at the ball goes horribly wrong, she must run for her life. Alone and terrified, she finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s tomb. And there she meets someone who will show her that she has the power to remake her world.
I’ve heard mixed things about this but I honestly really enjoyed it. I read most of it in a day and if I didn’t have so much going on, would have probably finished it in the same day rather than two days. I loved the characters, I found it easy to read, fast paced and couldn’t put it down!
We follow Sophia, a Queer Black girl in a world dominated by men. Taking inspiration from Cinderella’s story, who died 200 years prior to this book, their world is very focused on marrying a man and settling down. Women are oppressed and being Queer is not seen as an option. But Sophia is ready to fight back.
I don’t want to be saved by some knight in shining armour.
I loved the way this book twisted the fairytale of Cinderella and gave it a whole new meaning, while also creating a whole world and patriarchy inspired by the tale itself. The retelling of Cinderella is quite dark and creepy, but I enjoyed the twisted side of it. This book as a whole was very powerful and some of the scenes in particular I loved and could picture very vividly. I really felt for the women in this world and I loved the main character of Sophia.
Sophia was not afraid to stand up for what she believed in and I really admired that about her. Seeing a strong, female, badass, Black main character is so amazing to see in YA and I love her as a role model for younger readers. My only criticism is this book did lack a little character development and didn’t make full use of the side characters, which was a shame as I found some of their dynamics really interesting.
I’d like to be the one in the armour, and I’d like to be the one doing the saving.
However, it is worth remembering this book is fairly short and almost doesn’t have the space to deep dive into characters or setting. I actually enjoyed how punchy it was and flew through it. I would highly recommend this one for an accessible fantasy read with kick-ass Black women taking down the patriarchy!
By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is a college student, and one of the only black kids at Jefferson Academy. By night, she joins hundreds of thousands of black gamers who duel worldwide in the secret online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer – not even her boyfriend, Malcolm. But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, the media labels it an exclusionist, racist hub for thugs. With threats coming from both inside and outside the game, Kiera must fight to save the safe space she’s created. But can she protect SLAY without losing herself?
I had a feeling I would like this book as I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. But it still managed to blow me away and surpass any expectations I had. We follow 17 year old Kiera Johnson, who is secretly the creator of a game for Black people, celebrating Black culture. She hides this fact from everyone, even her closest friends and family. But when something happens in real life that changes things forever, she finds her two worlds becoming closer and closer together.
I loved Kiera as a strong, Black, female protagonist. She had so much creativity, love and courage. I hope young girls read this story and look up to her, and see themselves in her and her sister, Steph. The relationship with her sister (and the rest of her family) was such a joy to read about and also felt authentic and relatable. Her friendships and relationships took just the right amount of focus in the story and propelled the plot without feeling planned or forced.
All I ever wanted to do was escape into this magical world where for once I don’t have to act a certain way because I’m Black,
The plot was one of the best parts of this book – it was very plot focused and fast paced, and my jaw literally dropped at some of the reveals. I thought I had everything figured out and BAM, I was hit with something so shocking and I couldnot put this book down. I buddy read this book with Alex, mostly in person, and I loved the experience of reading it together as we could not stop ourselves from gasping, getting emotional and becoming very, very angry at points in this book.
I have never known a YA book manage to balance intense, fast paced plot, imaginative world and nuanced and difficult discussions. There are so many important discussions about race, pride and love but none felt forced or inauthentic. Brittney Morris manages to strike an impressive balance between so many opposing aspects, alongside making me feel so emotional and connected towards the characters.
and where I don’t have to answer certain questions because I’m the Black authority in the room, and where if I do something that’s not stereotypically Black, I’m different.
Overall, this was astonishingly creative, vivid, beautifully written and had such important discussions about social issues and specifically, race. I am still blown away by this book – a new favourite for sure.
The Books are Everywhere 