Greetings readers! As we speak, the sun is shining and the temperature is that perfect balance where we could spend most of the day curled up outside with a book. There are so many on our TBR lists including a few that will be coming up here on the blog that we need this weather as long as possible. This week, we bring you our many thoughts (mostly good we swear) for Victoria Aveyard’s newest book; Realm Breaker! It’s been a long wait since we first heard about it but our copies finally arrived in the mail and man did we binge read this week. As always, click that read more button after the synopsis and enjoy! We will warn readers… There are some spoilers as we couldn’t not talk about one of the big twists. Sorry but not sorry y’all! “A strange darkness grows in Allward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea. She soon discovers the truth: She is the last of an ancient lineage—and the last hope to save the world from destruction. But she won’t be alone. Even as darkness falls, she is joined by a band of unlikely companions: A squire, forced to choose between home and honor. An immortal, avenging a broken promise. An assassin, exiled and bloodthirsty. An ancient sorceress, whose riddles hide an eerie foresight. A forger with a secret past. A bounty hunter with a score to settle. Together they stand against a vicious opponent, invincible and determined to burn all kingdoms to ash, and an army unlike anything the realm has ever witnessed.”
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Alright folks… We finally gave into the amount of love that people have for From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout. However… Neither of us really fell in love. You’ll see with our thoughts once you click that read more button at the end of the upcoming description of the book in question which starts… Now! “Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers. A Duty… The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden. A Kingdom… Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.” Welcome back book lovers! We’ve missed you all over the last week or so. If you are loving our content, please do come on over and talk with us on our instagram page where we are a little more active. But in the meantime, stick around for at least three more minutes while we chat about our latest double read; Jane In Love by Rachel Givney (to be a movie through Amazon). “If Jane Austen had the choice between the heart and the pen, what do you think she would do? At age twenty-eight, Jane Austen should be seeking a suitable husband, but all she wants to do is write. She is forced to take extreme measures in her quest to find true love - which lands her in the most extraordinary of circumstances. Magically, she finds herself in modern-day England, where horseless steel carriages line the streets and people wear very little clothing. She forms a new best friend in fading film star Sofia Wentworth, and a genuine love interest in Sofia's brother Fred, who has the audacity to be handsome, clever and kind-hearted. She is also delighted to discover that she is now a famous writer, a published author of six novels and beloved around the globe. But as Jane's romance with Fred blossoms, her presence in the literary world starts to waver. She must find a way to stop herself disappearing from history before it's too late. A modern-day reimagining of the life of one of the world's most celebrated writers, this wonderfully witty romantic comedy offers a new side to Jane's story, which sees her having to choose between true love in the present and her career as a writer in the past.” Hello everyone! We are excited to be back again to share this amazing book, The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. Further posts will be coming a bit more often hopefully. For us, it all depends on what is happening in our lives. Ashli lives with chronic pain and fatigue and Erin has two amazing kids that keep her on her toes. But this blog keeps us reading and we love getting to share our new favourite books with all of you lovely readers. Without further ado, let us introduce you to this week’s new release! “Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature. August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old book shop nestled in the heart of London. Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.” The moment Erin has been waiting for is finally here! We are talking all about A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas today and Erin has lots to say. With this being Erin’s favourite author and series, Ashli is not surprised and was happy to take the backseat on this one to let Erin rant. But in all honesty, this book has a lot to talk about and we really only scratch the surface. Both of us loved it and can give it a 5/5 on the star rating scale. As always, we can’t wait to see what Maas brings us next. “Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she''s struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can''t seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it. The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre''s Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta''s orbit. But her temper isn''t the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other. Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts. Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.” This week we are diving into the beautiful debut novel by Sarah Penner, The Lost Apothecary. Both of us got this book as a digital Arc through Netgalley and it was actually Ashli’s first arc through this service all because of Erin’s insistent texts with bits of the tale. We knew that we had to talk to Sarah so our personal reviews are going to be brief and then we will dive straight into our conversation with Sarah about her research into this time period and herbology as well as try to tease some information about upcoming projects out of her. Don’t stop scrolling though because at the very end Sarah gave us a couple photos of her research materials that we can share with all of you! Without further ado, The Lost Apothecary… “Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman. Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register. One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella waits for her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new customer turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register. In present day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she discovers an old apothecary vial in the River Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive. With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters, and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating exploration of women rebelling against a man’s world, the destructive force of revenge, and the remarkable ways that women can save each other despite the barrier of time.” This week is going to be a bit shorter than normal folks. Both Erin and I have had a couple crazy weeks between Erin moving positions temporarily at our work and myself dealing with some health things flaring up like crazy. But we wanted to make sure you all got something while we get a great post covering Sarah J Maas’s new addition to the Court series ready for you. At the same time, we are also working on an amazing post talking about The Lost Apothecary where we have an interview with author Sarah Penner. Since we had tough weeks, we decided to go back to our childhoods and take in a classic novel. It was great nostalgia and for myself, I didn’t have to think overly hard for it. Which was both a curse and a blessing since we chose a book that really needs some brain cells. Soon we will go back to the newer titles but, in the meantime, down the rabbit hole we go with Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland. “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel by English author Lewis Carroll (the pseudonym of Charles Dodgson). It tells of a young girl named Alice, who falls through a rabbit hole into a subterranean fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures.” Today’s post comes with some trigger warnings for both our discussion and our book choice. Please be prepared for topics such as rape, sexual assault, mental illness, abusive relationships, poverty, and racism. Our book this week is the beautifully powerful Grown by Tiffany Jackson. It’s a story loosely inspired by R. Kelly’s very public trials and allegations; as is a theme for Jackson’s writing. It also mirrors experiences that she herself went through in her past. As per her many interviews about this piece, Grown is Jackson’s challenge against the idea that childhood is lost too soon and humans are asked to grow up too early. Here is the official description for Jackson’s latest masterpiece: “Korey Fields is dead. When Enchanted Jones wakes with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night, no one—the police and Korey’s fans included—has more questions than she does. All she really knows is that this isn't how things are supposed to be. Korey was Enchanted’s ticket to stardom. Before there was a dead body, Enchanted was an aspiring singer, struggling with her tight knit family’s recent move to the suburbs while trying to find her place as the lone Black girl in high school. But then legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition. And suddenly her dream of being a professional singer takes flight. Enchanted is dazzled by Korey’s luxurious life but soon her dream turns into a nightmare. Behind Korey’s charm and star power hides a dark side, one that wants to control her every move, with rage and consequences. Except now he’s dead and the police are at the door. Who killed Korey Fields? All signs point to Enchanted.” It’s the end of January and we are ready for a new month. Hopefully everyone is doing well and coping during this ultra long pandemic. For our last review of the month, we are finally looking at one of Ashli’s favourite authors, Kerri Maniscalco. Maniscalco is known for her Stalking Jack the Ripper series. In October of 2020, she released book one of her new series, Kingdom of the Wicked. As usual, here is the official blurb for the book and then we’ll jump right into our thoughts. “Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself… And an intoxicating romance. Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…” The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E Schwab… This book left us speechless for the longest time. But now we have way too many words to say that we knew we had to make a blog post about it. But first, here is the official description of Addie: "A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget. France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name." Now that you are also hooked (and hopefully buying a copy of the book to read yourself); here are our own thoughts on this masterpiece! |
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