Oct 4, 2024

Re-Review--Caraval by Stephanie Garber

 

A legendary competition.
A mesmerizing romance.
An unbreakable bond
between two sisters.


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. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.



So yeah I decided to re-read Stephanie Garber’s Caraval trilogy in anticipation for Spectacular’s release near the end of the month. I had anticipated devoting a week to each book because my work is in the busy season and yet I find myself finished with Caraval at least a day early!

I mean what more can I say about this series and this book in particular? Needless to say I was reminded with how much I absolutely love this series! I have a somewhat shoddy memory at times but I could remember the main details of the story, so while I wasn’t taken completely by surprise this go around I was able to see things early on. Like different little hints that make more sense down the road. It was great! Lol.

I positively love the sisterly bond between Scarlett and Tella! That still has not changed! These are sisters who would do anything for the other, like having an argument about who their abusive father would punish. Each one is willing to take the hit to protect the other. 

If you’re new here, let me tell you that Stephanie Garber’s books are among my absolute favorites! I don’t do much re-reading these days but Stephanie has a way of getting me to do just that! In this story we see Scarlett enter a game to solve a mystery and find her sister before time runs out and the winner gets a wish. Scarlett has plans to marry a count within a week and she knows the marriage is the best chance she and Tella have at escaping her father. 

But needless to say, the game is more challenging and dangerous than Scarlett expected. 

Then of course there’s Julian, the enigmatic boy who confounds her and makes her heart flutter all while driving her crazy!

Caraval remains to be a book of pure magic! Once again I was held captivated by the magic and mystery of Stephanie’s worlds. The endearing sisterly bond and the heartfelt romance were added bonuses! 

Now onto Legendary to revisit from favorite Dragna sister!


Overall Rating remains 5/5 stars








Book Blogger Hop #326

 
This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!
 
 
 
 
 
This week's question is: Are there any books that you find particularly creepy or unpleasant, even if they aren't horror novels? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)  




MY ANSWER: Honestly, I cannot think of a single book that I thought was disturbing that didn't fit the genre. I've read thrillers that had quite a few disturbing moments, that feeling of fear that's not quite horror? But since I kind of categorize thrillers as a subgenre of horror, I don't feel like those can be adequate answers.

I do love a good thriller where the "monsters" are human entities with no conscience. They are like horror novels, but more real. To me, horror usually involves a flair of something otherworldly. I mean serial killers who just keep coming back? Come on, there's something paranormal there even if it's not truly explored!

So essentially I could give you a list of thrillers, that aren't "horror" novels per se, but that feels more like cheating.

I guess the closest book I can give, that's still a thriller, but has a different brand of disturbing is You by Caroline Kepnes!

 
What makes You disturbing is that it is from Joe's point of view. He's not a raging serial killer, even though he is still a killer. He feels like he's just a guy looking for love in all the wrong places but then he obsesses over woman after woman. It's disturbing, but it's meant to be since it is a thriller. But it's definitely one of the more disturbing series I've read! It's enjoyable and the Netflix series is interesting enough. I still need to read the latest book which may be the final one, I am not 100% sure on that, although I do know the next season of the show is the last one. Joe's story is definitely of the disturbing variety.

 

Oct 3, 2024

RELEASE DATE BLITZ--13 to Life by Shannon Delany

I am so excited that 13 TO LIFE by Shannon Delany is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below. I read this way back when it first came out and it all started with an obsession over the original cover! I love that this new one embodies elements of the old and yet has a fresh new look!

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a limited editions of the book with sprayed edges and swag courtesy of Shannon & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

 

About The Book:

Title: 13 TO LIFE

Author: Shannon Delany

Pub. Date: October 3, 2024

Publisher: Inimitable Books

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 360

Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/13-to-life

I raised my chin. “I am no Thisbe, scared of a lion,” I challenged.
“And I am no Pyramus,” he confided. “And,” he added, leaning closer, his body casting me in shadow as a smirk twisted his lips, “I am no lion...”

After the sudden death of her mother, all Jessie Gillmansen wants is to deal with the loss in her own time, avoiding any more life-altering changes and regaining some sense of control. Living in the slow-moving town of Junction and focusing on school and the strangeness surrounding the wolf attack in a nearby city may be her best bet—

—until Pietr Rusakova moves in.

Pietr is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he's a guy with a dangerous secret whose mysterious past is about to catch up to him and turn Jessie's life upside down all over again, threatening everything she thinks she knows about life and the world she lives in.

With secrets coming to light and danger closing in from all sides, time's running out for Pietr and Jessie, and it seems change is one thing Jessie definitely can't avoid.

The new edition of the book which started as a serial story on TextNovel.com in 2008, won the first-ever cell phone novel contest in the Western world in 2009, and was published by St. Martin's Press in 2010 is now greatly expanded and packed with even more action, adventure, romance, and angst!

 

Excerpt from Chapter Twelve of 13 to Life by Shannon Delany, 2nd edition:

He stood beside me, heat pouring off of him. He’d shed the denim jacket a while ago and had pushed up his sweatshirt’s sleeves, revealing muscular forearms. I could smell the mingled scents of pine-laced sweat and sweet timothy hay on him and I thought that, together, they made a fine cologne.

“Are you going to Homecoming?” I swallowed. “Amy and Sarah want me to. I think Sarah wants to show you off.”

He grunted and leaned the pitchfork against a stall. He picked up a pail of water and began to refill Rio’s bucket. I asked the next question before I could stop myself. “Did you kiss her?”

He froze, mid-pour, thinking. Water dribbled over the bucket’s edge and onto Rio’s floor.

I righted the pail, taking it from him, my hands brushing his. I trembled at the touch.

“Did you want me to?” he pressed, his beautiful blue eyes dark, hooded.

I blinked up at him. God, he was so frustrating. I set the pail down, letting it slosh to show my frustration. “Do what you want,” I commanded.

I stood, transfixed, as he pulled off his gloves slowly, finger by tantalizing finger, before dropping them to the hay at our feet, his eyes never leaving mine. “Da?” he asked, the single syllable like the rumble of an oncoming thunderstorm so strong it made my stomach quiver.

My heart raced and, though the breath grew tight in my throat, I challenged, “Da.” Absolutely flippant.

And then he was kissing me again, steering me backward until I was pressed against the wall, bridles and reins rustling against my head and toying with my hair. His tongue traced the edges of my lips, tentative and tender, and something inside me softened, urging me to respond. To do what I wanted, too. My spine loosened, became rubber.

I wanted to be wanted, didn’t I?

The way Pietr kissed me left no doubt in my mind that he wanted me — just as I was, no more and no less. Damage included.

But I knew that no matter how much I wanted to be kissing Pietr — to be dating Pietr — I couldn’t. Not right now. So, I pulled my mouth away from our kissing and dodged beneath his arm. “I can’t do this . . .” I leaned over, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath and focus.

He stood back, arms across his chest, observing me coolly. “Please tell me what you can’t do,” he said, the softest hint of his accent edging back into his voice. “Because it seems like you can kiss me back just fine.”

 

About Shannon Delany:

Author, book coach, and ghostwriter for intriguing people! Author of the 13 to Life series, the Weather Witch series (both originally published through St. Martin's Press), articles for national children's magazines, and several ongoing serials through Kindle Vella. A much-abbreviated version of 13 to Life (written in just five weeks) won the grand prize in the western world's first-ever cell phone novel contest. Previously a teacher, the Educational Director at a zoo, a Library Director (and many other things!) Shannon is most importantly a mom and a wife who raises heritage livestock and occasionally makes intricate papercutings in upstate New York. She holds an MA in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and has always been fascinated by history, myths, legends, paranormal research, and romance.

Subscribe to Shannon’s newsletter!

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Pinterest | Bluesky | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a Limited Edition of 13 TO LIFE (of only 113), sprayed edges, etc. and wolfie swag pack. US Only.

Ends October 12th, Midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway











Books from the Backlog #103

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's Random Life in Books!

 

 

Isabella Harpe, last in a long line of witches, drifts with the wind. Her tarot cards always ready to bring in enough to live on, and her instincts keep her mostly out of trouble. Unfortunately, bad boyfriends and even worse luck strand her near the most dangerous place for a witch to land—beside a cursed town, and an even more cursed man. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added Lilith Saintcrow's Rose & Thunder to my TBR in January of 2016. It's giving off The Beauty and the Beast vibes so I am sure that's why I bought it! Lol. But I honestly can't remember much more about it than that guess. It's been so long since I've read a Saintcrow book so this ought to be a good one to comeback to!

 

 

 

 

 


 

Oct 2, 2024

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.

 

Darkness ascends the throne in this electrifying conclusion to the Domionions trilogy, all wrapped up in a gorgeous cover package! Preorder coming soon!

The hidden princess, must find a way to stop the ageless king—and the Shadowraith she’s fallen for—in the upcoming final installment of Abigail Owen’s sprawling, sexy upper YA fantasy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am hoping this release date sticks this time! I think it's been moved back three times now and since it's a series finale, I am dying to read it! Lol!

 

TITLE: The Shadow Rules All
AUTHOR: Abigail Owen

PUBLISHER: Entangled Teen
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2024

 
 

 

 


 

Oct 1, 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.


Due to possible travel constraints and whatnot and not being 100% certain of my current read today, I bring you a teaser from my latest read.


"'We all have demons. What defines us is how we choose to face them.'" p 228










TITLE: A Dawn of Onyx
AUTHOR: Kate Golden
PUBLISHER:
Berkley
GENRE: NA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: October 10, 2023



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 Books I Read Because of the Hype & LOVED!



*in no particular order
**all of these books were chosen because of how much I was seeing them in the blogosphere, back when it was hopping! It was enough that I got curious about them and picked up a copy and pretty much all were winners in some sense! 





10. ANGELFALL by Susan Ee
9. SCYTHE by Neal Shusterman
8. THE 5TH WAVE by Rick Yancey




7. LEGEND by Marie Lu
6. SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi--
I remember what ultimately led me to read this one was finding this particular hardcover in the bargain section at the bookstore, I think it was BAM back when we had one here. It was definitely one that took me by surprise
5. A TOUCH OF DARKNESS by Scarlett St. Clair






4. HUSH, HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick
3. THERE'S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE by Stephanie Perkins--definitely got help from the blogosphere on this one! When I see contemp authors journey into a different genre, I always find myself hesitant but luckily the hype was real on this one! Loved it!
2. POISON PRINCESS by Kresley Cole--ironically another bargain section find too! I think it might have been the case of ordering too many hardcover copies because there was nothing wrong with the copy I bought! And omg, my love for this series runs deep!






1. OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout--the hype definitely helped direct me to this one. I think I had just read Half Blood and thought, okay, a book that sounds like Roswell, let's try it! So I bought the kindle copy which had been on sale or something and then I loved it so much I had to buy the paperback and managed to get this copy just before it became hard to find!