Books from the Backlog #101

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. This meme is hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books!

 

Nixy Bauer is a self-made Leveller. Her job? Dragging kids out of virtual reality and back to their parents in the real world. It’s normally easy cash, but Nixy’s latest mission is fraught with real danger, intrigue, and romance.

Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. After all, she’s a bounty hunter in a virtual reality gaming world. Kids in the MEEP, as they call it, play entirely with their minds, while their bodies languish in a sleeplike state on the couch. Irritated parents, looking to wrench their kids back to reality, hire Nixy to jump into the game and retrieve them.

But when the game’s billionaire developer loses track of his own son in the MEEP, Nixy is in for the biggest challenge of her bounty-hunting career. Wyn Salvador isn’t some lazy kid looking to escape his homework: Wyn does not want to be found. And he’s left behind a suicide note. Nixy takes the job but quickly discovers that Wyn’s not hiding—he’s being held inside the game against his will. But who is holding him captive, and why?

Nixy and Wyn attempt to fight their way out of a mind game unlike any they’ve encountered, and the battle brings them closer than either could have imagined. But when the whole world is virtual, how can Nixy possibly know if her feelings are real?

 

I added The Leveller by Julia Durango to my TBR in January of 2016! I thought it sounded like an intriguing Dystopian novel and I feel like it still is! It sounds fun. I'm sure I read a few good reviews on this and that's why I added it to my pile. Otherwise, I can't really remember much else about adding this to my stacks! Lol.

 

 

 
 
 

Review--Staked by Kevin Hearne

 

When a druid has lived for two thousand years like Atticus, he's bound to run afoul of a few vampires. Make that legions of them. Even his former friend and legal counsel turned out to be a bloodsucking backstabber. Now the toothy troublemakers - led by power-mad Theophilus - have become a huge problem requiring a solution. It's time to make a stand.

As always, Atticus wouldn't mind a little backup. But his allies have problems of their own. Ill-tempered archdruid Owen Kennedy is having a wee bit of troll turns out when you stiff a troll, it's not water under the bridge. Meanwhile, Granuaile is desperate to free herself of the Norse god Loki's mark and elude his powers of divination - a quest that will bring her face to face with several Slavic nightmares.

As Atticus globetrots to stop his nemesis Theophilus, the journey leads to Rome. What better place to end an immortal than the Eternal City? But poetic justice won't come without a In order to defeat Theophilus, Atticus may have to lose an old friend.

 

Kevin Hearne's Staked is book to set us up for the grand finale of The Iron Druid Chronicles, a series I am only just now finishing because, you know how it goes! Lol. This was yet another action packed installment filled with magic, vampires, battles, and of course, sausage! 

Atticus is done with the vampires. It's time to take them out. After one betrayal too many, he is ready to take as many as he can out of the picture permanently until he reaches Theophilus, the leader of the vampires. Meanwhile, Granuaile is working to remove her mark that Loki put on her and try to find a magical horse that Loki is supposedly looking for as well. Then we have Owen who is set to teach a new group of children, children whose parents are werewolves, the way of the druids.

This book was a bit chaotic what with everything that was going on. We were moving from druid to druid as they were dealing with one major issue after another and it all leads up to a battle of epic proportions! I suspected as such, but the journey to get to that was just as thrilling. From ghosts to witches, this book pulls no punches. I positively love how this series draws on so much mythology from across the world. It's been an amazing melting pot of cultural experiences.

I did feel a little forlorn that once again our main cast of characters was separated throughout the journey. I mean, yes, it's good to be independent, but I just wanted more of these three druids together kicking arse and saving the world, and having a few laughs along the way. We still get all that of course, but it's in parts I feel like and the trio does eventually come together for the world saving parts, but you know how it is when characters spend more pages apart than together. It just leaves you feeling a little morose is all.

The ending was definitely worthwhile! Things have drastically changed for Atticus and Granuaile, along with their hounds. It's hard to say what their final adventure will involve other than the grand showdown with Loki, but I intend to find out as soon as I get the next free moment! This is definitely a series worth checking out if you are a fan of classic urban fantasy and are looking for exposure to mythologies around the world! It's a fun and engaging series that always manages to put a smile on my face and I cannot wait for this grand finale!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Can't Wait Wednesday

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 

In New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige's wickedly fresh take on beloved tales, the fairy godmothers make the rules. Be careful what you wish for . . .

Two magical sisters. One more chance at revenge. . . .

Ever since Cinderella disappeared with Prince Mather the queendoms have been in disarray. Now with her magical power completely unchecked, Galatea intends to exact revenge on humans for using the Entente. Her plan? Send Bari off to find a new prince and take over one queendom at a time. But Bari's mission is complicated when South joins her and sparks begin to fly . . .

Meanwhile, Farrow is on her own journey to reunite with Cinderella and Prince Mather in the first Queendom. Amid brewing conflict, Farrow grapples with her feelings for Mather, her friendship with Cinderella, and her loyalty to the Entente's original purpose--to influence with helpful magic, never take total control.

Once as close as sisters, Bari and Farrow now find themselves on opposing sides. Will malice win out, or will the next generation of Entente chart a new path to "happily ever after" for their magical coven of fairy godmothers?

I still need to get the first book of this series. I had ordered a signed copy but that got canceled for unknown reasons and I just never got around to buying a copy. So with the sequel coming out, I'm wondering if I ought to do that soon! Lol.

TITLE: Spell of the Sinister
AUTHOR: Danielle Paige
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: October 29, 2024

 

 

Orphaned at a young age, Samara is left under the care of her three, horrible brothers. Just when she thinks she cannot take another day of their abuse, a handsome prince offers for her hand in marriage.

Samara’s brothers agree in exchange for a large dowery but on her way to her new kingdom, her carriage is ambushed by Lore, the wicked Prince of Nightshade.

Samara believes that the fae has snatched away her chance at freedom to punish her for her crimes against his kind but punishment is only half of Lore’s plan.

The truth is that the Elven Prince has pined after Samara for seven long years. She is all he can think about—a toxin in his blood. Can the Prince of Nightshade, whose power over poisons rivals none in The Enchanted Forest, manage to find a remedy or will he succumb to her love?

 

Another series I need to start. And I know, I know, you're probably telling me this is out in ebook format. It is. But I am waiting on the physical book! Lol. The covers are so pretty and the illustrations inside that I can't have an ebook of this particular series! So here I am...waiting. Lol.

 

TITLE: Apples Dipped in Gold
AUTHOR: Scarlett St. Clair
PUBLISHER: Bloom Books
GENRE: NA Fairy Tales
RELEASE DATE: October 29, 2024

 

 

 

 
 

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker. 

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"<Where is he? Who hurt him? Are they dead yet or will they be dead soon? Can I help them die?>" p 69

TITLE: Staked
AUTHOR: Kevin Hearne
PUBLISHER: Del Rey
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: January 26, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

This week's topic is: Top Ten Characters Authors Surprisingly Redeemed (submitted by Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse)

*in no particular order

10. MARIAH--I'll be honest, I can't quite remember why Mariah needed to redeem herself in my eyes. I guess like the cover jacket says she betrayed Gabriel and had some making up to do. But yeah, I kind of cheated and looked through my reviews for "redemption!" Lol.
9. TOBY--now Toby I remember, he was a douche in the first trilogy of Alyssa's Chronicles world and he does do some serious redemption tracks in this one!
8. LARA--I mean we followed her around in the first book, so we knew what her plans were, but I was always upset that she was already coming off as a deceptive character. True, we knew why, but still I didn't like it.

7. KIERRAN--I remember it coming as a shock that he was traitorous. I mean even with the title, you had hoped for better. Granted he does redeem himself in the end.
6. SNAPE--I was trying hard to avoid a HP pick, but yeah, let's face it we were all surprised by Snape's loyalty!
5. JOSH--another one I can barely remember but through my reviews it fits the bill! He was your typical demon, devious and unforgiveable until he meets the right girl and everything changes!

4. JACKAL--ah yes, Jackal! I loved to hate that guy! He was pretty much an @$$ in the first book and you just hated him! You loved to hate him! But he does some redeeming before the series is over. I had always hoped he'd get his own book, but sigh...
3. WARNER--he was another surprise. I mean he was also douche-y but he took on a better path by the end of the first trilogy!
2. MAGNUS--loved this guy! Loved to hate him then I LOVED him! He was an @$$ in the beginning as well, but much like B&tB you begin to see small changes him as the series went on and soon I was swooning! lol

1. JACKS--of course! He was the villain we all loved to hate in Legendary and then he got his own trilogy, so to speak, and even then we still weren't sure what to make of him. But like Magnus, you begin to notice little changes as the series went on and oh yeah, that redemption arc was sweet! 

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Shattered by Kevin Hearne (4 stars)

Currently Reading:

Staked by Kevin Hearne

What I Plan to Read Next:

Scourged by Kevin Hearne

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Let's Discuss: For the Love of Bookmarks
Can't Wait Wednesday
Let's Discuss: Reading Schedules
Books from the Backlog #100
Book Blogger Hop #323
Stacking the Shelves

 

Stacking the Shelves

 

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Reading Reality.

Well it was another week! Work is getting a bit busier and I'm dealing with people who don't know how to answer an email and it's driving me crazy! No matter how much prodding I try to do, I can get answers out of them. It's freaking nuts! I did have two book signings this week, so that was a lot of fun! I always enjoy going to these and am tickled when authors actually visit St. Louis, let alone visit St. Louis AGAIN! So yeah, this week wasn't too bad! The only bad part was B&N not shipping my books on time again! I was once again promised them on Thursday and here I am Saturday night with no book in hand and still no delivery date in sight! That I get freaking media mail packages that ship AFTER my B&N orders from states that are not nearby ticks me off to no end! B&N seriously needs to do something about this shipping fiasco because this is not what I pay my membership for every year to get books the week AFTER they release.

So here's what I got at the signings this week as that's all I got since my preorders weren't delivered on time:

Dirty Lying Wolves by Sabrina Blackburry--SIGNED
So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison--SIGNED

And that was it for me this week! What did you all get?

Book Blogger Hop #323

 

 

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

 

 

 

 

This week's question is: It's back-to-school time. What book would you recommend to students, whether it's an educational read or an enjoyable diversion from textbooks? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer) 

MY ANSWER: Oh man. I actually struggle with this one. I don't want to recommend a book I loved, not knowing what other students might be into. It's like someone recommending me a contemporary book. I won't read it as it's not my genre of choice.

I feel like going old school with this choice. I'll first pick Gregory Maguire's Wicked!

Honestly I feel like this one is a good choice for soooo many reasons! It's gained a lot of popularity over these years, can you believe it's been almost 30?! Not only does it give you a different look to the Wicked Witch of the West, but it also kind of deals with relevant topics too that are still present in society today. You can do a lot of comparisons with this one. Not only with the original Wizard of Oz books and movie, but also compare it to the Broadway musical which did make some changes to it. And then we have the movie coming out in the fall, which I am actually curious about too. I wonder which ending they will go with, the book or the musical? I almost wonder if this is in any school curriculum for high school students.

And because I took a class in college with a book-to-film comparison theme, which was a lot of fun! I feel like adding this to my make-believe curriculum:

Okay, I know you all think I'm probably just obsessed with Jaws, and yes I am! But Peter Benchley's Jaws really is phenomenal when you combined it with the movie. There are quite a few differences. Ones that actually had me liking the movie more because of them, yes a very rare occurrence but I grew up on the movie before I was "old enough" to read the book. It's really this and The Princess Bride where I watched the movie 1000x before reading the book that has me liking the movies more.

 

Not only can you do that sort of side by side comparison, but you can also look at the impact this book/film had on summers. Summer movies changed because of Jaws! It was the first summer blockbuster before Star Wars came out. Then you also see how it effected people and their mindset of going to the beaches. Benchley regrets how he villainized sharks because afterwards people went shark hunting way too much and kind of endangered sharks too. They are not near extinction or anything, but there was too much hunting for the sake of hunting and yes, perhaps some of it was out of fear.

But then you could even expand upon this sort of comparison and all the shark movies that came afterwards. Each of those maneating shark movies kept making their sharks bigger and bigger! I think some of them were books too, like The Meg!

Review--Shattered by Kevin Hearne

 

Acclaimed author Kevin Hearne makes his hardcover debut with the new novel in his epic urban fantasy series starring the unforgettable Atticus O’Sullivan.

For nearly two thousand years, only one Druid has walked the Earth—Atticus O’Sullivan, the Iron Druid, whose sharp wit and sharp sword have kept him alive as he’s been pursued by a pantheon of hostile deities. Now he’s got company.

Atticus’s apprentice Granuaile is at last a full Druid herself. What’s more, Atticus has defrosted an archdruid long ago frozen in time, a father figure (of sorts) who now goes by the modern equivalent of his old Irish name: Owen Kennedy.

And Owen has some catching up to do.

Atticus takes pleasure in the role reversal, as the student is now the teacher. Between busting Atticus’s chops and trying to fathom a cell phone, Owen must also learn English. For Atticus, the jury’s still out on whether the wily old coot will be an asset in the epic battle with Norse god Loki—or merely a pain in the arse.

But Atticus isn’t the only one with daddy issues. Granuaile faces a great challenge: to exorcise a sorcerer’s spirit that is possessing her father in India. Even with the help of the witch Laksha, Granuaile may be facing a crushing defeat.

As the trio of Druids deals with pestilence-spreading demons, bacon-loving yeti, fierce flying foxes, and frenzied Fae, they’re hoping that this time, three’s a charm.

 

It was high time I get back to Kevin Hearne's The Iron Druid Chronicles that has been sitting on my TBR pile for far too long! I last left off at Shattered, which ironically, was when the series turned to hardcover releases! Lol. I think at that point I thought I'd just wait out the rest of the series to finish, what happened in the interim is the usual!

I found it easy to dive back into the series though. Yes, my memory was shot, but luckily Hearne had a nice little set of recaps going on before the book to bring me up to speed. Which was enough to jog some of my feeble memory.

Needless to say that this was an action-packed read and I so remember why I loved this series. Firstly, Oberon! Omg, I forgotten how much I love the hound! Oberon is Atticus's faithful Irish Wolfhound and is a positive delight! He and Atticus share a connection that basically allows them to talk to one another and getting that inside knowledge of a dog's mind is just a riot! He brings much needed comic relief to some of the more intense situations!

Granuaile is soon called by an old acquaintance to get to India asap as Granuaile's father has been possessed by one scary demon and since this is her father, Granuaile is quick to move! But the situation is far dicier than expected as the demon is a big bad, scary kind that will take a lot of power to get rid of and she runs the risk of causing permanent harm to her father as well.

Meanwhile, Atticus is helping his former archdruid readjust to life in the 21st century. Having been in a bespelled sleep, you could say, Owen Kennedy has missed out on a lot of "things" for the past 100 years or so. Atticus may or may not be having a little extra fun with him having the tables turned since he now has more knowledge than his former "mentor" of sorts.

But there is more trouble afoot as chaos starts brewing among the fae and Atticus finds himself caught up in the middle of the fighting. Then there's still Loki to contend with, and yes, I kept wanting to picture Tom Hiddleston, but it's not that Loki for sure! Here we have the true trickster at hand and he will stop at nothing to see Atticus dead. But that is likely to be a problem for the final book as I have long suspected that that is where this all headed to.

We do get a glimpse of what Atticus' next problem will be and it's not quite at Loki's door just yet, but time will tell who the final champion will be!

All in all, I found Shattered to be a great read! True, I still might have struggled a bit here and there trying to re-acclimate to this series/world after I was away for so long. But that usually tends to be more of a me problem than an actual problem. I do remember each book kind of stood on its own with just some of the character relationships and whatnot being what carries over from book to book. So I am in a good place overall! I intend to finish this series by the end of the month for sure!

So if you're new to The Iron Druid Chronicles and have been wanting to read an Urban Fantasy series with a nice Irish flare, rich in mythology of all kinds, then this is the series you've been looking for!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Books from the Backlog #100

 

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. This is a fun meme hosted by Carole @ Carole's Random Life in Books.

 

Sixteen-year-old Josie Ferguson has just lost both her parents. She is sent to live with an unknown aunt and uncle in a town on the stormy northwest coast of Scotland. But the townspeople, including her relatives, are as cold and hostile as the sea.

Josie has never felt so alone.

Then Eli appears. Mysterious but kind—and handsome—he sparks a desire in Josie unlike anything she has ever experienced. Even though she’s been warned that Eli is forbidden, she can’t stop thinking about him.

And the locals are harboring a secret. When curious, determined Josie sets out to uncover it, the truth is more horrific than she could have imagined.

It’s a truth terrible enough to raise the spirits of the dead.

 

 

MY ONE HUNDREDTH POST! I added Forbidden by Eve Bunting to my TBR pile in January of 2016, I could've possibly gotten it as a Christmas gift in December as it had just released, but I can't remember. That bad habit of sometimes forgetting to add my books to Goodreads right away! Whoops! Lol. This one sounded very intriguing and mysterious. I wasn't positive if the "spirits of the dead" were literal ghosts or not but I was curious enough to want to find out! I still do too as reading this again has me excited for it again! Lol.

 

 

 
 

Let's Discuss: Reading Schedules

How often do you stick to your reading schedule? As in what you plan to read on a weekly, monthly or however far in advance basis? I find that I do okay for the most part but then I get too ambitious or don't realize the formatting of the books I want to read is set up in a way that it will take me way longer to read than anticipated. Or suddenly there will be an event I want to attend and I throw myself into reading books to "prepare" for that one!

 

Reading Schedules

 

So generally in October, I love to read spooky books just for the sake of Halloween! Well, that hasn't happened in the last year or two, mainly because Stephanie Garber's books were releasing in October and I did a rare re-read of the books to be ready for the current one! While I had hope I could maybe re-read the Caraval trilogy this year in advance of Spectacular's release, I'm starting to think that might not be possible. 

Currently I am going back to a series I've been meaning to finish for years as I plan to make a road trip to see the author plus another author I love, and one I never read at an event at Andersons! So I thought, let's finish that OG series of his, try to buy the other 2 books to this trilogy that's finishing that he's touring for and maybe try to read one or two of my other author's books that I haven't gotten around to! I have a standalone or two of hers, plus a series I never started. I am perhaps deluding myself in thinking I can finish the last 3 books of the one author AND read the first book of this author AND order the rest of the books and have them all arrive in time for said signing. It's futile. I would have to order them all sooner rather than later to play it safe and I may end up doing that this week.

But anyway, this got me thinking, this was so not how I was planning my tentative fall reading schedule a few months ago! I never set my "reading schedule" in stone. Obviously. Things change. Signings pop up at the last minute that I can maybe reroute myself for and read a book in time. Or other times not. Like I had wanted to read one in time for a signing this week but when I looked at the formatting and length of the books for my October 1 signing event, I knew there was no way I could afford the time for this week's event. Luckily, there shouldn't be spoilers from that book 2 for this book 3 as it's a same world, different characters kind of thing.

But yeah. Every season or so, I'll do the Top Ten Tuesdays post for what I plan to read that season and I cannot say how many times I do not complete all 10 of those choices. I might get 2-3 at most, if I am lucky. Lol. But yeah. It's also hard to say what kind of events will be happening at the beginning of the actual season. Like I have drafted my top 10 picks for the fall season of what I hope to read and I'll probably only get to 2-3 of them! Lol. Of course, I never really list ALL of them. Like for the series I am trying to wrap up now, I am tentatively hoping that I will be reading the second of three books I need to have, so I'll either list just that second one or change it to the third and call it done! Usually, I'll leave a note in my list saying I am tentative planning to finish said series too...so technically I have over 10 picks that I hope to read for the season! Lol. Which can possibly be the reason why I don't always read all 10 of my picks listed!

I also had hoped I could re-read the Caraval trilogy before Spectacular but now I am unsure if that will happen based on my average reading pace and how busy I'll be at work in the coming weeks. We're in the busy season, so yeah, I might not get my full break in because I am that weirdo who will work through my break time if needed! I probably don't have to re-read the books for the enjoyment and I know Stephanie has said the same. If anything I might want to re-read Legendary and Finale...or maybe Finale at the very least just to get in the right vibes. But even then I feel like I'll still be okay, because then I remembered I signed up for a possible book tour at the end of September. But I don't know if I was "chosen" yet. While I do enjoy doing these on occasion, I feel like the book comes at the last minute almost based on the the dates I signed up for! Like I can't read THAT fast and do my actual job in the time that I have left before my schedule date! So that might end up mucking up even my own personal reading schedule.

Time will tell on that front I guess!

 

But yeah, my main question: do you stick to the reading queue/schedule you set for yourself? Do you plan your reads in advance? How often do you have to shift things due to other occurrences, like wanting to read a book before an author event that popped up at the last minute that you really want to attend?

Can't Wait Wednesday

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 

Welcome, welcome back to the mysteriously enchanting world of CARAVAL! Return to the legendary magic and the whimsical wonder with this beautifully illustrated holiday novella.

Snowflakes are falling.
Invitations are arriving.
And holiday magic is swirling in the capital city of the Meridian Empire.

It’s Great Holiday Eve Eve. Scarlett Dragna is planning a spectacular Holiday celebration for the city. Donatella is searching for the perfect gift. Julian is looking ridiculously handsome in green. And Legend . . .

Well, sadly Legend is not fond of the Great Holiday. Tella is hoping her perfect gift will change his mind. Unfortunately, she hasn’t found this perfect gift just yet. But it is Great Holiday Eve Eve . . . surely there’s some holiday magic swirling around.

Welcome, welcome back to the world of Caraval, where even holidays are not as they seem.

Set after Stephanie Garber's #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Caraval series, this delightful novella will take readers on the ultimate holiday adventure full of clockwork boys, poisoned candy, impish snow globes, merriment, and―if Tella gets her way―love.

Gorgeously illustrated by Rosie Thorns, SPECTACULAR is the perfect edition for collectors, readers, dreamers, and lovers of holiday magic.

 

Ahh yes! The moment you've all been waiting for! Lol. I'm sure you've all been wondering when I would feature this one! I do my CWWs in a calendar order sort of thing, so here we finally are in October releases! This is MY MOST ANTICIPATED 2024 release and we now just have a little over a month to go! I'm on pins and needles waiting too!!! EEK! You're also probably wondering just how many copies I've preordered...yeah...we'll talk in October (and November for the UK ones!)! ;)

 

TITLE: Spectacular
AUTHOR: Stephanie Garber
ILLUSTRATOR: Rosie Fowinkle
PUBLISHER: Flatiron Books
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: October 22, 2024