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11.03.24 | leave a comment

November 2024 Book Releases

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November 5
November 12
November 19
November 26

November 5

Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile #2) by Isabel Ibañez
Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction
“1885, Egypt:
Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider: Marriage to Whitford Hayes. Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.”

All the Truth I Can Stand by Mason Stokes
Genre: YA
“A gay teenager in 1990s Wyoming must contend with the violent loss of a loved one in this historical YA novel that draws from the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998.
Juniper, Wyoming high school student Ash is still reeling from his mother’s death and ostracization by his friends when his father signs him up to join the crew for a college production of Oklahoma! Ash is slowly drawn out of his shell by student reporter Jenna and the star of the show, Shane, with whom a romance slowly blooms. Shane is talented, sensitive, and magnetic, but also deeply troubled. When Shane is found brutally beaten and unconscious, Jenna and Ash are shattered. And after Shane dies,  they watch his death become a rallying point for gay rights advocates, and they wonder what the full story is and if they truly knew Shane at all.”

Snow Drowned by Jennifer D. Lyle
Genre: YA Horror/Mystery
“There’s a saying on Fall Island: if you’re not careful, the snow will get you.
Gracie Hutchinson has lived on Fall Island her whole life and knows there’s some truth to those words. Fall’s snowstorms have a spooky way of claiming people, making them disappear without a trace or driving them mad. Now, with a hundred-year-storm approaching, most of Fall’s residents have fled to the mainland. But not Gracie. Left behind her with physician father, she braces for landfall.
Gracie’s not the only one left behind. Her classmate Joseph Wescott, descendant of the legendary pioneer who founded Fall Island, has stayed, too. After a chance encounter, the two stumble across something more unsettling than the snow: a ritually mutilated corpse. By night, as the snow begins to fall, it becomes clear that whoever (or whatever) murdered the man they found has their sights set on Gracie.
Seeking refuge at Wescott Manor, Gracie feels safe surrounded by dozens of locals hunkered down in the huge house. But as the storm assaults the island, Gracie discovers secrets that have been kept since Fall was settled. If she can’t uncover the hidden history and terrifying truth about Fall Island before the storm’s end, she’ll be the next to disappear into the snow.”

The Road of Bones (The Ashen #1) by Demi Winters
Genre: Romantasy
Note: this is previously available on kindle [aff. link], as is the second in the series, but is being re-released as a hardcover.

“Silla Nordvig is running for her life.
The Queen of Íseldur has sent warriors to bring Silla to Sunnavík, where death awaits her. When her father is killed, his last words set Silla on a perilous travel the treacherous Road of Bones–a thousand-mile stretch haunted by warbands, creatures of darkness, and a mysterious murderer–and go to Kopa, where a shield-house awaits her.
After barely surviving the first stretch of road, a desperate Silla sneaks into a supply wagon belonging to the notorious Bloodaxe Crew. To make it to Kopa, she must win over Axe Eyes, the brooding leader of the Crew, while avoiding the Wolf, his distractingly handsome right-hand man. But the queen’s ruthless assassin has other plans and hunts Silla obsessively.”

November 12

A Queen’s Game by Katharine McGee
Genre: YA Romance/Historical Fiction
“In the last glittering decade of European empires, courts, and kings, three young women are on a collision course with history—and with each other.
Alix of Hesse is Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughter, so she can expect to end up with a prince . . . except that the prince she’s falling for is not the one she’s supposed to marry.
Hélène d’Orléans, daughter of the exiled King of France, doesn’t mind being a former princess; it gives her more opportunity to break the rules. Like running around with the handsome, charming, and very much off-limits heir to the British throne, Prince Eddy.
Then there’s May of Teck. After spending her entire life on the fringes of the royal world, May is determined to marry a prince—and not just any prince, but the future king.”

Skyshade (Lightlark #3) by Alex Aster
Genre: YA Romantasy
“Back in Grim’s castle on Nightshade, Isla is reeling in the wake of a brutal battle and the devastating truths it exposed. Her future—and the fate of the world—now hinge on a heart split in two.
Past Isla, who fell in love with the ruler of Nightshade, fights to resist feelings she considers treasonous. The Isla of the present, who has seen the ruin her powers can cause, will do anything to save Lightlark and its king.
As the line between enemy and friend is tested, Isla is more desperate than ever to understand the oracle’s final prophecy and change her heartrending fate. But a storm is coming. And with it, a long-buried evil greater than anything the realms have faced before.
With the clock ticking on her destiny and the survival of two warring kingdoms hinging on her own shattered heart, Isla Crown will either save the world—or destroy it.”

In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price
Genre: YA Mystery
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London’s first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect.
The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father’s law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily she often has help from (and steals occasional kisses with) Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly soft-hearted solicitor at Pemberley.
Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire, and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads her to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.
Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie’s own life is threatened. As the body count rises, and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.”

Games Untold (The Inheritance Games #5) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Genre: YA Mystery
“An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret.
Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.”

Flopping in a Winter Wonderland by Jason June
Genre: YA Romance
“All Aaron wants for Christmas is for his brother Casey to get over his ex, Raquel. He’d prefer not to be at Winter Wonderland, the island north of Alaska that’s home to a year-round Christmas theme park. But Casey loves Christmas, and so, here they are.
All Kris wants for Christmas is for his uncle to move back to Winter Wonderland to be the first gay Santa. And so, he needs to win the Race, his grade’s annual competition to see who can get a guest to fall in love with them first. Winning means a trip to New York, where Kris would be able to plead his case for his uncle to the founder of Winter Wonderland himself.
Then Aaron and Kris flop into each other during a flash mob and Kris agrees to help Aaron with his plan to keep Casey single. Soon, both can’t stop thinking about kissing the other, and it’s not just because of the mistletoe around every corner. Too bad true love isn’t on either of their Christmas lists…”

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
Genre: Romantasy
“After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.
Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn’t know is that he’s the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.”

November 19

Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
Genre: Romantasy
“In the underground Fae realm, only the strongest and most ruthless have power—but a young human woman forced into a life of servitude is about to change everything.
Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild—some say “half feral”—but she’ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.
Trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant.
With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion’s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she’s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.”

Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher
Genre: memoir
“After more than seventy years of fighting to live her life on her own terms, Cher finally reveals her true story in intimate detail, in a two-part memoir. The Memoir, Part One follows her extraordinary beginnings through childhood to meeting and marrying Sonny Bono – and reveals the highly complicated relationship that made them world-famous, but eventually drove them apart. The Memoir reveals the daughter, the sister, the wife, the lover, the mother and the superstar.”

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia #3) by Carissa Broadbent
Genre: romantasy
“Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who turned her, redemption feels impossible.
But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself. Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the god of death. Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness—and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods. As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in, and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.”

The Half King by Melissa Landers:
Genre: YA romantasy
“The Great Betrayal changed everything for the Allied Realm. Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rose up against the goddess… and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed.
One with perilous beauty.
One with destructive knowledge.
One with insatiable bloodlust.
But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night…until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever.”

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso
Genre: fantasy
“Kembral Thorne is spending a few hours away from her newborn, and she’s determined to enjoy herself at this party no matter what. But when the guests start dropping dead, Kem has no choice but to get to work. She is a Hound, after all, and she can’t help picking up the scent of trouble. 
She’s not the only one. Her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is on the prowl. They quickly identify what’s causing the a mysterious grandfather clock that sends them down an Echo every time it chimes. In each strange new layer of reality, time resets and a sinister figure appears to perform a blood-soaked ritual. As Kem and Rika fall into increasingly macabre versions of their city, they’ll need to rely on their wits—and each other—to unravel the secret of the clock and save their home. “

November 26

Heart-Shaped Lies by Elizabeth Agyemang
Genre: YA Thriller
“John Tucker Must Die meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in this tongue-in-cheek mystery about three feuding exes of a social media prank star who are forced to work together to uncover the truth behind his death when his deactivated account resurfaces online with claims that one of them killed him.”

Darkly by Marisha Pessl
Genre: YA Mystery
“Arcadia “Dia” Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the game designer whose obsessive creations and company, Darkly, have gained a cultlike following. Dia is shocked when she’s chosen for a highly-coveted internship, along with six other teenagers from around the world. Why her? Dia has never won anything in her life.
Darkly, once a game-making empire renowned for its ingenious and utterly terrifying toys and games, now lies dormant after Veda’s mysterious death. The remaining games are priced like rare works of art, with some fetching millions of dollars at auction.
As Dia and her fellow interns delve into the heart of Darkly, they discover hidden symbols, buried clues, and a web of intrigue. Who are these other teens, and what secrets do they keep? Why were any of them really chosen? The answers lie within the twisted labyrinth of Darkly.”

City of Night Birds by Juhea Kim
Genre: historical/literary fiction
“On a White Night in 2019, prima ballerina Natalia Leonova returns to St. Petersburg two years after a devastating accident stalled her career. Once the most celebrated dancer of her generation, she now turns to pills and alcohol to numb the pain of her past. She is unmoored in her old city as the ghosts of her former life begin to her loving but difficult mother, her absentee father, and the two gifted dancers who led to her downfall.
One of those dancers, Alexander, is the love of her life, who transformed both Natalia and her art. The other is Dmitri, a dark and treacherous genius. When the latter offers her a chance to return to the stage in her signature role, Natalia must decide whether she can again face the people responsible for both her soaring highs and darkest hours.”

11.01.24 | leave a comment

What I Read in October 2024

I was really happy with how many books I read this month! It started slow but picked up quickly.

Twilight
The Weight of Blood 📱
Morbidly Yours 📱
The Spellshop
The Halloween Tree
Gideon the Ninth 🎧
Bunnicula
Pumpkin Spice and Pour-Overs 📱
Bride
Butcher & Blackbird
American Predator 🎧
Such Sharp Teeth
Slewfoot
Sheets
The Thirteenth Child
A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
Garlic and the Witch
Don’t Let the Forest In

physical books read: 13
ebooks read: 3
audiobooks: 2

total: 18

5 Star Reads

Gideon the Ninth – This was my third time reading this book, but this time I decided to listen to the audiobook and listen to The Locked Tomb podcast at the same time. I’ll never get over this series, and I’ll probably reread it several times more!

Such Sharp Teeth – I loved the way Harrison wrote this, and I feel like her writing has elevated even more since she wrote Cackle.

The Thirteenth Child – I think if you enjoyed One Dark Window, you’ll like this one!

Don’t Let the Forest In – Oustanding debut novel! It’s a unique YA horror.

10.27.24 | leave a comment

hoa hoa hoa

Over a year ago, my friend Ariel (always a planner) asked if I would be interested in going on a Twilight trip. This was easy — yes. I knew immediately Ariel would plan out one of the most memorable trips I’ll ever take, and she came through. The girls’ trip made it out of the group chat!

In preparation for this trip, I reread and rewatched the first in the book and movie series. I appreciate the culture of the series (although I may be a little old because I had to google to understand why anyone was leaving a rat emoji comment on any of my content with Twilight in it).

The journey began early early Friday morning, prepared for a hectic Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport, and departed for a nearly six hour flight. Erin, who had bravely reread every Twilight book, watched the movie on the flight. We landed in Seattle, and this was my first time being in the Pacific time zone. After waiting an eternity in line to grab our rental car, and began our drive towards Forks.

Along the way, we made a stop in Port Angeles, where we had a reservation at Bella Italia. It was surprisingly busy in the area, as a lot of people were around for the Crab Festival. After stuffing ourselves with pasta, Ariel made sure we safely crossed the road with flags, and we finished our drive to the Misty Valley Inn, a cozy bed and breakfast right in Forks.

Saturday, after a delicious breakfast, we headed out to what Ariel had promised me was an easy hike in the Hoh Rainforest. New first unlocked: first time I saw an elk IRL. It was a pretty breezy walk, and breathtakingly beautiful. Pictures can’t do it justice. The whole weekend was surprisingly sunny, so we had a nice sparkly view of the forest.

Our next stop was one I was looking forward to most during this trip: we visited the Forever Twilight in Forks Collection. This is, in fact, a small room filled with memorabilia from the Twilight films, but most importantly: Chuckesmee is there. If you don’t know about Chuckesmee, you can watch my tiktok about her.

We stopped for lunch at Three Rivers Resort Restaurant, where they really lean into the Twilight theme. Not only was there a cutout of Bella and Edward near the restroom, and menu items named with the theme, but this is a must-see place in Forks if you’re a Twilight fan. Outside you’ll find the famous “Vampire Threat” sign, as well as a large sign marking the Treaty Line.

Nearby is La Push (baby) and Rialto Beach. We decided to forgo La Push to walk Rialto Beach, which we believed was a “flat beach walk” to a landmark called “Hole in the Wall”. This was actually one of the hardest walks I’ve taken in my life, but I am not a hiker. We didn’t quite make it to Hole in the Wall, because we were not prepared, but we did make it close and it was really cool, and probably worth it.

On our way out Sunday morning, we stopped at the Forks welcome sign (it had been far too crowded the day before) and visited the Tree of Life, which seems to be barely holding on.

We made the drive to St. Helens, Oregon, where we arrived at our destination: The Twilight Swan House. Yes, we got to stay in Bella and Charlie’s house! There were several signs nearby for Twilight fans, and a constant stream of people walking up the hill to take photos at the house. It was turned into an airbnb a few years ago after the previous owners finally sold it (I can’t imagine trying to just live your life in your home with people constantly hanging out in your front yard).

After arriving, we walked to The Spirit of Halloweentown, which was very crowded and didn’t have as much going on as I expected it to, but it was still fun to see!

We watched Breaking Dawn, Part 1, in Bella’s living room Sunday night, which was surreal. There were cardboard cutouts of nearly every character, which was kind of a hilarious jump scare. As I pulled the shower curtain back later, I nearly expected to see a cardboard Dakota Fanning standing there. In the closet of Bella’s bedroom, there are some of her wardrobe pieces and other things the airbnb owner bought in an auction. The furniture and decor throughout the home is close to what you see in the movies. And because we went in October, it was decorated for Halloween!

On Monday, after feeling like a vampire was watching me sleep, we drove to Multnomah Falls, which was on Ariel’s bucket list and is also a Twilight filming location. We had lunch at the Lodge, which had some of the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had in my life.

Since we were slowing down by now, we drove to Mt. Hood to relax at Grateful Vineyard, a winery, cidery, and brewery in one.

We said goodbye to the Twilight Swan House the next morning and drove back to Seattle, where we stopped at the Seattle Public Library before heading to the airport.

This was truly one of the most planned trips I’ve ever been on, and I feel fortunate to have experienced it with two of my closest friends.

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