tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21780610279844987242024-03-18T16:06:29.546-07:00Forever Lost in LiteratureA home for readers everywhere. Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.comBlogger1892125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-37093052110047814632024-03-15T02:00:00.000-07:002024-03-15T02:00:00.140-07:00Review: The Cloud Roost (Jekua #5) by Travis M. Riddle<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG89OKAw1Wzx0im0Ebb0gVXsZq6UqQvJjQe8czrHvqSHaN_qls_2hA6WxNq7oRNZVjTRlt0FoCbtP9Lu_9Hb3hUbj_8mSgCa48ZI5vhPYdOBRcEwCD4i1VV8Y2HJk46HxlkeRiZG7AEaXeCULzSqrIrEfGHCW6T9bg9cvAJ8Lr5dYXstCAKTH2-h_JqSrB" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG89OKAw1Wzx0im0Ebb0gVXsZq6UqQvJjQe8czrHvqSHaN_qls_2hA6WxNq7oRNZVjTRlt0FoCbtP9Lu_9Hb3hUbj_8mSgCa48ZI5vhPYdOBRcEwCD4i1VV8Y2HJk46HxlkeRiZG7AEaXeCULzSqrIrEfGHCW6T9bg9cvAJ8Lr5dYXstCAKTH2-h_JqSrB=w234-h360" width="234" /></a></div>The Cloud Roost</i> (Jekua #5) by Travis M. Riddle</b></div></span><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Independently Published</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: March 12th, 2024</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Paperback/Ebook. 630 pages.</span></b></div></b><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About <i>Cloud Roost:</i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"</i><i>Balt Vana is going to do the unthinkable: imprint a legendary Jenu.<br /><br />That's his plan, anyway. His grandparents might not be dead on Pakree after all, and he needs a Jenu's Warp magic to reach the island.<br /><br />Complicating matters is the Facet, the shadowy organization stealing the Church's Veptilos. With them continuing to make moves, setting up a new base and preparing their Summoners for one final assault, Balt has to move fast.<br /><br />Ascending the mountains and imprinting the Jenu at its peak will be the hardest thing Balt and his friends have ever done. When they reach the top, it's possible they might not even succeed.<br /><br />And in all likelihood, they won't."</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p>As usual, I won't include any spoilers for <i>The Cloud Roost</i>, but there will likely be some spoilers for the first 1-4 books as I recap some of what has happened before, so do be aware! I have reviews for <a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/search/label/Jekua" target="_blank">books 1-4</a> up on my blog as well, so feel free to visit any one of those if you aren't at book five yet.<br /><br /><i>The Cloud Roost</i> continues the tumultuous journey we've thus far embarked upon with Balt, Alani, and all the friends they've made along the way. After their encounters with the Facet on Yuluhu Island and some discoveries made about Alani's abilities, the gang are now on Kou Tekkis where Balt and his cousin, Wasaaru, have decided that their best shot at saving everyone on Pakree is to imprint a legendary Jenu, Sawarestao–no big deal, since people imprint enormous legendary Jenus everyday, right? (In case you missed it, that was sarcasm. It's actually a huge deal and not something people do everyday.) With this daunting task in front of them, the group begins to prepare, which includes preparation for hiking the mountains of Kou Tekkis to even reach the place where Sawarestao resides.<br /><br />We once again meet up with Balt, Alani, Niona, Aeiko, and Brine for the journey, only this time we add Wasaaru, Balt's cousin, to the group. This group has been through so much together and it's been a ride to watch them all grow and develop from it. The evolution of Balt and Wasaaru's relationship has been one of my favorite things to see in this series, as it's not something I necessarily expected, but has turned out to be a very natural and engaging development. I feel like this falls in line with a lot of the general growth we've seen Balt experience throughout this series, as he has really matured a lot in this relatively short but seemingly long period of time. It's been a joy to see that growth occur not only in regard to his skills as a Summoner, but also within his personal views and relationships with those around him. Wasaaru has also seemingly matured a lot over the times we've seen him, and it's been interesting to see how the two make amends and relearn how to be something close to friends. </p><p><br />Alani has been struggling with her place in the church, and this continues as she nears the final Veptilo on her pilgrimage and must come to terms with where she stands. This has been a storyline that I've been really drawn to, not just because I think it's shown a really great example of character growth and development, but also because I feel I can somewhat relate to some of the struggles she has experienced. Her realization that the church has been something she's been a part of largely due to it providing her something to do and somewhere to live, but not necessarily because she feels passionately about it is a type of complacency that I think a lot of us can empathize with. It's extremely daunting to consider striking out on your own when you don't have any idea what else you might want to do, and I've loved watching Alani undertake this journey of discovery, no matter what she ends up choosing to do and whether it's with the church or not. <br /><br />Niona has recently been offered representation by an agency for her Summoning career, which has really boosted her spirits and offered some additional insight into what it could be like to be a Summoner in this world. I've really liked her casual, 'go get 'em' type of attitude that I think acts as a strong foil to characters like Alani who are a bit more inhibited and law abiding. There's honestly a little something for everyone in all of these characters. <br /><br />Aeiko and Brine continue to be some truly stalwart companions on this trip and I always appreciate their contributions. I've loved watching Brine slowly develop a bit of personality and loyalty, and Aeiko's support to the group–both moral support and support due to their intelligence–has been critical to the group's success. I'm excited to see where things go with these two in the final books. <br /><br />And just when you think you've already met an abundance of Jekuas, there are even more introduced in this book. The majority of the Jekuas we come across in this book are those that reside in the mountains of Kou Tekkis, and they seem to be on an entirely different level than those we've met in different locations. These Jekua are larger, more aggressive, and much more dangerous, which really puts everything Balt, Niona, and Wasaaru have been learning and practicing to the test. I really enjoyed seeing these three work together in some pretty high stress situations to take down some of the largest Jekua threats we've come across in this series. <br /><br />I'd also like to touch on the world-building, as I've truly enjoyed how Riddle has allowed his characters and readers alike to explore different areas of this world on a journey together. I love that the entire plot setup has built in the need to visit all the different islands and explore the different cultures, landmarks, food, Jekuas, and much more that inhabit each place. There's always something new to explore and in so many different settings that it's made it a joy to be a part of the ride. <br /><br />This choice to have our characters moving around and exploring different places has also allowed the pacing to remain fairly consistent and never really allows for boredom because there's always something new to check out with each book. I've mentioned multiple times in previous reviews how much fun I've had with this series and how easy it's felt for me to really become immersed in this vibrant and exciting world, and that remains true for<i> The Cloud Roost</i>. There is a perfect mix of downtime, character development, thoughtful discussions, and of course plenty action with Jekuas that makes it work as a really well balanced book and series. Everything is finally fully setup for the final installment and I am both eager and a little sad to know that (hopefully) everything will be figured out and settled by the end of the next book. But I absolutely cannot wait for the rest of this adventure!<br /><br />Overall, it's another unsurprising but well-deserved five stars from me for <i>The Cloud Roost</i>! If you haven't started the Jekua series yet then you probably shouldn't have read this review, but you <i>should </i>start reading this series because it's an adventure that's full of heart, extraordinary friendships, vibrant world-building, captivating creatures, enthralling battles, endless twists, and timeless journeys of discovery.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq6VYS47mtLkLNxQKMZQUKyQjPQ0V9dVXGZzWWRFATOHkP6QT41CjUq8jOJfUaMUg7DgJasu-7RRoaTgDFhgnw9ZMTzK3jrg48udBPyoDH4aCtWpoo9r0f2XWiMLzRR947ne4msXiIdAOHHxCPY4iT3pjPq1O4_fI_i3c1GhKCRJz-Ej363itwLfSE2CB/s3000/fivestars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="3000" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq6VYS47mtLkLNxQKMZQUKyQjPQ0V9dVXGZzWWRFATOHkP6QT41CjUq8jOJfUaMUg7DgJasu-7RRoaTgDFhgnw9ZMTzK3jrg48udBPyoDH4aCtWpoo9r0f2XWiMLzRR947ne4msXiIdAOHHxCPY4iT3pjPq1O4_fI_i3c1GhKCRJz-Ej363itwLfSE2CB/w200-h47/fivestars.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*<i>I received a copy of The Cloud Roost in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.</i>*</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Buy the book: <a href="https://amzn.to/4caOsTO" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-39006320392424503592024-03-13T02:00:00.000-07:002024-03-13T02:00:00.140-07:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Vanishing Station by Ana Ellickson, Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie, & A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/s638/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/w320-h180/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <span>Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; 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border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Vanishing Station</i> by Ana Ellickson</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Publication: April 30th, 2024</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Amulet Books</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 368 pages.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3wVpDen" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781419764226" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195660445-the-vanishing-station?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=FqGlMZdeFn&rank=1" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:</span><br /><span style="color: #555555;">"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #555555;"><i>Eighteen-year-old Filipino American Ruby Santos has been unmoored since her mother’s death. She can’t apply to art school like she’s always dreamed, and she and her father have had to move into the basement of their home and rent out the top floor while they work to pay back her mother’s hospital bills. <br /><br />Then Ruby finds out her father has been living a secret life as a delivery person for a magical underworld—he “jumps” train lines to help deliver packages for a powerful family. Recently, he’s fallen behind on deliveries (and deeper into alcoholism), and if his debts aren’t satisfied, they’re going to take her mother’s house. In an effort to protect her father and save all that remains of her mother, Ruby volunteers to take over her dad’s station and start jumping train lines. <br /><br />But this is no ordinary job. Ruby soon realizes that the trains are much more than doors to romance and they’re also doors to trafficking illicit goods and fierce rivalries. As she becomes more entangled with the magical underworld and the mysterious boy who’s helped her to learn magic, she realizes too late that she may be in over her head. Can she free her father and save her mother’s house? Or has she only managed to get herself pulled into the dangerous web her father was trapped in?</i>"</span></p><span><div style="text-align: center;">I think this book had me at "a secret life as a delivery person for a magical underworld." This sounds so creative and interesting, I can't wait to check it out!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; 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border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Lake of Souls</i> by Ann Leckie</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: April 2nd, 2024 (US)</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Orbit</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 416 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/4a7ZE1V" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780316553575" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195834306-lake-of-souls?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_14" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i><b>Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke award-winner Ann Leckie is a modern master of the SFF genre, forever changing its landscape with her groundbreaking ideas and powerful voice. Now, available for the first time comes the complete collection of Leckie's short fiction, including a brand new novelette, Lake of Souls. </b><br /><br />Journey across the stars of the Imperial Radch universe. <br /><br />Listen to the words of the Old Gods that ruled The Raven Tower. <br /><br />Learn the secrets of the mysterious Lake of Souls. <br /><br />And so much more, in this masterfully wide-ranging and immersive short fiction collection from award-winning author Ann Leckie.</i>"<br /><br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I haven't read all of Ann Leckie's different worlds in her works, but I've read a few and I'm excited to check this out, especially with the inclusion of a new novelette.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; 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float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9k_5gZnphPzwddgcI6XSbxq7KJCiZypnmu4W6_DtAYa8hWXbBQjHLRZW-T6nAhMSJgza6bHQc2g_rIf7N7hIbEao0IwdPvV6C9iFKhRoi2lrNNJUV-Z7i6VzJTY8o0ompUvBMOm2E6NeQ9QHxuZPQaaiWo5Bm-pN8dUyr4ojIzHkdAm1GyRXNDIeFIkT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9k_5gZnphPzwddgcI6XSbxq7KJCiZypnmu4W6_DtAYa8hWXbBQjHLRZW-T6nAhMSJgza6bHQc2g_rIf7N7hIbEao0IwdPvV6C9iFKhRoi2lrNNJUV-Z7i6VzJTY8o0ompUvBMOm2E6NeQ9QHxuZPQaaiWo5Bm-pN8dUyr4ojIzHkdAm1GyRXNDIeFIkT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYs5zBHzkDwRW8chTt-NxVZ-RJonkaB7OZFAuCIVKUR0_1H1hTQkFaxu5bud0r3GVnZKES53Cq0KIEWzypw0mTjagoz-o2fi5q-D15mtqPXx8wRuz4oiABsLjl7zjNNMRJogbBLc510X83-8YkXQPugVKJjrUcE36TDXe8v5XRh-mwPqf3NKwqjiysEODm" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYs5zBHzkDwRW8chTt-NxVZ-RJonkaB7OZFAuCIVKUR0_1H1hTQkFaxu5bud0r3GVnZKES53Cq0KIEWzypw0mTjagoz-o2fi5q-D15mtqPXx8wRuz4oiABsLjl7zjNNMRJogbBLc510X83-8YkXQPugVKJjrUcE36TDXe8v5XRh-mwPqf3NKwqjiysEODm=w208-h320" width="208" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>A Sweet Sting of Salt</i> by Rose Sutherland</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: April 9th, 2024</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Dell</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Paperback. 352 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3T7wwRy" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780593594599" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186872566-a-sweet-sting-of-salt?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=EdQOxgswqJ&rank=1" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<b><i>Once a young woman uncovers a dark secret about her neighbor and his mysterious new wife, she’ll have to fight to keep herself—and the woman she loves—safe in this stunning queer reimagining of the classic folktale </i>The Selkie Wife<i>. </i></b><br /><br /><i>When a sharp cry wakes Jean in the middle of the night during a terrible tempest, she’s convinced it must have been a dream. But when the cry comes again, Jean ventures outside and is shocked by what she discovers—a young woman in labor, already drenched to the bone in the freezing cold and barely able to speak a word of English. </i><br /><br /><i>Although Jean is the only midwife in the village and for miles around, she’s at a loss as to who this woman is or where she’s from; Jean can only assume she must be the new wife of the neighbor up the road, Tobias. And when Tobias does indeed arrive at her cabin in search of his wife, Muirin, Jean’s questions continue to grow. Why has he kept his wife’s pregnancy a secret? And why does Muirin’s open demeanor change completely the moment she’s in his presence? </i><br /><br /><i>Though Jean learned long ago that she should stay out of other people’s business, her growing concern—and growing feelings—for Muirin mean she can’t simply set her worries aside. But when the answers she finds are more harrowing than she ever could have imagined, she fears she may have endangered herself, Muirin, and the baby. Will she be able to put things right and save the woman she loves before it’s too late, or will someone have to pay for Jean’s actions with their life?</i>"<br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I'm always drawn to reimaginings of folktales, and this sounds like it'll be a really fascinating read. </div></span></div></span></div></span>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-10795250726855177382024-03-12T02:00:00.001-07:002024-03-12T02:00:00.135-07:00Review: The Bitter Crown by Justin Lee Anderson<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipRRXQ335fNA_QpRcJcWCBup3brFqSwerP4OvID_HKca1eH8Cj3KKbnazUDEt_AjdJtke6lj-rrw2CM_yl0FxHdmhieMnY2YB2FIqsNZpXRFdOZccXoX2UxD9aZj2gaNyTAnjyZXz7Q15Ja0mliFa40lxYqYfv8lKCmddjBlqpNyvOaoQ0qK7nvYzU4LsK" style="font-size: xx-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSgToHEOorHDpbQDJ_EzNwCtVzSyfVxgnWne7kbLj58amEICH8y1LuR2ng8v4CxjFoWeoWgsUmwV7qxSiyxt0l2KxljZXmi1b1--3I6z88r1ZB5rFbT9ol30mxnROC0R4AXNXMjcqylP2kImrlNGrqdTydaGcVy8cYE4hGEGnwwrMBs5_Sxdp8zJZYoEI8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSgToHEOorHDpbQDJ_EzNwCtVzSyfVxgnWne7kbLj58amEICH8y1LuR2ng8v4CxjFoWeoWgsUmwV7qxSiyxt0l2KxljZXmi1b1--3I6z88r1ZB5rFbT9ol30mxnROC0R4AXNXMjcqylP2kImrlNGrqdTydaGcVy8cYE4hGEGnwwrMBs5_Sxdp8zJZYoEI8=w208-h320" width="208" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Bitter Crown</i> (Eidyn #2) by Justin Lee Anderson</b></div></span><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Orbit</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: December 5th, 2023</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Paperback. 560 pages.</span></b></div></b><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About <i>The Bitter Crown:</i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"</i><span style="text-align: center;"><i>A war once held in the shadows now escalates into full-scale revolution in the second novel of Justin Lee Anderson’s epic Eidyn Saga. The fog of war is lifted and the conspiracy at the heart of Eidyn finally exposed. Now that they know the truth, Aranok and his allies must find a way to free a country that doesn’t know it’s held captive. But with divided loyalties and his closest friendship shaken, can their alliance hold against overwhelming odds? The quest to retake the country begins here.</i></span><i>"</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p>I was blown away by <i>The Lost War</i> when I read it last year, and–like most people–I was completely shocked by the twist at the end which left me dying for the sequel and left <i>The Bitter Crown </i>a lot to live up to. Fortunately, <i>The Bitter Crown</i> was an excellent sequel and continued the story with consistency and intrigue to almost match the first book.<br /><br /><i>The Bitter Crown </i>picks up not too far from where <i>The Lost War</i> left off and we’re thrust right back into the world with all the characters we know from the first book. I won’t say specifically what the big twist from the first book is because it’s honestly a very substantial spoiler/twist that I would really hate to ruin for anyone, but this sequel generally deals with the fallout of that big twist and what happens next. All of our characters must now decide what to do about the conspiracy they’ve uncovered, and not everyone agrees on just what to do or how to treat certain players involved, whether on their team or not.<br /><br />I’ve really enjoyed following and getting to know all of the different characters and perspectives in this series, but I will say that there were quite a few times in <i>The Bitter Crown</i> that I felt exceptionally frustrated by some choices that were made and some of the arguments that arose between characters. Some of this made sense, as I’m sure there would be a lot of tension and conflicting opinions on how to handle things, but sometimes it just felt more generally annoying than critical to the plot.<br /><br />We also see major development occur with each character we follow, largely because of a major event from <i>The Lost War </i>that occurs and means that big changes are, essentially, inevitable. It was interesting to watch everyone come into their own and rediscover who they are, what their motivations are, and where they stand on many different situations. I also appreciated that there was a lot of exploration of moral ambiguity among the characters and that I think really fits well with the rest of the story and general themes explored in this series so far. Loyalties are definitely tested and there are a lot of different types of ties between people explored and tested, and I especially appreciated that so many of the outcomes from these tests were varied and unexpected at different times.<br /><br /><i>The Bitter Crown</i> felt very much like a second book in a series and I don’t mean that in a negative way, as it did exactly what it was supposed to. There was an abundance of time spent figuring out how to deal with the immediate fallout from what happened in the first book and it felt incredibly realistic with how everyone opted to move on. There continues to be an immense amount of political intrigue and machinations occurring in every corner of this world, and I’ve liked the many different explorations of power and approaches towards handling things.<br /><br />Anderson's pacing in <i>The Bitter Crowns</i> leans to the slower side, which allows readers to really immerse themselves in the characters’ internal struggles and intricacies of the world-building. There was a lot of planning going on in this book that I enjoyed getting to spend time on, as it allowed for a lot of introspection into the characters as well as further exploration of the world itself. That being said, there was still plenty of action and plenty of time spent progressing the plot and preparing us for the third book and what I’m sure are many more crazy things to come.<br /><br />Overall, I’ve given <i>The Bitter Crown</i> four stars! While I didn’t love this one quite as much as <i>The Lost War</i>, this has been a really thrilling fantasy series and I’m absolutely hooked to find out where Anderson will take the story next.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6GyuTLwqJoEw5hMwzqlMi2OhJEKb-_dkzlJKaOKirJz4bs9Z03VtoKG2ltN-Iwsxdhuu_JEvFJ4W3L3uPCKP4eUe2q-HSfhy08iV0tg7alznwpDWz7Vjv0ItOs3NKM6FwxfCSP7nok-j79lUN8kYoj58SStjCZ6B7BfsYsNg-oXcssAa8_hNxKFznUPz/s3000/fourstars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="3000" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6GyuTLwqJoEw5hMwzqlMi2OhJEKb-_dkzlJKaOKirJz4bs9Z03VtoKG2ltN-Iwsxdhuu_JEvFJ4W3L3uPCKP4eUe2q-HSfhy08iV0tg7alznwpDWz7Vjv0ItOs3NKM6FwxfCSP7nok-j79lUN8kYoj58SStjCZ6B7BfsYsNg-oXcssAa8_hNxKFznUPz/w200-h47/fourstars.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*<i>I received a copy of The Bitter Crown in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.</i>*</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Buy the book: <a href="https://amzn.to/4a7pd38" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780316454308" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-88827678871297922682024-03-11T02:00:00.000-07:002024-03-11T02:00:00.132-07:00New Release Spotlight: All Our Yesterdays: A Novel of Lady Macbeth by Joel H. Morris<p style="text-align: center;">Today I'm delighted to share with you all a spotlight for Joel H. Morris' new release, <i>All Our Yesterdays</i>, out tomorrow, March 12th! This is a debut historical fiction novel that follows the life of the young Lady Macbeth years before the events of Shakespeare's play takes place. I was shocked that this was Morris' debut novel, as it is both ambitious and excellently executed with engaging and eloquent prose. Below, you'll find some information about the book including a brief a synopsis, some early praise, and some additional information about the author. Be sure to have a look–and happy reading!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: #dcf5cc; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLoUIKMw8pTbpG_ZEkdSaW1Rcd1KhV-f74m2Qs4OTvQndct7x_wCTDP5kFskaeILJo_MR6Zrcv9azCik44PhiSagnS8te3Qo_1f41kkFrHwGe_fkIDZkXyyQ4Aj_jFMZOYmo2vkxFpSh7/s2048/9781335091765_RHC_prd.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4vQCpPiigGK-a3R6lEk2ukkDhavqBo1690Ys2GY8dLuqSzEdGwkcVjN1kVeMUSMOmK5I5UvmzXOnyZYpIOi8pPJHHlxsFGKrPwDlXnczDbfEqPMxwYWAY7Bx2LJ7K1iZKgQOmCIbirALJsomCOLik7DY1ANwlkL8ZdAuNyoH5sTWngckZ__hPx2y_2Q" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdQKMq_IM3qpnW5HLeRnYhNuR06Z2U1XBao06Ud2_Alm2_o8DVx--_6hOwjNlUkG9SdB4gFRg2txOmhGvwYw_TF0HVXgmnlDreJt9l_oRW8qf58vlXYYdAumT4hAqmx6_rdgJhXDFVyaEuj1WkzT-xYbMxkdQ8_x-1OAkPTtwajQRj2rhmx7bsMixXQ/s646/image001.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdQKMq_IM3qpnW5HLeRnYhNuR06Z2U1XBao06Ud2_Alm2_o8DVx--_6hOwjNlUkG9SdB4gFRg2txOmhGvwYw_TF0HVXgmnlDreJt9l_oRW8qf58vlXYYdAumT4hAqmx6_rdgJhXDFVyaEuj1WkzT-xYbMxkdQ8_x-1OAkPTtwajQRj2rhmx7bsMixXQ/s646/image001.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFFBX6ZHjpVjAmTRcjCUjb-c6Vsi0P7Gf18GxiAGD5XChVP17url2m4YsCFTzHQNhtkgt_-zvaoIMG7ePY-TnAS_yw0g-HEyauN0rDcXU7ld8adgkVeKlXkgag_JpB9GDuVFbskowuvr3aSAGkEsL9-yh_4RHbSrYqxM1ateOB48pyyc60Kit6swD4NFO9" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFFBX6ZHjpVjAmTRcjCUjb-c6Vsi0P7Gf18GxiAGD5XChVP17url2m4YsCFTzHQNhtkgt_-zvaoIMG7ePY-TnAS_yw0g-HEyauN0rDcXU7ld8adgkVeKlXkgag_JpB9GDuVFbskowuvr3aSAGkEsL9-yh_4RHbSrYqxM1ateOB48pyyc60Kit6swD4NFO9" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIlTbvnqV-XoyE8kjTC5DaE8gFiXFYxHecyE3sLDn8oddF6VwBp_2Ci3qPU3CVCD6HXxKHAvilGibuHm7iSLW8osOOAfVpsO60gFqbpPP8Dg2QXxUrpHhiqgm_yxgtE5uOImB3jEx64CXpEjmpRgUHJaBR5mj_IPvWJWxdk8LRoCz6pCsaq-BsUglllJC4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIlTbvnqV-XoyE8kjTC5DaE8gFiXFYxHecyE3sLDn8oddF6VwBp_2Ci3qPU3CVCD6HXxKHAvilGibuHm7iSLW8osOOAfVpsO60gFqbpPP8Dg2QXxUrpHhiqgm_yxgtE5uOImB3jEx64CXpEjmpRgUHJaBR5mj_IPvWJWxdk8LRoCz6pCsaq-BsUglllJC4=w265-h400" width="265" /></a></div></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">ABOUT ALL OUR YESTERDAYS:</span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrRc4n9salZMlmJBDSTMP6TKOmslW4J0gVAAWhwhgtfxtv___5-kRa6on65keHpYh6zf6K3HcV2UhKl6b9-Sw_DW55mnuJtFB-ryh9lqDm3XmwwCiILQZdU9dXiPqi54KWVqutzJwu4xS/s2048/Vespertine+High+Resolution+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Author: </b>Joel H. Morris <span>-</span><span style="color: white;"> </span><a href="https://www.joelhmorris.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Website</span></a><br /><b>Pub. Date:</b> March 12th, 2024<br /><b>Publisher:</b> G.P. Putnam's Sons<br /><b>Pages: </b>363</span><br /><b>Find it:<span style="color: white;"> </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3YEm9XM" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Amazon</span></a><span> | </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780593547762" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> </span></b><span style="color: white;"> </span></span></div><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: #dcf5cc; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div><b>SYNOPSIS:</b></div><span><i>“</i></span><i><b>A propulsive and piercing debut, set ten years before the events of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, about the ambition, power, and fate that define one of literature’s most notorious figures: Lady Macbeth </b><br /><br /><br />Scotland, 11th Century. Born into a noble household and granddaughter of a forgotten Scottish king, a young girl carries the guilt of her mother’s death and the weight of an unknowable prophecy. When she is married at fifteen to the Mormaer of Moray, she experiences the violence of a sadistic husband and a kingdom constantly at war. To survive with her young son in a superstitious realm, she must rely on her own cunning and wit, especially when her husband’s downfall inadvertently sets them free. <br /><br />Suspicious of the dark devices that may have led to his father’s death, her son watches as his mother falls in love with the enigmatic thane Macbeth. Now a woman of stature, Lady Macbeth confronts a world of masculine power and secures the protection of her family. But the coronation of King Duncan and the political maneuvering of her cousin Macduff set her on a tragic course, one where her own success might mean embracing the very curse that haunts her and risking the child she loves."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyasLUrJVbPDgIFQlv0jF_ga2rr98SzYfn6tHMUI9Gxo6KkC8osbht3j70ER5bSlJBkZbFOZdKwPsSV9ck6rzGZFZNaS6U54AqJaU-nO7Mym7T3ilMkcc4WtYQ01CcWSVXCuDY4rmc9-3/s1600/brdr2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="30" data-original-width="400" height="30" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyasLUrJVbPDgIFQlv0jF_ga2rr98SzYfn6tHMUI9Gxo6KkC8osbht3j70ER5bSlJBkZbFOZdKwPsSV9ck6rzGZFZNaS6U54AqJaU-nO7Mym7T3ilMkcc4WtYQ01CcWSVXCuDY4rmc9-3/s400/brdr2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Early Praise:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">“[A] beautiful interpretation, which is so rich in its descriptions and well-crafted characters. . . A most enjoyable setup for the Scottish play.” – <b>Kirkus Reviews (starred)</b><br /><br />“All characters are drawn with inventiveness and depth. . . Entirely illuminating. . . [A] beautifully realized tale of a daughter, mother, and wife ultimately at the mercy of Fate’s unknowable interventions.” – <b>Booklist</b><br /><br />“A gorgeous evocation of a mother and son in a prison of their own too-powerful story, All Our Yesterdays is a triumph of both research and imagination, a heartbreaking and revelatory read.” – <b>Jennifer Croft, author of The Extinction of Irena Rey</b><br /><br />“Intriguing. . . Crisp, no-nonsense prose conveys the narrative’s gathering darkness [and] Morris intelligently explores the era’s gender dynamics. . . [An] entertaining prequel to Shakespeare’s complex and haunting tragedy.” – <b>Publishers Weekly<br /></b><br />“[A] wonderfully atmospheric novel. Morris drops the reader into a fully realized 11th-century world with all the sights and sounds. Carefully chosen words and small details shape this fearful and foreboding world. . . [A] rich study of one of the most vilified literary characters.” – <b>Historical Novels Review</b><br /><br />“As sharp and cutting as an obsidian dagger, Joel H. Morris’s All Our Yesterdays dives deep into Lady Macbeth’s backstory, replacing desire with fear, calculation with grief, and loss, not ambition, as the spark that ignites her bloody journey. You’ll never read Shakespeare’s play the same way again.” – <b>Liz Michalski, author of Darling Girl</b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyasLUrJVbPDgIFQlv0jF_ga2rr98SzYfn6tHMUI9Gxo6KkC8osbht3j70ER5bSlJBkZbFOZdKwPsSV9ck6rzGZFZNaS6U54AqJaU-nO7Mym7T3ilMkcc4WtYQ01CcWSVXCuDY4rmc9-3/s1600/brdr2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="30" data-original-width="400" height="30" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyasLUrJVbPDgIFQlv0jF_ga2rr98SzYfn6tHMUI9Gxo6KkC8osbht3j70ER5bSlJBkZbFOZdKwPsSV9ck6rzGZFZNaS6U54AqJaU-nO7Mym7T3ilMkcc4WtYQ01CcWSVXCuDY4rmc9-3/s400/brdr2.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(bio from <a href="https://www.joelhmorris.com/blank-3" target="_blank">author's website</a>)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Joel H. Morris is the author of All Our Yesterdays, his debut novel. He has worked most recently as an English teacher and, for the past twenty years has taught language and literature. He is the recipient of a year-long Fulbright Research Scholarship for archival research in Germany. Prior to earning a doctorate in comparative literature, he spent several years as a bookseller before joining a small maritime expedition company as a sailor. His essays, translations, and stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Lit Hub, Electric Literature, Crime Reads, Michigan Quarterly Review, Copper Nickel, Pembroke Magazine, and others. He lives in Colorado.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-17466094508984825802024-03-08T02:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T08:10:16.724-08:00The Friday Face-Off: Current Read #25<p> <img alt="Friday Face Off New" height="131" src="https://booksbyproxy.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/friday-face-off-new.jpg?w=764" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <i style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome to <a href="https://booksbyproxy.wordpress.com/the-friday-face-off/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">The Friday Face-Off</a>, a weekly meme at <a href="https://booksbyproxy.wordpress.com/the-friday-face-off/">Books by Proxy</a>. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. You can find a list of upcoming topics at <a href="https://lynns-books.com/tag/friday-face-off/">Lynn's Books</a>.</span></i></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">This week's topic is:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;"><span><b>Current Read #25</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I recently saw <b><i>The Last Yakuza</i> by Jake Adelstein</b> on sale and decided to check it out because why not learn more about the yakuza? I've been really enjoying it so far and have been pretty hooked by Adelstein's nonfiction accounts and in-depth research into not only the culture and lifestyle of the yakuza, but also various area of Japanese culture. Adelstein covers a history of the yakuza through a biography of sorts about Makoto Saigo. If you're ever in the mood for some nonfiction, this has been a great choice so far!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1687153561i/75660873.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="210" /> <img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545394918i/43303750.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="194" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2023 US Paperback | </b><b>2018 French </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627659158i/43379836.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="215" /> <img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527427977i/40220453.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="221" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2018 Polish | 2017 French</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493981579i/25430556.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="214" /> <img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1583351842i/52090217.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="209" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2016 US Hardcover | 2023 US Kindle</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">My choice(s):</span></b></div><div>I think these are all pretty great covers! I'm particularly drawn to the two French editions (I think the first one at least is evoking the art style of the traditional tattoos), as I find the artwork captivating. I also like the different US versions and think they bring something interesting to the mix of as well. Which cover(s) do you like the most?</div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-82125078965559911812024-03-07T02:00:00.000-08:002024-03-07T08:20:01.354-08:00Mini-Review: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxrbZB0mEBG4WERXP3_ijhWhveiBUtGMGUXVnD1ayaPwTG-rAOlSZ01O0Rql7CterPLGddAWq_78DzwuXx91bsEDucaAIEaBsdkpG5zUu9jNlM0nPHdqfs2kIEmophgHadrfftvUfgkgKUKQEce8i-MNljHewoaYF9o0bkWOON6paLScnTfbZ_WxW319Wt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="498" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxrbZB0mEBG4WERXP3_ijhWhveiBUtGMGUXVnD1ayaPwTG-rAOlSZ01O0Rql7CterPLGddAWq_78DzwuXx91bsEDucaAIEaBsdkpG5zUu9jNlM0nPHdqfs2kIEmophgHadrfftvUfgkgKUKQEce8i-MNljHewoaYF9o0bkWOON6paLScnTfbZ_WxW319Wt=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div></span></span></div></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Fathomfolk</i> by Eliza Chan</b></div></span><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Orbit</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: February 27th, 2024</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Paperback. 448 pages.</span></b></div></b><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About <i>Fathomfolk:</i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"</i><i>Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears. <br /><br />But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk — sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below. <br /><br />For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn't hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when a water dragon is exiled to the city. <br /><br />New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything. Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira's softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist group, leaving Mira to find the headstrong youth before she makes everything worse. <br /><br />And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for. <br /><br />When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem. Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown."</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p>I have a lot of mixed feelings about this debut fantasy novel from Eliza Chan. The first thing I have to touch on, however, is how absolutely gorgeous I think the cover for <i>Fathomfolk</i> is–it's truly a work of art! <i>Fathomfolk</i> takes place in a world where humans and fathomfolk live together in a very tense, fractious environment that has led to much unrest and poor living conditions for fathomfolk who have suffered as a result of the humans' actions. <br /><br /><b>What I liked: </b>I <i>loved</i> the setting of a semi-submerged city and all the different fathomfolk that inhabit this world, including sirens, kelpies, seawitches, and more. I thought the world-building was incredibly expansive and rich, with a lot of complexity to it that made it something I was constantly curious to learn more about. That being said, this also ended up being a bit of a con as well, which I'll get to later in this review. I also thought there was some well-written real-world commentary on topics such as social hierarchies, socioeconomic issues, privilege, and poverty. I appreciated that there were POVs from different characters in very different roles in this world, which added important varying perspectives and allowed readers to see different aspects of the world.<br /><br /><b>What I didn't like:</b> As mentioned, the world-building was rich and complex, but unfortunately this at times ended up feeling as though the author just tried to do a bit too much in one book that wasn't quite big enough for it all. As much as I appreciated the differing POVs, I also felt that there were a bit too many characters to keep track of overall and I lost interest during certain POVs that just didn't grab my attention, which caused the pacing to feel a bit disjointed at times as well. I think this book had a lot of potential and it certainly is an impressive debut, but I often felt like there were just a few too many ideas thrown in at once and it could've been pared down a bit in places or expanded in others. <br /><br />Overall, this was a very promising debut and although I think this book could've used a bit more cohesion, I'd definitely be curious to read more set in this world or from this author as the creativity was really top notch. I've given <i>Fathomfolk</i> three stars. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzfcICNZV2zse9dK4bJdmiQeJ0W-QTFev0YZUhdnJWYl8G8Wpevtp4pltrI1ib6Dm4lxe8M5qsGYoltOobtJ1tnmZr2s2_XQdxGniOD9WXARpUG7auj_ZE9TqnjprcrHAUNqTH1gFHjXETYjUBsx4O_lLSmReYzhvSayEpXP1ckURLkjo1nqoYePm2Ey1/s466/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="466" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzfcICNZV2zse9dK4bJdmiQeJ0W-QTFev0YZUhdnJWYl8G8Wpevtp4pltrI1ib6Dm4lxe8M5qsGYoltOobtJ1tnmZr2s2_XQdxGniOD9WXARpUG7auj_ZE9TqnjprcrHAUNqTH1gFHjXETYjUBsx4O_lLSmReYzhvSayEpXP1ckURLkjo1nqoYePm2Ey1/w200-h46/download.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*<i>I received a copy of Fathomfolk in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.</i>*</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Buy the book: <a href="https://amzn.to/4a2EvGk" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780316564922" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-14376707425527225902024-03-06T02:00:00.000-08:002024-03-06T02:00:00.268-08:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes & A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/s638/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/w320-h180/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <span>Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This week's upcoming book spotlights are:</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZp1Cuhra9aRAW9hAAXJ2J62byrU_CBeSTgM3E5zePx88OdktkvT1zwFc4YChSy4IjXJxdAiD3h9-HnSDchkKIie6zAsyT-MMwjBCJdQfvaJZlwyXEI771pYTLnFbmC-DIH0yp6JxE56EaN9RtE2y-7SvsmW909sUYzHDktBCO26NEATEoL5TpH-3SZ1YO" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZp1Cuhra9aRAW9hAAXJ2J62byrU_CBeSTgM3E5zePx88OdktkvT1zwFc4YChSy4IjXJxdAiD3h9-HnSDchkKIie6zAsyT-MMwjBCJdQfvaJZlwyXEI771pYTLnFbmC-DIH0yp6JxE56EaN9RtE2y-7SvsmW909sUYzHDktBCO26NEATEoL5TpH-3SZ1YO" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRdHx3trr_uUumiy46yYmXyVAZqOulQF7EZtiFU9Dp5ujgCyfX0BKdMt1EmNcN23ogInJabY9CmnMeVdElV_sfc9eBIkNJYd0yZfsjpnQKjfXJbNepGwqf8Yx58t1OuYAwAjsIjuEpRkxS4Zq6Jby0xPqe4p97Z94ug3d7VaYvPDKkyoJo2YPixCMOWCvy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRdHx3trr_uUumiy46yYmXyVAZqOulQF7EZtiFU9Dp5ujgCyfX0BKdMt1EmNcN23ogInJabY9CmnMeVdElV_sfc9eBIkNJYd0yZfsjpnQKjfXJbNepGwqf8Yx58t1OuYAwAjsIjuEpRkxS4Zq6Jby0xPqe4p97Z94ug3d7VaYvPDKkyoJo2YPixCMOWCvy=w207-h320" width="207" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Ghost Station</i> by S.A. Barnes</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Publication: April 9th, 2024</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Tor Nightfire</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 377 pages.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3V8bLrk" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250884923" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127280445-ghost-station?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=BUqDcrc7XY&rank=1" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:</span><br /><span style="color: #555555;">"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #555555;"><i>Space exploration can be lonely and isolating. <br /><br />Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS—a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something. <br /><br />While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's hasty departure than opening up to her. <br /><br />That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia’s worst nightmare starting—a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something more sinister? Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what’s happening. But trust is hard to come by… and the crew isn’t the only one keeping secrets.</i>"</span></p><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">I'm excited for some new space horror! I also had a good time with Barnes' previous release <i>Dead Silence</i>, so I'm really looking forward to this one!</span></p><span><div style="text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDYe7Gx0Hp5-3Z42eRlSfK0iq-JIh33y9G3nJgndc-x1U4-evplR6cU26NoSt_UWvvI_zVe1CzHzDputguxWC4mVazniVJAjyTa29WU88Dyvtvb41ANkeoXzOI85NsRPujSj5SaXkoqeqK4jRHeCAvZZqSq6IJFQMtgxLT0LT2xWUUAZAtEk_LzLvGPUA5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDYe7Gx0Hp5-3Z42eRlSfK0iq-JIh33y9G3nJgndc-x1U4-evplR6cU26NoSt_UWvvI_zVe1CzHzDputguxWC4mVazniVJAjyTa29WU88Dyvtvb41ANkeoXzOI85NsRPujSj5SaXkoqeqK4jRHeCAvZZqSq6IJFQMtgxLT0LT2xWUUAZAtEk_LzLvGPUA5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0aiuyFaZH5j3i3ffWlG423YYyqAZ9dQUx-3TBVY28uyYqiOwXJ3E0Mrte5A2ZUq85lV-MJabXyTvyAAJPaLHcIJDTwxx-0W3rbhUWxpeiUFV6OzF825Itj8cuGCBHMO-ZkoDVrvEJea1NG-GkKKMJjyIpWfZbe3F2SR-lrj5DOhQgidErX-IqJD_SrYqU" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1684" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0aiuyFaZH5j3i3ffWlG423YYyqAZ9dQUx-3TBVY28uyYqiOwXJ3E0Mrte5A2ZUq85lV-MJabXyTvyAAJPaLHcIJDTwxx-0W3rbhUWxpeiUFV6OzF825Itj8cuGCBHMO-ZkoDVrvEJea1NG-GkKKMJjyIpWfZbe3F2SR-lrj5DOhQgidErX-IqJD_SrYqU=w211-h320" width="211" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks</i> by David Gibbins</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: April 2nd, 2024</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">St. Martin's Press</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 304 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3T72nS8" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250325372" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127305908-a-history-of-the-world-in-twelve-shipwrecks?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_17" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i>F</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #555555;"><i>rom renowned underwater archaeologist David Gibbins comes an exciting and rich narrative of human history told through the archaeological discoveries of twelve shipwrecks across time. <br /><br />The Viking warship of King Cnut the Great. Henry VIII's the Mary Rose. Captain John Franklin's doomed HMS Terror. The SS Gairsoppa, destroyed by a Nazi U-boat in the Atlantic during World War II. <br /><br />Since we first set sail on the open sea, ships and their wrecks have been an inevitable part of human history. Archaeologists have made spectacular discoveries excavating these sunken ships, their protective underwater cocoon keeping evidence of past civilizations preserved. Now, for the first time, world renowned maritime archeologist David Gibbins ties together the stories of some of the most significant shipwrecks in time to form a single overarching narrative of world history. <br /><br />A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is not just the story of those ships, the people who sailed on them, and the cargo and treasure they carried, but also the story of the spread of people, religion, and ideas around the world; it is a story of colonialism, migration, and the indominable human spirit that continues today. From the glittering Bronze Age, to the world of Caesar's Rome, through the era of the Vikings, to the exploration of the Arctic, Gibbins uses shipwrecks to tell all.</i></span></span><span style="color: #555555;">"</span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">As someone who loves history and who likes reading about shipwrecks... this sounds pretty much right up my alley! Very curious to learn about some more historically important shipwrecks.</div></span></div></span>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-73656478382240624362024-03-05T02:00:00.000-08:002024-03-05T02:00:00.248-08:00Review: Empire of the Damned (Empire of the Vampire #2) by Jay Kristoff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1687870963i/126918599.jpg" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;" width="213" /></span> <span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1687861763i/123200829.jpg" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;" width="209" /></span></span></div></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Empire of the Damned </i>(Empire of the Vampire #2) by Jay Kristoff</b></div></span><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">St. Martin's Press (US)/Harper Voyager (UK)</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: March 12th, 2024</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Hardcover. 756 pages.</span></b></div></b><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About <i>Empire of the Damned:</i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"</i><i>Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. <br /><br />After turning his back on his silversaint brothers once and for all, Gabriel and the Grail set out to learn the truth of how Daysdeath might finally be undone. <br /><br />But the last silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by children of the Forever King, drawn into wars and webs centuries in the weaving, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the truth of the Grail revealed. <br /><br />A truth that may be too awful for any to imagine."</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><i>Empire of the Damned </i>does not let up on the drama or intensity that <i>Empire of the Vampire </i>began. The Holy Grail has been saved, but the quest to determine their role in the ending of Daysdeath is now even more fraught with enemies and unknown obstacles.<br /><br />I’ll admit that I haven't been enjoying this series as much as the Nevernight trilogy, but it’s still an undeniably solid vampire fantasy series with robust world-building, complex and charismatic characters, an ever-twisting plot, and a narrative full of wit and surprises. Kristoff also never fails to create an atmosphere that is dripping with intrigue and always hinting at a constant sense of darkness and uncertainty as to what’s next.<br /><br />I can’t give too much of a summary of what’s happening in this book as spoilers abound everywhere, so detail will be kept as vague as possible throughout this review. That being said, we pick up not too far from where we left off with Gabriel imprisoned in one narrative and trying to figure out their next step in another. Kristoff also includes an incredibly helpful recap of the first book at the beginning of the book, something that I have loved seeing more often in fantasy series lately.<br /><br />One of the most notable aspects of this book so far has been its narrative structure, which feature Gabriel recounting his experiences up until the present to the vampire scribe XX. While I like how much this framing structure effectively allows readers to dive deep into Gabriel’s mind and motivations, it sometimes feels a bit cumbersome due to the fact that a majority of the book is told within quotations. I’m not sure what an alternative would be, as I’m not a fan of italics, either, but it just feels a bit odd at times. Fortunately, Kristoff’s writing makes it easy enough to forget all the quotations and instead become immersed in his compelling dialogue and eloquent narrative style.<br /><br />Gabriel remains a captivating character who is somehow effortlessly charismatic and stays somewhere in the morally ambiguous realm of character. He is incredibly stubborn and also has steadfast loyalty to those he cares about-loyalty to a fault, I’d say. He’s one of those characters that, although may occasionally annoy you, is impossible not to root for.<br /><br /><i>Empire of the Damned</i> does also open perspectives a bit with the addition of one different POV that really adds to the world in a much-needed way. I was really glad that Kristoff decided to add this additional perspective, as it really enriched the world while also allowing readers to continue to follow characters that were not within Gabriel’s perspective on the journey.<br /><br />The pacing of<i> Empire of the Damned</i> is on the slower side, and it’s not that the pacing or plot ever fully stops moving forward, but rather that there just doesn’t always feel like a lot is happening on the page. There’s a lot of discussion that takes place and hinders some of the forward plot movement, which actually fits the overarching pacing of the story well. With the slower pacing, we are able to learn more about the intricate vampire hierarchies, evolving relationships between characters, and the detailed lore and history of the different clans. Everything works together to consistently add depth to the world Kristoff has created, which really helped me feel immersed in my reading experience. <br /><br />Overall, I’ve given<i> Empire of the Damned </i>4.5 stars! This is a solid sequel that builds in great ways upon the first book while also continuing to build up and set the stage for the next book. There’s something for everyone in this book, and I think fans of vampires, atmospheric storytelling, and dramatic tales of power, loyalty, and betrayal will have a great time with it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG989PccLnYGXXePKFsLWYtLOYsi8I8Pu_b4qfW4V44_sEL3pZoFJKid8l9b5WAZYf0CNC2Zl7IZW4ll6gclIby4qg9TZmD9gBL9c0wilwnbVNIIWkJLzXeBZBuULfNZoa2cxQkp55y8OWosX6GdYD3B-M2CQgHIR15ca8AamKSjae5nT_bYoatVWENwDO/s465/four.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="465" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG989PccLnYGXXePKFsLWYtLOYsi8I8Pu_b4qfW4V44_sEL3pZoFJKid8l9b5WAZYf0CNC2Zl7IZW4ll6gclIby4qg9TZmD9gBL9c0wilwnbVNIIWkJLzXeBZBuULfNZoa2cxQkp55y8OWosX6GdYD3B-M2CQgHIR15ca8AamKSjae5nT_bYoatVWENwDO/w200-h46/four.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*<i>I received a copy of Empire of the Damned in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.</i>*</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Buy the book: <a href="https://amzn.to/432GgRo" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250245335" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-44046732092055711602024-03-01T02:00:00.000-08:002024-03-01T07:37:17.780-08:00Month in Review: February 2024<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_tfOv9QnRjmJEA5Kmsr_JdU_VfGtEZpDTXevNnBqHLUdJpIkVs3QUFKsCBaANFzeNMnDiqfRe7qjMcgfLi1xtFklMCiUldNzjOB9QVzzqDf1tH7t2kooPdinjojWyOdONRmTcEPRbXWVHu0JMACWL6MqIamfhSB9jnvlMC6TrpnUaygjdBWGICoP5Jt8/s388/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-29%20at%204.02.15%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="388" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_tfOv9QnRjmJEA5Kmsr_JdU_VfGtEZpDTXevNnBqHLUdJpIkVs3QUFKsCBaANFzeNMnDiqfRe7qjMcgfLi1xtFklMCiUldNzjOB9QVzzqDf1tH7t2kooPdinjojWyOdONRmTcEPRbXWVHu0JMACWL6MqIamfhSB9jnvlMC6TrpnUaygjdBWGICoP5Jt8/w374-h227/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-29%20at%204.02.15%20PM.png" width="374" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">February has been a busy month for me! It's been a bit of a slow blogging month for me as a result of the other business of the month, so I apologize for that, but I already have a number of reviews planned for March so hopefully things will be picking up!<br /><br />In reading news, apparently fourteen is just the number of the year so far because I–shockingly–read fourteen books once again this month. I'm not going to complain about that at all! I read some wonderful books in February, such as <i>The Tainted Cup</i> and <i>Stone Blind</i>, both of which have become some favorites of mine. I also read the anti-war classic <i>Johnny Got His Gun </i>and thought it was truly thought-provoking, incredible, and frankly horrifying read that I heartily recommend to people, but with some warnings that it is a fairly intense subject matter. I also read my second Cormac McCarthy book, <i>All the Pretty Horses,</i> and... I didn't love it. I see why it's a classic, but it wasn't for me–I still think I'll try out <i>Blood Meridian</i> sometime, though, since I didn't hate <i>The Road</i>. Have a look below to check out some of the other books I read in February, as well as what else I posted on the blog!</div><p style="text-align: center;">How was your February? Let me know how your month was below and what you've been reading!</p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=foreverlostin-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B07D3NPMT6" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=foreverlostin-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B076BHHMCG" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=foreverlostin-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B075TTN2FN" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNJfGZUbacDwtFrnBI5U22qgRmRVOl0jrnRKREARJRuMu3j3Xhs1-eiQOCxJxCUsvzh0qHmTVmp1_aG0NshbjydX1unEvgiRSD0vpV_Vd1mOktcTBzjk5FSYpwC4G02SMIWbDC6NrJKJ6/s1600/booksread.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="28" data-original-width="364" height="26" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNJfGZUbacDwtFrnBI5U22qgRmRVOl0jrnRKREARJRuMu3j3Xhs1-eiQOCxJxCUsvzh0qHmTVmp1_aG0NshbjydX1unEvgiRSD0vpV_Vd1mOktcTBzjk5FSYpwC4G02SMIWbDC6NrJKJ6/s400/booksread.png" width="400" /></a><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"># books read: 14</span></b></div><div><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1689268335i/150247395.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="133" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1664995844i/61102615.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="134" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1683668946i/127306440.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="125" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684204526i/65211848.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="129" /></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span><div><span><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>The Tainted Cup</i> (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC</span></div><div><span><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I absolutely loved this fantasy mystery and pretty much can't wait for the sequel (which won't be for a while, I know). </span></span></div><b style="color: black;"><i><br />Stone Blind</i> by Natalie Naynes </b><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b style="color: black;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I've read so many Greek myth retellings lately that I keep thinking I'm burnt out on them, but then I start reading one like Natalie Haynes' <i>Stone Blind </i>and I can't help but forget that I'm tired of them–this was stunning, hilarious, and tragic all at the same time.<br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>What Feasts at Night</i> (Sworn Soldier #2) by T. Kingfisher </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★.75</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC</span></div><div><span><span>Thoughts: I didn't love this one as much as I've loved some of T. Kingfisher's other books (including the first Sworn Soldier book), but this was still a solid, enjoyable read with some trademark Kingfisher wit. </span></span></div><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>The Bad Ones</i> by Melissa Albert </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC</span></div><div><span><span>Thoughts: Since I don't read a lot of YA these days, I'm always pleased when I come across one that I have a great time with, and this was one of those times. I really liked Albert's ability to create a tense, ominous atmosphere that really drew me in.<br /><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925458i/51606.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: start;" width="133" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1692159408i/153719252.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: start;" width="140" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1697933483i/103453994.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: start;" width="130" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1674763608i/87232865.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: start;" width="134" /></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div><span><span><div><span><span><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: black;"><span><b><i>Johnny Got His Gun</i> by Dalton Trumbo </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Owned | Format: Paperback</span></div><div><span><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: This was a intense, difficult read, but such a worthwhile one. I really recommend it, but keep in mind it's a story about the effects of war so can be a lot to take in sometimes. </span><br /><br /></span><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span><b><i>The Narrow Road Between Desires</i> by Patrick Rothfuss </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover</span></div><div><span><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I actually hadn't planned to read this until I decided to do a re-read of the Kingkiller Chronicles (which I plan to do once the third book is officially/finally announced), but my husband decided to read it and since we so rarely read the same books I thought it'd be fun to read it at the same time! I had a fun time with book, and it really reminded me how much I do love Rothfuss' writing.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span><b><i>The Bitter Crown</i> (Eidyn #2) by Justin Lee Anderson </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback</span></div><div><span><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: This was a really great sequel! I didn't like this <i>quite</i> as much as the first book, but it was still a really excellent fantasy and I can't wait for the next book. </span><br /></span><br /><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span><b><i>The Broken Places</i> by Blaine Daigle </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Library | Format: Audiobook</span></div><div><span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Thoughts: This was a horror that I picked up on a bit of a whim and I'm really glad I did because it was excellent!</span></span></span></div><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1675641155i/62558834.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="134" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1656601230i/60831918.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="133" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1689843639i/123211531.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="130" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400642637i/6162.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="128" /><br /><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span><b><i>Swim Home to the Vanished</i> by Brendan Shay Basham </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Library | Format: Audiobook</span></div><div><span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Thoughts: This was another somewhat random pick and it ended up being a very interesting read. It was a little hard to follow at times and the pacing was a bit off, but overall I found it a worthwhile read. </span></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span><span><div><span><span><br /><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span><b> <i>Dust Child</i> by </b></span><b>Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span>Source: | Format:</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I read one of this author's books a year or so ago and was really captivated by her historical fiction that brought a lot of light to important topics, so when I came across this one I was really intrigued by the premise. This was another great historical fiction that once again was very informative and really shared some struggles that Vietnam has faced both during and since the war. <br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>House of Flame and Shadow</i> (Crescent City #3) by Sarah J. Maas </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Library | Format: Audiobook</span></div><div><span>Thoughts: This was definitely a book meant to start bridging some gaps and fill in information that has been built up to in the first two books. I'm not sure if it's been my favorite so far, but I still had a great time with it and enjoyed learning so much more about the world and lore. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>All the Pretty Horses</i> by Cormac McCarthy </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Owned | Format: Paperback</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span><span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Thoughts: I really didn't care much for this one, I'm sorry to say. There were moments throughout the book that I enjoyed, but overall I just didn't care about what was happening. I feel terrible saying that about a prize-winning classic, haha, but this one just wasn't for me. I didn't mind </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">The Road</i><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">, so I do plan to check out some of McCarthy's other work still. </span></span></span></span></div></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span><span><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684077176i/62919369.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="133" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646371036i/60546016.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="133" /><br /><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: black;"><span><b><i>Under the Influence</i> by Noella Crooks </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>★</b><b>★</b></span><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC</span></div><div><span><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: This was a perfectly fine contemporary story about the current state of influencers and social media, but nothing about it was really that meaningful or stuck out to me. </span></span><div><span><span><div><span><span><div><span><span><div><span><span><div><span><span><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;"><div><div><span><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b> <i>Scarlet Angel</i> (Mindf*ck) by S.T. Abby </b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Library | Format: Audiobook</span></div><div><span><span>Thoughts: Somehow I've been drawn into this series and I'm pretty curious to see how it ends now. </span></span></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><br /></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DNF/To-Be-Finished:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Children of Gods and Fighting Men</i> by Shauna Lawless<br /></b>There was nothing immediately wrong with this book, but I just wasn't finding myself overly invested in the story so decided to set it aside for the time being. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b> </b></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibB6HHKGPKXLvWCcTA2Is3ZGZaMZi2WhT5Fwkh1CvXdzAufD_iq7I7GhyH3G_x0-B7UBXT8_b3cU4gGOPVxtG1sy6qxVKvkn5SF9u8TxeoqdR5eOPoyQ2MfiyO8dyYTOTGBc4nQsDBzmH6/s1600/booksreviewed.png"><span style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="31" data-original-width="428" height="43" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibB6HHKGPKXLvWCcTA2Is3ZGZaMZi2WhT5Fwkh1CvXdzAufD_iq7I7GhyH3G_x0-B7UBXT8_b3cU4gGOPVxtG1sy6qxVKvkn5SF9u8TxeoqdR5eOPoyQ2MfiyO8dyYTOTGBc4nQsDBzmH6/s640/booksreviewed.png" width="640" /></span></a><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2023/02/review-magicians-daughter-by-hg-parry.html" target="_blank"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1689268335i/150247395.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="133" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1683668946i/127306440.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="125" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1685624911i/127281143.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="125" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684204526i/65211848.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="129" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/review-tainted-cup-shadow-of-leviathan.html" target="_blank"><i>The Tainted Cup</i> (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/mini-review-what-feasts-at-night-by-t.html" target="_blank"><i>What Feasts at Night </i>by T. Kingfisher</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/review-butcher-of-forest-by-premee.html" target="_blank"><i>The Butcher of the Forest</i> by Premee Mohamed</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/review-bad-ones-by-melissa-albert.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bad Ones</i> by Melissa Albert</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/month-in-review-january-2024.html" target="_blank">Month in Review: January 2024</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/blog-tour-uncharted-flight-of-olivia.html" target="_blank">Blog Tour: The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West + Excerpt</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/anticipated-march-2024-releases.html" target="_blank">Anticipated March 2024 Releases</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Blog Memes:</b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Can't-Wait Wednesday:</span></b><br /><b>2/7:</b><i> </i><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/cant-wait-wednesday-island-rule-by.html" target="_blank"><i>Island Rule </i>by Katie M. Flynn, <i>Glorious Exploits </i>by Ferdia Lennon, and <i>The Invisible Hotel </i>by Yeji Y. Ham</a><br /><b>2/14:</b> <a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/cant-wait-wednesday-angel-of-indian.html" target="_blank"><i>The Angel of Indian Lake</i> by Stephen Graham Jones, <i>Where Sleeping Girls Lie</i> by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, & <i>Wandering Stars</i> by Tommy Orange</a><br /><b>2/21:</b> <a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/cant-wait-wednesday-green-frog-by-gina.html" target="_blank">G<i>reen Frog </i>by Gina Chung, <i>The Emperor and the Endless Palace</i> by Justinian Huang, & <i>Empire of the Damned</i> by Jay Kristoff</a><br /><b>2/28: </b><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/cant-wait-wednesday-morningside-by-tea.html" target="_blank"><i>The Morningside </i>by Téa Obreht & <i>All Our Yesterdays</i> by Joel H. Morris</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Friday Face-Off:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/02/the-friday-face-off-current-read-24.html" target="_blank">Current Read #24</a></div></div></div></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-37682951318814118402024-02-28T02:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T11:35:22.472-08:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Morningside by Téa Obreht & All Our Yesterdays by Joel H. Morris<p style="text-align: center;"> <span> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/s638/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/w320-h180/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <span>Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQo3BNnej7P8t_u1XQI2GHcuMCbztEiakJv-Z8b4eNCtDDqX0PQXwBOdRGhvx6wx7oGKCsExbGVTTTkC9RZb_Z0ZpWJT5S8AgK8OX-J1cMxPpIfO9soJgPZC9D99JyFiv9iORk5gOYSctMKww1O9R5fgG8mBPxJVWoFGlgl3fmTtBXTdGmvyKFT_75hVLL" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQo3BNnej7P8t_u1XQI2GHcuMCbztEiakJv-Z8b4eNCtDDqX0PQXwBOdRGhvx6wx7oGKCsExbGVTTTkC9RZb_Z0ZpWJT5S8AgK8OX-J1cMxPpIfO9soJgPZC9D99JyFiv9iORk5gOYSctMKww1O9R5fgG8mBPxJVWoFGlgl3fmTtBXTdGmvyKFT_75hVLL" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9eOH_0s3A7AvCZtLSPTCxq7YnoTBObSbCR0_nI4awDlQdx_2E6kHVnyqoy2qFwPzoXjZx-25K-3XEZLHDYERVyjmJrjd_Xw7pdIwdtu3KgQgO5kYZUZWJ99FAtfiVklT4HdQdi157ZHRErjTVpb5t38raDs7d_NTRNI2_cTKC79tQ8-N9f3EM-12-2dH5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9eOH_0s3A7AvCZtLSPTCxq7YnoTBObSbCR0_nI4awDlQdx_2E6kHVnyqoy2qFwPzoXjZx-25K-3XEZLHDYERVyjmJrjd_Xw7pdIwdtu3KgQgO5kYZUZWJ99FAtfiVklT4HdQdi157ZHRErjTVpb5t38raDs7d_NTRNI2_cTKC79tQ8-N9f3EM-12-2dH5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdzIqzP0jRgfHbYinRgmmY1QZmNzIZB_mEGnmTuhp2mmsWitMPZcwi95s9M0TJ8LK8Xm9f7txEx-nh1Qsk4u9I2izgmnZ3Hw_bCOhVOwksaVbRyD7-kAKVYjpcfg8sPF2WHiqtl_KZfMqexG6FsNiPiNMJQryamvkvlFfoQSMmDwctxzJvlVhzDZSc1prG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdzIqzP0jRgfHbYinRgmmY1QZmNzIZB_mEGnmTuhp2mmsWitMPZcwi95s9M0TJ8LK8Xm9f7txEx-nh1Qsk4u9I2izgmnZ3Hw_bCOhVOwksaVbRyD7-kAKVYjpcfg8sPF2WHiqtl_KZfMqexG6FsNiPiNMJQryamvkvlFfoQSMmDwctxzJvlVhzDZSc1prG=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Morningside</i> by Téa Obreht</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Publication: March 19th, 2024</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Random House</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 304 pages.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3Ss7VGF" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781984855503" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179546766-the-morningside?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_15" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:</span><br /><span style="color: #555555;">"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #555555;"><i>There’s the world you can see. And then there’s the one you can’t. Welcome to the Morningside. <br /><br />After being expelled from their ancestral home, Silvia and her mother finally settle at the Morningside, a crumbling luxury tower in Island City where Silvia’s aunt Ena serves as the superintendent. Silvia feels unmoored in her new life because her mother has been so diligently secretive about their family's past. Silvia knows almost nothing about the place where she was born and spent her early years, nor does she know why she and her mother had to leave. But in Ena there is an a person willing to give the young girl glimpses into the folktales of her demolished homeland, a place of natural beauty and communal spirit that is lacking in Silvia's lonely and impoverished reality. <br /><br />Enchanted by Ena’s stories, Silvia begins seeing the world with magical possibilities and becomes obsessed with the mysterious older woman who lives in the penthouse of the Morningside. Bezi Duras is an enigma to everyone in the building. She has her own elevator entrance and leaves only to go out at night and walk her three massive hounds, often not returning until the early morning. Silvia’s mission to unravel the truth about this woman’s life, and her own haunted past, may end up costing her everything.</i>"</span></p><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not entirely sure what to expect from this one outside of the intriguing premise, but Obreht always has really beautiful prose so I know it'll be a great read. </div><p><span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7CFLNVD8AWOe90vby4JnBr3fNMiRHYPsSq1o-jKMQAf18bRmduFsh2FrsXSL10i7SeWfM2KWnhbyv0fKrpmJ0Dcn-XLj7sv8UPMgKla_Cl7hrabPHnpG8CPx8J7LKgH322Zr1UJLEyDCeGa4xyDL7LXXAH1H5HR_kIF8lWLIbxod5RLb3VSSNywjbmp38" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7CFLNVD8AWOe90vby4JnBr3fNMiRHYPsSq1o-jKMQAf18bRmduFsh2FrsXSL10i7SeWfM2KWnhbyv0fKrpmJ0Dcn-XLj7sv8UPMgKla_Cl7hrabPHnpG8CPx8J7LKgH322Zr1UJLEyDCeGa4xyDL7LXXAH1H5HR_kIF8lWLIbxod5RLb3VSSNywjbmp38" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX4JwuTjONbL1QACjXrUI5-f4nZRaXjlFd5jP4jN396pMM_viNOS_ZGNV7uvGl1o9Om8OxZ72nNdZ52imAth_nsGogFOHq4RPnjLoa8feNz-ZWeSKSNrxzKPkgcPKFgs8vut5bO5rqz1ciZUAUCx8UiHr2aPtO2gr1PDXgLzXwymbulxoZWvP3p6tNEocN" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7xI4U3HLyIzSQ4O612lyB9tqhc9WfPZ3hyYK_sqiqfStBGnYdEevOAUWPp4nUn5EhCPfx9FaD5AFGTT1H6JNgLYLQuor7h5k-fY9QWRJbnzw76jZxs_eNaO6gF_UDHk6BmyFf88ADKiOSdB5qOG2plU222j4RcleY1omkmCzudilnfaSXTOiXaGFPvoEq" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7xI4U3HLyIzSQ4O612lyB9tqhc9WfPZ3hyYK_sqiqfStBGnYdEevOAUWPp4nUn5EhCPfx9FaD5AFGTT1H6JNgLYLQuor7h5k-fY9QWRJbnzw76jZxs_eNaO6gF_UDHk6BmyFf88ADKiOSdB5qOG2plU222j4RcleY1omkmCzudilnfaSXTOiXaGFPvoEq=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>All Our Yesterdays</i> by Joel H. Morris</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: March 12th, 2024 (US)</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">G.P. Putnam's Sons</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 368 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/42wAdV5" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780593715383" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177178507-all-our-yesterdays?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9WvufBPSJb&rank=3" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i><b>A propulsive and piercing debut, set ten years before the events of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, about the ambition, power, and fate that define one of literature’s most notorious figures: Lady Macbeth </b><br /><br />Scotland, 11th Century. Born into a noble household and granddaughter of a forgotten Scottish king, a young girl carries the guilt of her mother’s death and the weight of an unknowable prophecy. When she is married at fifteen to the Mormaer of Moray, she experiences the violence of a sadistic husband and a kingdom constantly at war. To survive with her young son in a superstitious realm, she must rely on her own cunning and wit, especially when her husband’s downfall inadvertently sets them free. <br /><br />Suspicious of the dark devices that may have led to his father’s death, her son watches as his mother falls in love with the enigmatic thane Macbeth. Now a woman of stature, Lady Macbeth confronts a world of masculine power and secures the protection of her family. But the coronation of King Duncan and the political maneuvering of her cousin Macduff set her on a tragic course, one where her own success might mean embracing the very curse that haunts her and risking the child she loves.</i>"<br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I always enjoy these retellings of literary figures, and after reading <i>Lady Macbethad</i> last year, I think I'm primed for another take on her story!</div></span></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-55053946931935812612024-02-27T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-27T02:00:00.129-08:00Review: The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert<p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipRRXQ335fNA_QpRcJcWCBup3brFqSwerP4OvID_HKca1eH8Cj3KKbnazUDEt_AjdJtke6lj-rrw2CM_yl0FxHdmhieMnY2YB2FIqsNZpXRFdOZccXoX2UxD9aZj2gaNyTAnjyZXz7Q15Ja0mliFa40lxYqYfv8lKCmddjBlqpNyvOaoQ0qK7nvYzU4LsK" style="font-size: xx-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8GBYAkz8PDU4w8NeQDHRWwTA9SOWCFjOqWdLO0QyE3W5HeXGVIfNewmN9iuJNAAcvqStD7wN3_A375hArtw86P5AiQsNqHecfzZA4Tz8G1VaZnnspOUj-R19nldFPgUrjdSaBesKBvAdvX8BbmGXjK2KwVTad1sc8ivsmgxN8eEZWlCxNA2TuKzAAxi-L" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8GBYAkz8PDU4w8NeQDHRWwTA9SOWCFjOqWdLO0QyE3W5HeXGVIfNewmN9iuJNAAcvqStD7wN3_A375hArtw86P5AiQsNqHecfzZA4Tz8G1VaZnnspOUj-R19nldFPgUrjdSaBesKBvAdvX8BbmGXjK2KwVTad1sc8ivsmgxN8eEZWlCxNA2TuKzAAxi-L=w225-h348" width="225" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Bad Ones </i>by Melissa Albert</b></div></span><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Flatiron Books</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: February 20th, 2024</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Hardcover. 400 pages.</span></b></div></b><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About <i>The Bad Ones:</i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"</i><i>Goddess, goddess, count to five</i></div><i><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In the morning, who’s alive?</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In the course of a single winter’s night, four people vanish without a trace across a small town.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Nora’s estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca’s disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town’s past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local folklore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca’s own childhood games..."</i></div></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><i>The Bad Ones</i> is a YA mystery/horror that I think has great crossover appeal for YA and adult readers alike. I don’t really read all that much YA anymore, but I was intrigued by the premise for The Bad Ones and since the only Melissa Albert book I’ve read was The Hazel Wood back in 2018, I figured it was time to give her another read–and I was not disappointed.<br /><br /><i>The Bad Ones</i> takes place in the small town of Palmetto where four people disappear over the course of one night. We follow Nora, a high school girl whose best friend, Becca, is one of the four people that went missing, leaving Nora behind to dive into what’s behind all of the disappearances. At the center of what Nora knows about Becca’s disappearance is an old local legend about a vengeful goddess who inspired a childhood game that has been played for decades by people in Palmetto.<br /><br />We are immediately thrust into the story in the first chapter as we learn of the mysterious disappearances and Nora receives cryptic texts from Becca on the same night of her disappearance. Nora was a compelling and relatable character and I found myself really empathizing with her throughout the story. Nora’s relationship with Becca has been fraught in recent months with the two not talking after a fight, and I really felt like I could understand the tension and longing that is present in any struggling friendship. Becca has long used Nora as her ‘rock’ of sorts after losing both of her parents throughout her childhood, and it’s easy to see how this has caused excessive pressure for Nora throughout their friendship.<br /><br />Albert tells the story through chapters set in both the present day and those set in the past that focus on Nora and Becca’s friendship, the goddess game, and more general background that helps readers slowly put all the pieces together as the story progresses. This is a slower-paced mystery that really takes readers through the ins and outs of different relationships between characters and sets up plenty of foundation for later events and explanations. I really liked the inclusion of the goddess game and all of the lore surrounding it, and I think that added so much mystery and intrigue to the story and kept me wanting to find out more about how the game would play into everything in the end. <br /><br />Albert also spends a good amount of time setting the tone of the story to be one that is dark, cryptic, and consistently foreboding. There is always an heir of something ‘other’ that is happening that left me always teetering between wondering if this book included only real, tangible elements or if there was something just a bit more in the ‘other’ or supernatural realm. I won’t tell you the answer to that, but I wanted to note it because I think it’s really magical how Albert seems to incorporate such a strong sense of wonder and disquietude to her writing.<br /><br />Overall, I've given <i>The Bad Ones</i> four stars! I was really hooked on this story and found myself reading through it pretty quickly because I found it to be one of those riveting slow-burn horror/mysteries that draws you in quickly and makes it hard to put down. I think readers of both YA and adult will enjoy this one and if the premise intrigues you, then I'd encourage you to check it out!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrQpP1i294gAiq1HuOInQcY6AU5lD3lbAIoMb1fsraP7pLnfhwKHXhp0vK3R2XOHer2XxoAUt3flaUmzsZsdhXI5zb5TiNRyGYU_ihD7Tglxo83SYXOLI4qP2gJbF4z2F6Joub24EFm6-dN9AcKnW0FvWseDz3_sknmwEZEVpF0atuRS89HfS3vwlR0ts/s3000/fourstars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="3000" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrQpP1i294gAiq1HuOInQcY6AU5lD3lbAIoMb1fsraP7pLnfhwKHXhp0vK3R2XOHer2XxoAUt3flaUmzsZsdhXI5zb5TiNRyGYU_ihD7Tglxo83SYXOLI4qP2gJbF4z2F6Joub24EFm6-dN9AcKnW0FvWseDz3_sknmwEZEVpF0atuRS89HfS3vwlR0ts/w200-h47/fourstars.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*<i>I received a copy of The Bad Ones in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.</i>*</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Buy the book: <a href="https://amzn.to/4bqFOR0" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781984820709" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></p></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-54147497529020551192024-02-24T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-24T02:00:00.132-08:00Anticipated March 2024 Releases<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7yjTW-xhbKa2LNgDC7T-CJHfzFlWeyPiAxfpKuN3o90mAueUILCqyjfJiyq24_Mq17bV-VsihOA-TWvXf7YYWpja0EW5kMTXxSpFv4mofLZB67l-pLAzBLVjNQ6YZhd4uWKWgFIW8xQqkHaynhD2YpR3WoOWDGB1_7AGAvgY68acXsYd6fIyKKt1a1fD/s641/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-13%20at%203.02.51%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="641" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7yjTW-xhbKa2LNgDC7T-CJHfzFlWeyPiAxfpKuN3o90mAueUILCqyjfJiyq24_Mq17bV-VsihOA-TWvXf7YYWpja0EW5kMTXxSpFv4mofLZB67l-pLAzBLVjNQ6YZhd4uWKWgFIW8xQqkHaynhD2YpR3WoOWDGB1_7AGAvgY68acXsYd6fIyKKt1a1fD/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-13%20at%203.02.51%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A new month means new releases and March is packed with some incredible ones! March is shaping up to be a busy month of releases, and I'm sure that even with everything I've included on this list I've still managed to miss some. That being said, I'm really excited about a lot of these and hope to have a chance to read as many as I can (I've given up on ever staying caught up on new releases a long time ago, haha). I've already managed to read a couple March ARCs and have some more up next on my TBR and I'm looking forward to it! I'm currently reading <i>The Cloud Roost</i> (which has been fantastic so far!) and plan to jump into <i>Glorious Exploits </i>next. Which March releases are you most looking forward to!? Have a look below and let me know–or let me know which ones I've missed!</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1687569761i/178072409.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="132" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1685993148i/61484909.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="132" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1686576191i/126917878.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="130" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1698687061i/124941442.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="132" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1689372128i/182761396.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="130" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1705513116i/205517359.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="128" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1705469000i/205485831.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="129" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" 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class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>The Angel of Indian Lake</i> by Stephen Graham Jones </b>|| March 26th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/48wdzNQ" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781668011669" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>Where Sleeping Girls Lie</i> by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé </b>|| March 19th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/3OT6Gzs" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250800848" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>The Woods All Black</i> by Lee Mandelo </b>|| March 19th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/4bJMHNh" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250790316" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><b><i>Sunbringer</i> by Hannah Kaner </b>|| March 12th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/4bJMQ3h" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780063350106" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div><br /><b><i>A Feather So Black</i> by Lyra Selene </b>|| March 12th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/3wjfVlN" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780316564960" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>Jumpnauts</i> by Hao Jingfang </b>|| March 12th -- 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Ham </b>|| March 5th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/42NTKQW" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781638931379" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>The Emperor and the Endless Palace</i> by Justinian Huang </b>|| March 26th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/49pnWUS" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780778305231" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>The Stars Turned Inside Out</i> by Nova Jacobs </b>|| March 19th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/42MiyZD" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781668018545" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>Clever Creatures of the Night</i> by Samantha Mabry </b>|| March 5th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/49OikUh" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781616208974" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>Empire of the Damned</i> by Jay Kristoff </b>|| March 12th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/49HbTlI" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250245335" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>Island Rule</i> by Katie M. 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Morris </b>|| March 12th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/3wr1koB" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780593715383" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>The Asteroid Hunter</i> by Dante S. Lauretta </b>|| March 19th -- <a href="https://amzn.to/3T7wHgC" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781538722947" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><b><i>The New Couple in 5B</i> by Lisa Unger </b>|| March 5th -- <a href="Amazon" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780778333340" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: "tinos"; font-size: large;">What are your anticipated March releases?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: "tinos"; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></div></div></span></div></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-31690962261441938672024-02-22T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-22T02:00:00.130-08:00Review: The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed<p> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9TJNXNSkpQCds8gdBbeiTkhnVEFRey7D-XtjitW98Z7XzPzusY0DAyVVdYeshlDW6WQjjVHY4Oo1KFOSxLna4YY6YB5LS1O62AbRt01Y72Avt2BeCdi7w9xYEJ6n9dSg1DJbNyNIH9dGD_0sOexp_Il0kXTeXUpTk9j6qINFxyFID27S8JaFuML5BXyJ2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghdBRh3geya-L7eg-2DWA7efha5hr2rdgToEyCBglJelqQwTvwFkUV3Fk1V_UQ_5uBrBPrgi56EcGKLnbXbWg7qEwYzqdBdNhLrSq2YusFXc-Qp3qCFDz4hNO4mDyywzzbf3tuW93WT3vvuxZcg19UZxqvYzg8rtPuav8qXqagP0fJZyVXsqn2R6BNqTNI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSrXmivgnTuFtFbXO0IWJ59rIVz6hB0nyv5QDlD85PwkWOanwZObaQYg1s5fORiPU3KFMcQwYrGv5MY9_xOC3kVHiXdx83zZupByK7omwiCyqortV2AFdH_rWTQsZ-73O_M5w25VMt6E5Lo2OMl3O3nnMiSY6GsL5ABnwuypCQEWPadYUkopKbFAaZk_oU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1761" data-original-width="1100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSrXmivgnTuFtFbXO0IWJ59rIVz6hB0nyv5QDlD85PwkWOanwZObaQYg1s5fORiPU3KFMcQwYrGv5MY9_xOC3kVHiXdx83zZupByK7omwiCyqortV2AFdH_rWTQsZ-73O_M5w25VMt6E5Lo2OMl3O3nnMiSY6GsL5ABnwuypCQEWPadYUkopKbFAaZk_oU=w200-h320" width="200" /></a></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Butcher of the Forest</i> by Premee Mohamed</b></div></span><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tordotcom</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: February 27th, 2024</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Paperback. 160 pages.</span></b></div></b><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About <i>The Butcher of the Forest:</i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"</i><i>A world-weary woman races against the clock to rescue the children of a wrathful tyrant from a dangerous, otherworldly forest. <br /><br />At the northern edge of a land ruled by a monstrous, foreign tyrant lies the wild forest known as the Elmever. The villagers know better than to let their children go near—once someone goes in, they never come back out. <br /><br />No one knows the strange and terrifying traps of the Elmever better than Veris Thorn, the only person to ever rescue a child from the forest many years ago. When the Tyrant’s two young children go missing, Veris is commanded to enter the forest once more and bring them home safe. If Veris fails, the Tyrant will kill her; if she remains in the forest for longer than a day, she will be trapped forevermore. <br /><br />So Veris will travel deep into the Elmever to face traps, riddles, and monsters at the behest of another monster. One misstep will cost everything."</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p>I utterly devoured this book. <br /><br /><i>The Butcher of the Forest</i> is a dark fantasy novella featuring a woman named Veris who is tasked with rescuing some wayward children of the tyrant of the land from an uncanny forest. This is a dark fantasy novella with just a hint of a grimdark note due to how melancholy and somewhat hopeless the tone felt at times throughout. <br /><br />Veris is sent into the forest on orders from the tyrant because she once rescued another child from the forest, so the tyrant thinks she'll be able to do it again. However, she’s self-aware enough–and just aware in general–to know that although her abilities might be enough to where she could survive the forest, it’s more about her understanding that if the forest doesn’t want her to survive or make it back with the children, she won’t. But knowing what’s at stake for her family and her village back home, she puts everything into her task and has some of the strongest determination and steeliness that I’ve seen in a character in a long time. I think it’s this steely mentality of hers that makes her a character I would incredibly confident being with–if I was stuck in this forest, she is the only person I would want to be with. She’s not going to lie and tell you everything will be alright or not to be scared, but she’s will tell you the rules and be extraordinarily careful, clever, and cautious at all times.<br /><br />Veris is a realist and an incredibly resilient character that I found myself rooting for and connecting with in ways I don't often do with characters. She is someone who has suffered a lot in her life, and although I wouldn’t say she is necessarily better for it, she has learned from her experiences how to adapt, survive, and keep her wits about her no matter what comes her way. Veris understands that she’s the only one who has ever managed to survive entering and exiting the forest and I appreciated that she knew herself well enough to know that she is very capable and confident about her abilities to do this.<br /><br />This is really the dark forest story that I’d love to have written myself. I was just absolutely captivated. I wanted to keep inhaling this book and learn more and more about this forest and everything within it. It has some truly horrifying creatures and ideas that lurk within and make you want to look away or cover your eyes while also creating an urge to constantly peek through your fingers to see what’s happening because you don’t want to miss anything. There’s so many very particular rules to follow in this forest that have dangerous consequences if not followed, and there’s very little mercy–if any–to be found in this forest. There is nothing that can help you in this forest that won’t also demand something in return, no matter how big or small it may be. You can absolutely never let your guard down in this forest, be sure not to harm anything in the forest itself, and be very careful of what you say both to yourself and to anything else within it. <br /><br />Premee Mohamed’s writing is evocative and has a riveting flow to it that I couldn't look away from. I thought there was a fantastic mix of creatures and beings or elements of the forest that we get to see and interact with as readers along with those that we only really hear hints about from Veris or observe through what she sees while in the forest, and this kept a truly delightful balance of horror of both the scene and unseen. Altogether, this made it genuinely terrifying to imagine being in this forest knowing–and not knowing?–what might be waiting inside. I would never want to step foot in it, as most people in this story don’t want to, and I think even my undying curiosity wouldn’t be enough for me to give it anything but a wide berth.<br /><br />I feel like cozy books have been the trend lately, and this book is anything but cozy. Still, there’s something oddly comforting about this book to me. It’s almost as if it really scratched that itch in my brain that yearns for something dark to explore, something that feels both impossible and all too real at the same time, and I think this book really did that. <br /><br />If it wasn’t already clear from what is probably an overly gushing review, I thought<i> The Butcher of the Forest </i>was an absolutely stunning book. I don’t think it’s going to be for everyone, as I think some people may find it a bit slow paced and may not connect with it in the same way, but for other it will hit that spot and will instead feel like something slow paced but that you could inhale in a matter of hours (I inhaled it like oxygen I desperately needed, personally). I was hooked the entire time and cannot wait to check out more of her work as well as see what she may publish in the future.<br /><br />Overall, I’ve given <i>The Butcher of the Forest</i> five stars! I cannot recommend it enough. It you are someone who likes things a little on the darker side or just loves a forest that is dark and mysterious and dangerous, then this is the book for you.<br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;">*<i>I received a copy of The Butcher of the Forest in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.</i>*</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKlP8AagmEvrk4xdif-ca4ZpxdOzqUW1BFoMH8GybMAU_BAHCoJgkpqQkZuckfpmzrTgT8IUEz-IjYZYeYU_PN8tbbJIRVdA6S4cW-M69HYHz6KrVTM6ca28P2JVr2buieZli8k9WMlXJmm8lzAQC76u67IRtOjsUREBhndSzurFbeKlAurJfwFgjWFNh/s3000/fivestars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="3000" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKlP8AagmEvrk4xdif-ca4ZpxdOzqUW1BFoMH8GybMAU_BAHCoJgkpqQkZuckfpmzrTgT8IUEz-IjYZYeYU_PN8tbbJIRVdA6S4cW-M69HYHz6KrVTM6ca28P2JVr2buieZli8k9WMlXJmm8lzAQC76u67IRtOjsUREBhndSzurFbeKlAurJfwFgjWFNh/w200-h47/fivestars.png" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Buy the book: <a href="https://amzn.to/3tO4xxE" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250881786" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-70820284014096342932024-02-21T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-21T02:00:00.135-08:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Green Frog by Gina Chung, The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang, & Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff<p style="text-align: center;"> <span> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/s638/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/w320-h180/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <span>Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; 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float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigMqd801WqHffCLCUcX-7XOddUQjhnihrX9VTb6nPf35sHq9thyzWKrwk2ES_cp6eWQoIUggOE3eUU147Zm99rqXDchyKzMoqyQdqQIM0rL0sXIJwbLlxGc6_SbQgV5j2nnpYHm700-4TR-ME-Y5nmz_IJxSx6wLraWSeTr7MtdwSgElljuAZ1Hg2p_4-k=w208-h320" width="208" /></a></div><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Green Frog</i> by Gina Chung</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Publication: March 12th, 2024</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Vintage</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Paperback. 240 pages.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/49pnhm3" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780593469361" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177185879-green-frog?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_15" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:</span><br /><span style="color: #555555;">"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #555555;"><i>A short story collection that explores Korean American womanhood, bodies, animals, and transformation as a means of survival. <br /><br />Equal parts fantastical—a pair of talking dolls help twins escape a stifling home, a heart boils on the stove as part of an elaborate cure for melancholy, a fox demon contemplates avenging her sister's death—and true to life—a mother and daughter try to heal their rift when the daughter falls unexpectedly pregnant, a woman reexamines her father's legacy after his death—the stories in this collection are hopeful and heartbreaking, full of danger and full of joy. <br /><br />Chung is a master at capturing emotion, and her characters—human and otherwise—will claw their way into your heart and make themselves at home.</i>"</span></p><div style="text-align: center;">Another short story collection that sounds like it'll be weird and wonderful and I'm looking forward to checking it out!</div><p><span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; 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float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX4JwuTjONbL1QACjXrUI5-f4nZRaXjlFd5jP4jN396pMM_viNOS_ZGNV7uvGl1o9Om8OxZ72nNdZ52imAth_nsGogFOHq4RPnjLoa8feNz-ZWeSKSNrxzKPkgcPKFgs8vut5bO5rqz1ciZUAUCx8UiHr2aPtO2gr1PDXgLzXwymbulxoZWvP3p6tNEocN" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX4JwuTjONbL1QACjXrUI5-f4nZRaXjlFd5jP4jN396pMM_viNOS_ZGNV7uvGl1o9Om8OxZ72nNdZ52imAth_nsGogFOHq4RPnjLoa8feNz-ZWeSKSNrxzKPkgcPKFgs8vut5bO5rqz1ciZUAUCx8UiHr2aPtO2gr1PDXgLzXwymbulxoZWvP3p6tNEocN" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3gJ4AHvkaQp1zaxB76WRF85JKIWAXVARzgSaTh8SEXvu9BPSdOlrmirSc18tPNeArVWnnMQqEV2BAvysVaV4Ps4KDSiTlyljylRyrov9cNncRMEt0AmN4_yIWXQDBJ2OksjVPT-5zFVPxm4WjLWKhCe-nY4RTousH2svwcX_wWY5TzF6GbJ-A1xzhrzQE" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3700" data-original-width="2438" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3gJ4AHvkaQp1zaxB76WRF85JKIWAXVARzgSaTh8SEXvu9BPSdOlrmirSc18tPNeArVWnnMQqEV2BAvysVaV4Ps4KDSiTlyljylRyrov9cNncRMEt0AmN4_yIWXQDBJ2OksjVPT-5zFVPxm4WjLWKhCe-nY4RTousH2svwcX_wWY5TzF6GbJ-A1xzhrzQE=w211-h320" width="211" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Emperor and the Endless Palace</i> by Justinian Huang</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: March 26th, 2024 (US)</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">MIRA</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 312 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3ugH4FB" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780778305231" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/146145975-the-emperor-and-the-endless-palace?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_22" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i>“What if I told you that the feeling we call love is actually the feeling of metaphysical recognition, when your soul remembers someone from a previous life?” <br /><br />In the year 4 BCE, an ambitious courtier is called upon to seduce the young emperor — but quickly discovers they are both ruled by blood, sex and intrigue. <br /><br />In 1740, a lonely innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor procure a rare medicine, only to unleash an otherworldly terror instead. <br /><br />And in present-day Los Angeles, a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they’ve met before. <br /><br />Across these seemingly unrelated timelines woven together only by the twists and turns of fate, two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Within the treacherous walls of an ancient palace and the boundless forests of the Asian wilderness to the heart-pounding cement floors of underground rave scenes, our lovers are inexplicably drawn to each other, constantly tested by the worlds around them. <br /><br />As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realize the power of their undying love—a power that transcends time itself…but one that might consume them both.</i>"<br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not typically a big romance fan, but I'm just so intrigued by the setup of this story that I'm really excited to see what it's all about, as it sounds really creative!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; 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float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9k_5gZnphPzwddgcI6XSbxq7KJCiZypnmu4W6_DtAYa8hWXbBQjHLRZW-T6nAhMSJgza6bHQc2g_rIf7N7hIbEao0IwdPvV6C9iFKhRoi2lrNNJUV-Z7i6VzJTY8o0ompUvBMOm2E6NeQ9QHxuZPQaaiWo5Bm-pN8dUyr4ojIzHkdAm1GyRXNDIeFIkT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9k_5gZnphPzwddgcI6XSbxq7KJCiZypnmu4W6_DtAYa8hWXbBQjHLRZW-T6nAhMSJgza6bHQc2g_rIf7N7hIbEao0IwdPvV6C9iFKhRoi2lrNNJUV-Z7i6VzJTY8o0ompUvBMOm2E6NeQ9QHxuZPQaaiWo5Bm-pN8dUyr4ojIzHkdAm1GyRXNDIeFIkT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEUXid8cgPFgCLjPJo7J_y07RBVzduHzlbHiX3EgDG8FsSpLr9aiDUKFXsOHGN5bkAGYuRmZ8RfLpIKARLuDYeg7vIsYW8Sqw7v24HawnlJDDyxmVkTEtFlZTk0OsZbMqBqcVBMUcTrh756yze7tIYVWWFbGk5FDI1OIT9m8EouUo5PhFD41m93ncFSpL_" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2294" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEUXid8cgPFgCLjPJo7J_y07RBVzduHzlbHiX3EgDG8FsSpLr9aiDUKFXsOHGN5bkAGYuRmZ8RfLpIKARLuDYeg7vIsYW8Sqw7v24HawnlJDDyxmVkTEtFlZTk0OsZbMqBqcVBMUcTrh756yze7tIYVWWFbGk5FDI1OIT9m8EouUo5PhFD41m93ncFSpL_=w209-h320" width="209" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Empire of the Damned</i> (Empire of the Vampire #2) by Jay Kristoff</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: March 12th, 2024 </span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">St. Martin's Press (US)/Harper Voyager (UK)</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 736 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3SPq7eQ" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250245335" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126918599-empire-of-the-damned?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_13" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i>From holy cup comes holy light; <br />The faithful hands sets world aright. <br />And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight, <br />Mere man shall end this endless night. <br /><br />Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. Drawn into an uneasy alliance with the mysterious vampire Liathe, Gabriel must now deliver the Grail to ancients of the Blood Esani, and learn the truth of how Daysdeath might be finally undone. <br /><br />But the Last Silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by terrors of the Blood Voss, drawn into warfare between the Blood Dyvok and duskdancers of the frozen Highlands, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the Grail learn her truth. <br /><br />And that truth may be too awful for any to imagine.</i>"<br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I've actually already read an ARC of this back in December that the publisher so generously offered to me, but I still am looking forward to seeing the final product with all the illustrations and everything. This has been a pretty fun series so far, I'm curious to see where Kristoff will take the story.</div></span></div></div></span></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-560878037996828682024-02-19T02:00:00.001-08:002024-02-19T02:00:00.153-08:00Mini-Review: What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i></i></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigAC0mgSRnKyQLtMBnEHu3SHT8p_7iCWQPxMs8w6YaV27amOUQ-mcLRV4_NV7IDqw1z0BQGKzkUzTo9VeOmeWiyN0Q7tr1WYie1sWXrSo8Q8qy9SDZmFruP_EJKQAjWo6b77xp_3G4zya71btFWHrdmrABaJSwB44qKWPIv-C4QuPXoKIDpCioWOhCLZua" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2474" data-original-width="1547" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigAC0mgSRnKyQLtMBnEHu3SHT8p_7iCWQPxMs8w6YaV27amOUQ-mcLRV4_NV7IDqw1z0BQGKzkUzTo9VeOmeWiyN0Q7tr1WYie1sWXrSo8Q8qy9SDZmFruP_EJKQAjWo6b77xp_3G4zya71btFWHrdmrABaJSwB44qKWPIv-C4QuPXoKIDpCioWOhCLZua=w200-h320" width="200" /></a></i></span></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>What Feasts at Night </i>(Sworn Soldier #2) by T. Kingfisher</span></b></div></b><b style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tor Nightfire</span></b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: February 13th, 2024</span></b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Hardcover. 147 pages.</span></b></div></b><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About <i>What Feasts at Night:</i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"</i><span style="text-align: center;"><i>After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war. All they crave is rest, routine, and sunshine, but instead, as a favor to Angus and Miss Potter, they find themself heading to their family hunting lodge, deep in the cold, damp forests of their home country, Gallacia. <br /><br />In theory, one can find relaxation in even the coldest and dampest of Gallacian autumns, but when Easton arrives, they find the caretaker dead, the lodge in disarray, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence. The villagers whisper that a breath-stealing monster from folklore has taken up residence in Easton’s home. Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams.</i></span><i>"</i></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">You can find my review for the first book in the Sworn Soldier duology, <i>What Moves the Dead</i>, <a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2022/07/mini-review-what-moves-dead-by-t.html" target="_blank">here</a>!<br /><br />What Feasts at Night allows us to return to the side of Alex Easton as they travel back home to Gallacia in order to check up on their old hunting lodge that has been in the hands of a caretaker known as Codrin. Upon arriving at the loge, however, they find that Codrin is nowhere to be found and the lodge has, for all intents and purposes, been abandoned, with Codrin nowhere to be found. When they ask around, they discover that Codrin had died, and that there are rumors circulating about a creature known as the moroi who steals people's breath...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>What I liked:</b> The dry, witty voice of our protagonist and narrator, Alex Easton, remains front and center in this book and made for a highly enjoyable reading experience. I felt Kingfisher did a great job of capturing Alex's struggles with PTSD and how those effects have continued to impact their everyday life, all while incorporating the trademark humor and cleverness of the narrative voice. I also continue to really love Alex and Angus' friendship and how well they are able to understand and be there for one another in all the unique ways they both need it. I really liked the new characters introduced in this book as well, such as the Widow Botezatu and her grandson, Bors, who come to work at the hunting lodge and bring some vibrancy to the story with their distinctive personalities. The horror elements of this book were a bit muted, but still wonderfully creepy and unsettling in all the ways Kingfisher writes them best, and I loved all the inclusions of various Gallacian folktales and superstitions, as I felt they added some more color and intrigue to the story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>What I didn't like: </b>This book was a bit on the slower side, and it honestly felt a bit more like it was just 'going through the motions' rather than bringing a lot of new ideas to the table. If I look back on this book and try to recount what happened, I feel like there's really not all that much to say about it, and while that's not always a bad thing, it just feels like something was missing from this story. Kingfisher's writing is always excellent, but this book lacked a little of the energy <i>What Feasts at Night</i> held. I also missed that we didn't get to spend just a bit more time with the delightful Miss Potter, as I really enjoyed her in the previous book. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Overall, I've given <i>What Feasts at Night</i> 3.75 stars! Although this isn't what I'd consider one of my favorite T. Kingfisher book, it's still a very solid short horror novella that has plenty of humor, creepiness, and interesting characters to keep things entertaining. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>*I received a copy of What Feasts at Night courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*</i></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Buy the book: </b><a href="https://amzn.to/3HZ9jeS" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250830852" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-46450331879043220592024-02-14T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-14T02:00:00.246-08:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones, Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, & Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange<p style="text-align: center;"> <span> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/s638/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/w320-h180/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <span>Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; 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float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8bOnljQ76yfFeAHv_GwW4TogVnXhEkU5nCXqTuB0bQctMqCAJjgPcD8WWAzbs37AsYN-2GB-6q3zipPGdYuBw20ePQfchnjzGNsukGvxZ8qUPHr-dmMkee6U6vGcFxmHOLuMjKHrfmToM1PDE6IO0Rv3QOeThjBInLmJbCYUFN9Tv2VwmUgPqFoJooF0q=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Angel of Indian Lake</i> (The Indian Lake Trilogy #3) by Stephen Graham Jones</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Publication: March 26th, 2024</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Saga Press</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 464 pages.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/48nmYHL" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781668011669" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/178072409-the-angel-of-indian-lake?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_17" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:</span><br /><span style="color: #555555;">"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #555555;"><i>The final installment in the most lauded trilogy in the history of horror novels picks up four years after Don’t Fear the Reaper as Jade returns to Proofrock, Idaho, to build a life after the years of sacrifice—only to find the Lake Witch is waiting for her in New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones’s finale. <br /><br />It’s been four years in prison since Jade Daniels last saw her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho, the day she took the fall, protecting her friend Letha and her family from incrimination. Since then, her reputation, and the town, have changed dramatically. There’s a lot of unfinished business in Proofrock, from serial killer cultists to the rich trying to buy Western authenticity. But there’s one aspect of Proofrock no one wants to confront…until Jade comes back to town. The curse of the Lake Witch is waiting, and now is the time for the final stand. <br /><br />New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones has crafted an epic horror trilogy of generational trauma from the Indigenous to the townies rooted in the mountains of Idaho. It is a story of the American west written in blood.</i>"</span></p><div style="text-align: center;">I've been having a great time with Stephen Graham Jones' Indian Lake Trilogy and I'm excited to dive into the final book!</div><p><span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; 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border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Where Sleeping Girls Lie</i> by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: March 19th, 2024 (US)</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Feiwel & Friends</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 416 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3UwZFYK" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250800848" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61484909-where-sleeping-girls-lie?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_24" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i>It’s like I keep stumbling into a dark room, searching for the switch to make things bright again. To make me remember. But the switch isn’t there. Was it there before? <br /><br />Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. After being home-schooled all her life and feeling like a magnet for misfortune, she’s not sure what will happen. What she doesn’t expect though is for her roommate Elizabeth to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it. <br /><br />With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the most popular girls in school – collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ – and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them - especially Persephone, who Sade finds herself drawn to - playing catch-up in class, and trying to figure out what happened to Elizabeth, Sade has a lot on her plate. It doesn’t help that she’s already dealing with grief from the many tragedies in her family. <br /><br />And then a student is found dead. <br /><br />The more Sade investigates, the more she realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she realized. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.</i>"<br /><br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I'm a little obsessed with that cover, and I'm equally intrigued by the premise. School settings can get a bit old, but I have high hopes for this one!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; 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float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9k_5gZnphPzwddgcI6XSbxq7KJCiZypnmu4W6_DtAYa8hWXbBQjHLRZW-T6nAhMSJgza6bHQc2g_rIf7N7hIbEao0IwdPvV6C9iFKhRoi2lrNNJUV-Z7i6VzJTY8o0ompUvBMOm2E6NeQ9QHxuZPQaaiWo5Bm-pN8dUyr4ojIzHkdAm1GyRXNDIeFIkT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiisv8FP1tv5P3lJDem9Y5ioyDghmr12IK3G45uziMJHYBpPC6DYv0UOCQwlKZFKqRW2D7qfaEnfeJepAFif_tGmDWnQ2nwSz7310oCzC390XjouNyWi4zMTxFj8QummR__1uvllpA-UZ70zMz6HRpeHx4-8bQFTLxNrdO-dl868xZr5RCIvbCNj_fVByu5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiisv8FP1tv5P3lJDem9Y5ioyDghmr12IK3G45uziMJHYBpPC6DYv0UOCQwlKZFKqRW2D7qfaEnfeJepAFif_tGmDWnQ2nwSz7310oCzC390XjouNyWi4zMTxFj8QummR__1uvllpA-UZ70zMz6HRpeHx4-8bQFTLxNrdO-dl868xZr5RCIvbCNj_fVByu5=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Wandering Stars</i> by Tommy Orange</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: February 27th, 2024</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Knopf</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 336 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/48cMu26" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780593318256" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174147294-wandering-stars?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_21" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i>AColorado, 1864. Star, a young survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre, is brought to the Fort Marion Prison Castle, where he is forced to learn English and practice Christianity by Richard Henry Pratt, an evangelical prison guard who will go on to found the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, an institution dedicated to the eradication of Native history, culture, and identity. A generation later, Star’s son, Charles, is sent to the school, where he is brutalized by the man who was once his father’s jailer. Under Pratt’s harsh treatment, Charles clings to moments he shares with a young fellow student, Opal Viola, as the two envision a future away from the institutional violence that follows their bloodlines. <br /><br />Oakland, 2018. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield is barely holding her family together after the shooting that nearly took the life of her nephew Orvil. From the moment he awakens in his hospital bed, Orvil begins compulsively googling school shootings on YouTube. He also becomes emotionally reliant on the prescription medications meant to ease his physical trauma. His younger brother, Lony, suffering from PTSD, is struggling to make sense of the carnage he witnessed at the shooting by secretly cutting himself and enacting blood rituals that he hopes will connect him to his Cheyenne heritage. Opal is equally adrift, experimenting with Ceremony and peyote, searching for a way to heal her wounded family. <br /><br />Extending his constellation of narratives into the past and future, Tommy Orange once again delivers a story that is by turns shattering and wondrous, a book piercing in its poetry, sorrow, and rage—a masterful follow-up to his already-classic first novel, and a devastating indictment of America’s war on its own people.</i>"<br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed Tommy Orange's <i>There There</i> and have been as eager as everyone else to read a new book from him, and this one sounds like it'll be fascinating. </div></span></div></div></span></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-54332149562924247452024-02-13T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-15T10:25:57.384-08:00Review: The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipRRXQ335fNA_QpRcJcWCBup3brFqSwerP4OvID_HKca1eH8Cj3KKbnazUDEt_AjdJtke6lj-rrw2CM_yl0FxHdmhieMnY2YB2FIqsNZpXRFdOZccXoX2UxD9aZj2gaNyTAnjyZXz7Q15Ja0mliFa40lxYqYfv8lKCmddjBlqpNyvOaoQ0qK7nvYzU4LsK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipRRXQ335fNA_QpRcJcWCBup3brFqSwerP4OvID_HKca1eH8Cj3KKbnazUDEt_AjdJtke6lj-rrw2CM_yl0FxHdmhieMnY2YB2FIqsNZpXRFdOZccXoX2UxD9aZj2gaNyTAnjyZXz7Q15Ja0mliFa40lxYqYfv8lKCmddjBlqpNyvOaoQ0qK7nvYzU4LsK=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div></div>The Tainted Cup</i> (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett</b></div></span><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Del Rey</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: February 6th, 2024</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Hardcover. 432 pages.</span></b></div></b><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About <i>The Tainted Cup:</i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"</i><span style="text-align: center;"><i>In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible. <br /><br />Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. <br /><br />At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home. <br /><br />Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective. <br /><br />As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.</i></span><i>"</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p>After reading and not really liking <i>Foundryside</i>, I really thought Robert Jackson Bennett just might not be an author for me. But when I heard about <i>The Tainted Cup</i>, I was really excited by the premise and decided I needed to check it out and give RJB another chance... and my god am I glad I did because I <i>loved</i> <i>The Tainted Cup</i>. This was magnificent. Leviathans? Plants and poisons? Yes, please to all of these!<br /><br />If you like the idea of a Sherlock Holmes/Agatha Christie-style murder but with a much more fantastical setting and stakes that are ultimately much higher, this is the book you're looking for. The story opens on a most unusual murder scene in which a man has been killed by what is essentially a large tree that has sprouted from his body. From here, we are introduced to the assistant of the investigator and our protagonist, Dinios Kol (also known as Din), and eventually to the main investigator, Ana Dolabra. <br /><br />Din is an extreme delight of a protagonist and being in his head was one of the best reading experiences I've had in a while. He is unfailingly professional and polite when needed, while also somehow maintaining a very distinct personality and sense of truthfulness that makes him effortlessly endearing. He is incredibly sharp, loyal, and really comes across as someone who is thoughtful about the world around him, especially as he is introduced to more of the different types of power that exist in this world and how that affects the entire societal setup around him. <br /><br />I also really loved watching the relationship between Din and Ana grow throughout the story (to clarify: <i>professional</i> relationship), as I think through their interactions we really got to know more about both Din and Ana. Ana is one fo those characters you can't help but be riveted by every time she's in a scene because you absolutely never know what's going to come out of her mouth or what she's going to do, but you know it's going to be something you want to hear. She's a bit eccentric in all the best ways and is not someone I would ever want on my bad side, and her intelligence and perceptiveness is something that I can only admire. <br /><i><br /></i>The world-building in <i>The Tainted Cup</i> is incredible. This is an empire surrounded by seas that are filled with Leviathans that are so threatening and dangerous that enormous sea walls have been constructed in order to attempt to prevent them from getting in and ravaging the empire. For some reason, anything with beings on a leviathan scale is just so terrifying and captivating to me because of the sheer horror it invokes to actually imagine something on that scale as a real, tangible threat. There is also so much political intrigue that is gradually uncovered throughout this book, and the depth of conspiracies and secrets and everything in between is shown to be much more than any of us–characters and readers alike–could imagine. This world has so much to explore and uncover within it, and I feel like this first book has really only given us a taste of what's to come. </p><p>People in this world are also able to attain various types of physical and mental alterations, which is basically a magical modification that allows people to have various abilities enhanced. For instance, Din is an engraver, which means he has been altered to the point that he has a faultless memory and can remember things in perfect detail. Others have altered senses of smell or even physical abilities that make then strong enough to handle tasks related to caring for the sea wall and impending Leviathans. Most of these alterations do come with a price, however, as many with them live much shorter lives or eventually begin to have afflictions later in life related to their alterations. I was fascinated by the idea of all these alterations people can do to themselves and how they often do them for the empire itself, as it takes a level of either dedication or desperation to commit yourself in such ways. <br /><br />The pacing and writing in<i> The Tainted Cup</i> are both excellently crafted. As one might expect in an investigation-focused story, there's a lot of methodical sleuthing and questioning and the like, and absolutely none of it is a drag at any point. I was genuinely hooked at every turn and was so eager to keep reading and find out what next thing would be uncovered that would either shock me or make me feel giddy at the thought of what might happen next (not giddy in a way that I take pleasure in what might happen per se, but moreso that giddy feeling you get when you've figured something out and can't wait to see what happens–you know what I mean, right?). </p><p>Overall, I've given <i>The Tainted Cup </i>five stars. I <i>loved</i> this book and cannot wait for the next one! I'm not lying when I say this is one of the best and most captivating fantasy books I've read lately and I absolutely adored the characters to the extent that I'm genuinely eager to reunite with them in the sequel. The wait for the next book is going to feel torturous!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCatgBZ6DrMz-7SG1ndDggXDC3_tWV1oamrGBleKQk4M5RZZXJdTd81e3r3-vTqf6yQCx5lsvpPmLkPoxUzl2UpoLxkkGQ0EsRaaFXP7Rp9IcuAxqlZuCrvt5zKLtHioogig3FvoL-Gsw6UwT59NzqMgzLR6Y19gzDenXzgXpOUBIPnCJC-a_OAAy6F3Y/s3000/fivestars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="3000" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCatgBZ6DrMz-7SG1ndDggXDC3_tWV1oamrGBleKQk4M5RZZXJdTd81e3r3-vTqf6yQCx5lsvpPmLkPoxUzl2UpoLxkkGQ0EsRaaFXP7Rp9IcuAxqlZuCrvt5zKLtHioogig3FvoL-Gsw6UwT59NzqMgzLR6Y19gzDenXzgXpOUBIPnCJC-a_OAAy6F3Y/w200-h47/fivestars.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*<i>I received a copy of The Tainted Cup in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.</i>*</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Buy the book: <a href="https://amzn.to/4bqFOR0" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781984820709" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><p></p><br />Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-48268799887167896312024-02-09T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-09T02:00:00.145-08:00The Friday Face-Off: Current Read #24<p> <img alt="Friday Face Off New" height="131" src="https://booksbyproxy.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/friday-face-off-new.jpg?w=764" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <i style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome to <a href="https://booksbyproxy.wordpress.com/the-friday-face-off/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">The Friday Face-Off</a>, a weekly meme at <a href="https://booksbyproxy.wordpress.com/the-friday-face-off/">Books by Proxy</a>. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. You can find a list of upcoming topics at <a href="https://lynns-books.com/tag/friday-face-off/">Lynn's Books</a>.</span></i></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">This week's topic is:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;"><span><b>Current Read #24</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm just finishing up Robert Jackson Bennett's latest release, <i>The Tainted Cup</i>, and figured it'd be a great option to feature for this week's Friday Face-Off since it has two beautiful cover editions! I'll have a review up for this one next week (I actually meant to have it up this week, but we've recently had a storm where I live that created a bit of an interruption in my reading so I unfortunately didn't get a chance to finish/get the review up yet), but in the meantime let's take a look at the to covers that currently exist for it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1689268335i/150247395.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="212" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2024 US Hardcover</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1698573537i/200972804.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="220" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2024 UK Hardcover</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">My choice(s):</span></b></div><div>I actually really love the US edition (which is ironic since I'll have two UK editions soon... but you know, these things happen). I love the general styling of the gold details and the title/author lettering, as well as the green plants coming in off the side. That being said, the UK edition is still super neat and has a lot of great detail within the beautiful art that makes it really stand out. (It's main downfall is that it has mushrooms on the cover, and, contrary to what seems like every other person in the world, mushrooms really, really squick me out and I don't like looking at them [the gill things under a mushroom cap just make me feel horrible]–I'm sorry, I just hate them.) Overall, though, you can't go wrong with either one!</div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-33757058402805123772024-02-07T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-07T02:00:00.140-08:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Island Rule by Katie M. Flynn, Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon, and The Invisible Hotel by Yeji Y. Ham<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/s638/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/w320-h180/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <span>Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQo3BNnej7P8t_u1XQI2GHcuMCbztEiakJv-Z8b4eNCtDDqX0PQXwBOdRGhvx6wx7oGKCsExbGVTTTkC9RZb_Z0ZpWJT5S8AgK8OX-J1cMxPpIfO9soJgPZC9D99JyFiv9iORk5gOYSctMKww1O9R5fgG8mBPxJVWoFGlgl3fmTtBXTdGmvyKFT_75hVLL" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQo3BNnej7P8t_u1XQI2GHcuMCbztEiakJv-Z8b4eNCtDDqX0PQXwBOdRGhvx6wx7oGKCsExbGVTTTkC9RZb_Z0ZpWJT5S8AgK8OX-J1cMxPpIfO9soJgPZC9D99JyFiv9iORk5gOYSctMKww1O9R5fgG8mBPxJVWoFGlgl3fmTtBXTdGmvyKFT_75hVLL" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9eOH_0s3A7AvCZtLSPTCxq7YnoTBObSbCR0_nI4awDlQdx_2E6kHVnyqoy2qFwPzoXjZx-25K-3XEZLHDYERVyjmJrjd_Xw7pdIwdtu3KgQgO5kYZUZWJ99FAtfiVklT4HdQdi157ZHRErjTVpb5t38raDs7d_NTRNI2_cTKC79tQ8-N9f3EM-12-2dH5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2122" data-original-width="1399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9eOH_0s3A7AvCZtLSPTCxq7YnoTBObSbCR0_nI4awDlQdx_2E6kHVnyqoy2qFwPzoXjZx-25K-3XEZLHDYERVyjmJrjd_Xw7pdIwdtu3KgQgO5kYZUZWJ99FAtfiVklT4HdQdi157ZHRErjTVpb5t38raDs7d_NTRNI2_cTKC79tQ8-N9f3EM-12-2dH5=w211-h320" width="211" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Island Rule</i> by Katie M. Flynn</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Publication: March 5th, 2024</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Gallery/Scout Press</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 288 pages.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/49qJBfi" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781982122201" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176444102-island-rule?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jfQ3s73Mdi&rank=1" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:</span><br /><span style="color: #555555;">"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #555555;"><i>From the author of The Companions, a genre-bending collection of interconnected short stories in the tradition of Jennifer Egan and Karen Russell <br /><br />An angry mother turns into a literal monster. A company in San Francisco can scrub your entire reputation and create a new one…for a price. A failed actor on a reality show turns into an unlikely world savior. And much more. Through twelve interconnected stories, Katie Flynn masterfully blends people, places, and even realities.</i>"</span></p><span><div style="text-align: center;">In recent years, I've discovered I really enjoy a weird short story collection, and this sounds perfect. I also really like that they are all interconnected, as that always adds some neat elements. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7CFLNVD8AWOe90vby4JnBr3fNMiRHYPsSq1o-jKMQAf18bRmduFsh2FrsXSL10i7SeWfM2KWnhbyv0fKrpmJ0Dcn-XLj7sv8UPMgKla_Cl7hrabPHnpG8CPx8J7LKgH322Zr1UJLEyDCeGa4xyDL7LXXAH1H5HR_kIF8lWLIbxod5RLb3VSSNywjbmp38" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7CFLNVD8AWOe90vby4JnBr3fNMiRHYPsSq1o-jKMQAf18bRmduFsh2FrsXSL10i7SeWfM2KWnhbyv0fKrpmJ0Dcn-XLj7sv8UPMgKla_Cl7hrabPHnpG8CPx8J7LKgH322Zr1UJLEyDCeGa4xyDL7LXXAH1H5HR_kIF8lWLIbxod5RLb3VSSNywjbmp38" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX4JwuTjONbL1QACjXrUI5-f4nZRaXjlFd5jP4jN396pMM_viNOS_ZGNV7uvGl1o9Om8OxZ72nNdZ52imAth_nsGogFOHq4RPnjLoa8feNz-ZWeSKSNrxzKPkgcPKFgs8vut5bO5rqz1ciZUAUCx8UiHr2aPtO2gr1PDXgLzXwymbulxoZWvP3p6tNEocN" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX4JwuTjONbL1QACjXrUI5-f4nZRaXjlFd5jP4jN396pMM_viNOS_ZGNV7uvGl1o9Om8OxZ72nNdZ52imAth_nsGogFOHq4RPnjLoa8feNz-ZWeSKSNrxzKPkgcPKFgs8vut5bO5rqz1ciZUAUCx8UiHr2aPtO2gr1PDXgLzXwymbulxoZWvP3p6tNEocN=w200-h320" width="200" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Glorious Exploits</i> by Ferdia Lennon</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: March 26th, 2024 (US)</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Fig Tree (UK)/Henry Holt and Co. (US)</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 304 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3w8z0Hq" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781250893697" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181668267-glorious-exploits" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i><b>An utterly original celebration of that which binds humanity across battle lines and history. </b><br /><br />On the island of Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, the Syracusans have figured out what to do with the surviving Athenians who had the gall to invade their city: they’ve herded the sorry prisoners of war into a rock quarry and left them to rot. Looking for a way to pass the time, Lampo and Gelon, two unemployed potters with a soft spot for poetry and drink, head down into the quarry to feed the Athenians if, and only if, they can manage a few choice lines from their great playwright Euripides. Before long, the two mates hatch a plan to direct a full-blown production of Medea. After all, you can hate the people but love their art. But as opening night approaches, what started as a lark quickly sets in motion a series of extraordinary events, and our wayward heroes begin to realize that staging a play can be as dangerous as fighting a war, with all sorts of risks to life, limb, and friendship. <br /><br />Told in a contemporary Irish voice and as riotously funny as it is deeply moving, Glorious Exploits is an unforgettable ode to the power of art in a time of war, brotherhood in a time of enmity, and human will throughout the ages.</i>"<br /><br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I think this sounds like it'll be a bit of a riot and right up my alley with the ancient Greek setting and focus, and I'm so excited to get a chance to dig in. Also, the cover in this post is the UK one, which I've included since it's actually the copy I currently have (though mine is yellow instead of red?). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7CFLNVD8AWOe90vby4JnBr3fNMiRHYPsSq1o-jKMQAf18bRmduFsh2FrsXSL10i7SeWfM2KWnhbyv0fKrpmJ0Dcn-XLj7sv8UPMgKla_Cl7hrabPHnpG8CPx8J7LKgH322Zr1UJLEyDCeGa4xyDL7LXXAH1H5HR_kIF8lWLIbxod5RLb3VSSNywjbmp38" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7CFLNVD8AWOe90vby4JnBr3fNMiRHYPsSq1o-jKMQAf18bRmduFsh2FrsXSL10i7SeWfM2KWnhbyv0fKrpmJ0Dcn-XLj7sv8UPMgKla_Cl7hrabPHnpG8CPx8J7LKgH322Zr1UJLEyDCeGa4xyDL7LXXAH1H5HR_kIF8lWLIbxod5RLb3VSSNywjbmp38" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9k_5gZnphPzwddgcI6XSbxq7KJCiZypnmu4W6_DtAYa8hWXbBQjHLRZW-T6nAhMSJgza6bHQc2g_rIf7N7hIbEao0IwdPvV6C9iFKhRoi2lrNNJUV-Z7i6VzJTY8o0ompUvBMOm2E6NeQ9QHxuZPQaaiWo5Bm-pN8dUyr4ojIzHkdAm1GyRXNDIeFIkT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9k_5gZnphPzwddgcI6XSbxq7KJCiZypnmu4W6_DtAYa8hWXbBQjHLRZW-T6nAhMSJgza6bHQc2g_rIf7N7hIbEao0IwdPvV6C9iFKhRoi2lrNNJUV-Z7i6VzJTY8o0ompUvBMOm2E6NeQ9QHxuZPQaaiWo5Bm-pN8dUyr4ojIzHkdAm1GyRXNDIeFIkT=w211-h320" width="211" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Invisible Hotel</i> by Yeji Y. Ham</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: March 5th, 2024</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Zando</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 320 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/49qN912" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781638931379" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/192793483-the-invisible-hotel?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_19" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i>A work of literary horror in the gothic tradition, The Invisible Hotel is a startling, speculative tale of a woman adrift and a country’s shifting identity in the long afterlife of the Korean War. <br /><br />Yewon dreams of a hotel. In the hotel, there are infinite keys to infinite rooms―and a quiet terror she is desperate to escape. When Yewon wakes, she sees her a young woman, out of her job at a convenience store, trapped in the tiny South Korean village of her birth, watching her mother wash the bones of their ancestors in their decrepit bathtub. Every house has them, these rotting and fragmented bones, reminders of what they have all lost to a war that never seems to end. Yewon and her siblings were born in this bathtub―and every year women give birth to new babies in the bathtub. <br /><br />Now, Yewon’s brother is stationed near the North Korean border, her sister has just undergone a life-changing tragedy, and her mother is constantly worried, her health declining. In crisis and in stasis, Yewon’s dreams of the decrepit hotel lead her to an unsettling truth about her country’s collective heritage. <br /><br />Recalling international trailblazers like Han Kang’s The Vegetarian and Yoko Ogawa’s The Memory Police , The Invisible Hotel marks the arrival of a singular new voice with a sharp social acumen.</i>"<br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Everything about this just sounds perfect and I am ridiculously eager to have a chance to check it out!</div></span></div></div></span></div></span>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-61595508965985980502024-02-06T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-12T15:40:05.549-08:00Blog Tour: The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West + Excerpt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFbAAQx6J9DuXcpew65o7tmz2wCMWMaxNHmt4pIWsKghIb7GNZOJpkIaW3KRnp5TkQgVDlez73PrVm4os3mao0jBXFcJsdxIS0TZCHVHgvIHHgmLL3jT1dixvAmvZhBgkUtRNoQ_hsyGlY_P15l6C-y2mAmRTDRGKdiH_YEJxexNztT5C_Duojc-SuX4m/s1600/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFbAAQx6J9DuXcpew65o7tmz2wCMWMaxNHmt4pIWsKghIb7GNZOJpkIaW3KRnp5TkQgVDlez73PrVm4os3mao0jBXFcJsdxIS0TZCHVHgvIHHgmLL3jT1dixvAmvZhBgkUtRNoQ_hsyGlY_P15l6C-y2mAmRTDRGKdiH_YEJxexNztT5C_Duojc-SuX4m/w457-h114/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" width="457" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Today, I'm excited to share my stop for the HTP Books blog tour of<i> The Uncharted Flight of Olivia</i> West by Sara Ackerman! If you're someone who was always interested in Amelia Earhart or the early days of flying–especially the early days of women flying–then this is going to be a book you're going to want to be sure to check out. Of course, you'll also still probably enjoy the book if you just like well-written historical fiction with a wonderful protagonist and a compelling narrative. <br />Below you'll find some information about the book, the author, and some links where you can go pre-order the book and check out the author's website and socials, as well as an excerpt to get you hooked. :) Thanks for stopping by!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWGW5yL9-pthWzQUB6ew5wAkuW5At8svnnJX_iHCqOOJiEQUij3shWEnBZCZ5DZa8nn8lGlsDv2-lwj_IgoB93CWU2aD_Z5Yu7SJKSJllmj9Na4vUVjS0UIzXX9HIKVMRtsGpWjN3PKK9/s2048/9781488076251.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWGW5yL9-pthWzQUB6ew5wAkuW5At8svnnJX_iHCqOOJiEQUij3shWEnBZCZ5DZa8nn8lGlsDv2-lwj_IgoB93CWU2aD_Z5Yu7SJKSJllmj9Na4vUVjS0UIzXX9HIKVMRtsGpWjN3PKK9/s2048/9781488076251.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTHUkd3dO_7DMTZwjCuKuirvEPByQjWurgOcTlqxS_52Uqnc9QdUPv14M1GYmoBV5bkDPJ47Id433yR_mMlapzbdiaX6xQ6muXqWRbTKN5OlPjxOPWRRdICRyUHChGHlxJU4Umhr-8hnNC1kkBve2ekkQk0qJYJh5pfPWOfRu1qOkI_pv3S5HvL7iZOvHh" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjYbsj7YsvVHFbKoEdlooIekS-4h2xi_MW19-qOXpzIGyx3_GZVT0GfyV0VmXDdQkw3hMDKsqF5WE3EijYBdLgYwae1CcW_hyphenhyphenTkZpvJ1wuRteZ21OUO-np0_7Ff5lFqF3V9VhKqu-uKi-uWfuvgK1j6sWJsIMGfobyLJFE_rVMqtcMh0n7H7f6yZBJOzD/s3200/Uncharted%20Flight%20of%20Olivia%20West%20final%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjYbsj7YsvVHFbKoEdlooIekS-4h2xi_MW19-qOXpzIGyx3_GZVT0GfyV0VmXDdQkw3hMDKsqF5WE3EijYBdLgYwae1CcW_hyphenhyphenTkZpvJ1wuRteZ21OUO-np0_7Ff5lFqF3V9VhKqu-uKi-uWfuvgK1j6sWJsIMGfobyLJFE_rVMqtcMh0n7H7f6yZBJOzD/w266-h400/Uncharted%20Flight%20of%20Olivia%20West%20final%20cover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><b>ABOUT THE BOOK:</b><br /><b>Title: </b>THE UNCHARTED FLIGHT OF OLIVIA WEST<br /><b>Author: </b>Sara Ackerman<br /><b>Pub. Date: </b>February 6th, 2024<br /><b>Publisher:</b> MIRA<b><br />Pages: </b>384<br /><b>Find it: </b><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-uncharted-flight-of-olivia-west-original-sara-ackerman/20078544?ean=9780778369516" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=9780369747785&tag=hcg-02-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780369747785_the-uncharted-flight-of-olivia-west.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAzJOtBhALEiwAtwj8tpx8faaOKjw3dxaKQCfswk5u5hLLkBQok1BKsoiRvcjfBObVPna_ChoCsvAQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Harlequin</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-uncharted-flight-of-olivia-west-sara-ackerman/1143431506;jsessionid=E32CA6D38DACF66F0A48786E75CEAC63.prodny_store01-atgap05?ean=9780369747785&st=AFF&2sid=HarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC_7651142_NA&sourceId=AFFHarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Uncharted-Flight-Olivia-West/Sara-Ackerman/9780778369516?id=9049069213037" target="_blank">Books-A-Million</a><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="background-color: #d2d4d8; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div><b>SYNOPSIS:</b></div><span style="background-color: transparent;"><div><i style="font-style: italic;">"</i><i><b>This extraordinary novel, inspired by real events, tells the story of a female aviator who defies the odds to embark on a daring air race across the Pacific. </b><br /><br /><b>1927</b>. Olivia "Livy" West is a fearless young pilot with a love of adventure. She yearns to cross oceans and travel the skies. When she learns of the Dole Air Race—a high-stakes contest to be the first to make the 2,400 mile Pacific crossing from the West Coast to Hawai'i—she sets her sights on qualifying. But it soon becomes clear that only men will make the cut. In a last-ditch effort to take part, Livy manages to be picked as a navigator for one of the pilots, before setting out on a harrowing journey that some will not survive. <br /><br /><b>1987</b>. Wren Summers is down to her last dime when she learns she has inherited a remote piece of land on the Big Island with nothing on it but a dilapidated barn and an overgrown mac nut grove. She plans on selling it and using the money to live on, but she is drawn in by the mysterious objects kept in the barn by her late great-uncle—clues to a tragic piece of aviation history lost to time. Determined to find out what really happened all those years ago, Wren enlists the help of residents at a nearby retirement home to uncover Olivia’s story piece by piece. What she discovers is more earth-shattering, and closer to home, than she could have ever imagined."</i></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyasLUrJVbPDgIFQlv0jF_ga2rr98SzYfn6tHMUI9Gxo6KkC8osbht3j70ER5bSlJBkZbFOZdKwPsSV9ck6rzGZFZNaS6U54AqJaU-nO7Mym7T3ilMkcc4WtYQ01CcWSVXCuDY4rmc9-3/s1600/brdr2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="30" data-original-width="400" height="30" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyasLUrJVbPDgIFQlv0jF_ga2rr98SzYfn6tHMUI9Gxo6KkC8osbht3j70ER5bSlJBkZbFOZdKwPsSV9ck6rzGZFZNaS6U54AqJaU-nO7Mym7T3ilMkcc4WtYQ01CcWSVXCuDY4rmc9-3/s400/brdr2.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Excerpt:</span></b><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Olivia <br />San Diego, 1920 </i><br /><br /> Livy had been coming to the airfield for months now but still had yet to go up in an airplane. On weekends, when Pa was out fishing, she would offer to wash the planes or do whatever odd jobs she could for a penny, while watching planes go up. Always hoping to get a ride, but so far out of luck. Though not for a lack of trying. She had been pestering Mr. Ryan for months now. “Paying customers only,” was his standard response. “Or students.” But so far, all students were men. A sixteen-year-old girl had no business in a cockpit.<br /> Ryan Flying Company and School of Aviation was on the edge of the Dutch Flats alongside the San Diego Bay and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, a long Spanish-style building with a tall bell tower in the middle. Palm trees neatly lined up in front like green soldiers at attention. When the tide pulled out, you could smell salty brine and decaying sea life. The hangar was modern and clean, but it was plopped on a brown expanse of hard-packed mud that kicked up dust when dry. Of late, the place had become a magnet for all things aviation.<br /> Mr. Ryan had begun letting other people park their planes here free of charge, and customers flocked for the sightseeing tours. <br /> On a warm Sunday in March, after surviving a long sermon at church with her mother, Livy beelined it to the airfield. A new pilot had been hired for the tours and she was hoping he might be a softy, and maybe, just maybe, she could persuade him to take her up. Such a gloomy and gusty day, with dark clouds threatening rain, meant less people taking a tour. It also happened that Mr. Ryan was in Los Angeles for the week, and what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. <br /> Livy was hunched over, wiping down the wheels of Mr. Hall’s biplane, when she heard the incoming engine. She stood up to watch the wobbly machine approach. A storm was brewing to the south, you could taste it in the air, and that always made the pilots nervous. She watched the plane make a precarious drop before leveling off, and then come in for a hard landing. As soon as he came to a stop, the new pilot hopped out of the plane, waiting for his customer and holding a hand out when she finally disembarked. A red-haired woman in heels, face white as chalk. <br /> Livy walked over, wiping her hands on her overalls. “How was it up there today?” <br /> The woman staggered past Livy without even a glance. “Never again.” <br /> The pilot trailed behind his passenger and shrugged. “What can I say? Usually, they’re begging for more.”<br /> Once the woman left, zooming off in a shiny Model T, Livy moseyed over to the hangar and stood in the doorway. The pilot was at the counter drinking a Coke and studying a clipboard. With his goggles pulled up on his head, his thick blond hair stood out in all directions, as though he’d stuck his hand in an electric socket. <br /> Livy cleared her throat. <br /> He looked up. “Can I help you?” he asked. <br /> “I’m Olivia West. I work here.” <br /> More like volunteer and hope that people would pay her, but she could dream. <br /> “Oh, right. Mr. Ryan said you might be here. I’m Heath Hazeltine, new pilot.” He was staring oddly at her, and for a second she wondered if she might have grease on her face, like she often did while working here, but then he said with a shake of his head, “I was expecting something different.” <br /> “I come in on the weekends, wipe down planes and other odd jobs,” she said, for some reason feeling like she had to explain, then added, “I’m learning to fly.” <br /> That was a stretch, too, but she did always listen to the pilots talk, watch how they got the propellers spinning and closely observe the takeoffs and landings. She knew which part of the runway was more rutted with potholes, and which angle was best for approach. <br /> He cocked his head slightly. “That so?” <br /> “It is.” <br /> One side of his mouth turned up, just a hint. “I didn’t know women could fly airplanes, let alone teenage girls.” <br /> Livy felt her whole face go red. “I’ll be seventeen in four months. And I’ll bet I know more about airplanes and weather than you do, especially down here in San Diego.” <br /> All she really knew about him was that he’d come from Los Angeles and had flown in Hollywood some, doing stunts. No one had mentioned anything about him being so young. She had been picturing some old guy with a sun-beaten face and graying hair. <br /> “Feisty. I like it,” he said. <br /> She stood on her tippy toes and straightened up, all five feet three inches. Though her thick curls tucked under the hat added some extra height. “Take me up, and I’ll teach you a thing or two.” <br /> He laughed. “What can you teach me?” <br /> When he smiled, his whole face changed, making him seem even younger and a little less arrogant—and painfully handsome. Livy felt a swoosh in her stomach and her cheeks tingled. He couldn’t have been much older than twenty, and yet there was a certain worldliness about him. She found herself wanting to impress him. <br /> “Like I said, I know everything there is to know about this area. What have you got to lose?” she said. <br /> He looked at his watch. “My new job, for one. And I have another tour in twenty minutes, so even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. Want to help me patch that big pothole in the runway?” <br /> None of the other pilots ever offered to fill the potholes, they always figured someone else would do it. The mud stuck to everything and gave off a rank odor, and a lot of them saw it as beneath them. <br /> “How about I go fill those holes for you, and you take me up after your tour,” she said. She thought he was going to refuse her, like Mr. Ryan always did, but instead he nodded and said, “You’re on.” <br /> Disbelief flooded through her. “Really?” <br /> “Really. Now get out there before my next customer arrives.” <br /> But the passengers never showed up, most likely on account of the weather, and the books were empty after that. Heath helped Livy up onto the wing with a big, rough hand and a rock-solid arm. He moved like a man who was extremely comfortable in his own skin, as though the world rotated on his time. Livy decided that he was the perfect man for the job. You wanted your first time up to be memorable, but also to be survivable. Confidence was an asset. <br /> “Sure you want to do this? Those clouds look formidable,” he said. <br />Livy had noticed the band of charcoal clouds at sea, heralding the foul weather moving up from Mexico. A sudden chill came over her, and she tried to blot out the memory that always accompanied storms blowing in. The dark thing that would always be with her, always haunt the recesses of her mind. Blinding salt spray, cold waves smashing over the bow and washing everything from the deck, the sound of her name being stolen by the whipping wind. Olivia! The last moments of his chafed hand holding on to hers. Her heart began to squeeze in on itself, but she willed the thoughts away. <br /> This storm was likely to be a bad one, but hell if she was going to blow her only chance to fly. Timed right, they’d be able to outrun it. <br /> “Positive. From the looks of it, we have about thirty-seven minutes before that front hits here. Just head north along the coast and we should be back in time.” <br /> She climbed into her seat, and he leaned in and tightened the belt on her waist. <br /> “Thirty-seven, huh? Not thirty-six?” he said, close enough that she caught a whiff of mint and salt water. <br /> When he pulled away, their eyes met. Chocolate brown with flecks of fire. Her first instinct was to look away, but instead, she held his gaze. <br /> "Nope, thirty-seven. Let’s go, we’re wasting time,” she said. “Oh, and you’ll probably want to come in from the east on your approach. The wind will swing around coming in off the ocean when it moves in.” <br /> When he stepped back, he almost fell off the wing, catching himself on the wire. They both laughed, breaking whatever strange thing it was that had just passed between them. Without another word, he hopped in and started up the engine. After a few sputters, it chugged to life. Livy slid her goggles on, and made sure her cap was strapped tight. The whole plane buzzed, sending vibrations from the tips of her toes to the crown of her head. As they bounced down the runway, gathering speed, she could hardly believe her luck. <i>One, two, three. Liftoff</i>. <br /> The shift from clunky and earthbound to weightlessness was unmistakable. Everything went light and buoyant and yet Livy was pinned to her seat as the plane went up. It was a steep climb and all she could see was sky in front of her. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes, imagining herself as an albatross soaring. The hum from the wires that held the wings together grew louder the faster they went. Heath let out a holler and Livy found herself half laughing, half crying. It was even more wonderful than she’d imagined. <br /> When they banked to the right and leveled out some, she saw that she had a bird’s eye view of San Diego Bay, Coronado Island and the city itself—white buildings, red roofs and palm trees. The wind from earlier had died down, leaving an eerie stillness in its wake. They flew toward the cliffs of Point Loma and beyond that, the blue Pacific. There were none of the usual bumps and drops that everyone talked about. It was smooth sailing and she was in awe. <br /> About six minutes out, the nose of the plane suddenly pointed skyward and they began climbing sharply. Pretty soon, they were nearly vertical. Livy knew all her specs of the Curtiss JN 4 “Jenny”—top speed was about eighty miles an hour, she dove well, but when climbing fast, she had a tendency to stall. So, what the heck was Heath doing? <br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Excerpted from The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman. Copyright © 2024 by Sara Ackerman. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A., a division of HarperCollins</span></i></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyasLUrJVbPDgIFQlv0jF_ga2rr98SzYfn6tHMUI9Gxo6KkC8osbht3j70ER5bSlJBkZbFOZdKwPsSV9ck6rzGZFZNaS6U54AqJaU-nO7Mym7T3ilMkcc4WtYQ01CcWSVXCuDY4rmc9-3/s1600/brdr2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="30" data-original-width="400" height="30" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyasLUrJVbPDgIFQlv0jF_ga2rr98SzYfn6tHMUI9Gxo6KkC8osbht3j70ER5bSlJBkZbFOZdKwPsSV9ck6rzGZFZNaS6U54AqJaU-nO7Mym7T3ilMkcc4WtYQ01CcWSVXCuDY4rmc9-3/s400/brdr2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><br /><b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUEa2YLpBBcHvMe6ujsyyKUHCN1KzT1W78CqcVcvZerZMzr-XPqym6QxNguOH0rjcFdNEj1CeXIAY0zfAVUQMg2u_-5zF6mXXGIKoc9GlFwDBaK4TCyjxdD2q307IsTLz3lu81p5u24wGuiIuycnrQxXA7Z6obhioN4GIFySK1QWEwI9W2ASLy5Y_E11K/s3150/Sara%20Ackerman_Credit%20Tracy%20Wright-Corvo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="3150" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUEa2YLpBBcHvMe6ujsyyKUHCN1KzT1W78CqcVcvZerZMzr-XPqym6QxNguOH0rjcFdNEj1CeXIAY0zfAVUQMg2u_-5zF6mXXGIKoc9GlFwDBaK4TCyjxdD2q307IsTLz3lu81p5u24wGuiIuycnrQxXA7Z6obhioN4GIFySK1QWEwI9W2ASLy5Y_E11K/w240-h166/Sara%20Ackerman_Credit%20Tracy%20Wright-Corvo.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>Sara Ackerman</b> is the Hawai'i born, bestselling author of The Codebreaker's Secret, Radar Girls, Red Sky Over Hawaii, The Lieutenant’s Nurse, and Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers. Sara's books have been labeled “unforgettable” by Apple Books, “empowering & deliciously visceral” by Book Riot, and New York Times bestselling authors Kate Quinn and Madeline Martin have praised Sara’s novels as “fresh and delightful” and “brilliantly written.” Amazon chose Radar Girls as a best book of the month, and ALA Booklist gave The Codebreaker’s Secret a starred review. Find out more about Sara and her books at www.ackermanbooks.com and follow her on Instagram @saraackermanbooks and on FB @ackermanbooks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Author photo by Tracy Wright-Corvo.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ackermanbooks.com/" target="_blank">Author Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ackermanbooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/saraackermanbooks/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16914230.Sara_Ackerman?from_search=true&from_srp=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-53781658013053288032024-02-05T11:02:00.000-08:002024-02-05T11:02:59.345-08:00Month in Review: January 2024<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVR1cpeaimCBHY5Ejl7xYRED0ysphNsGwUD20A9qaqw_pWXpEPqIqSv2AnDJtgowLhbb_zfwbs5NhddNC5wZn0zeLSsXXIZF1pE8aSMGtYu0I7Ois4iWoVV1W02zFQA9hGW_SQhpScmQhZ-mHul_3OMJ_BCvEbbOLOMRbkTxE_Rr7DiCVI6uhtzrB4km6/s388/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-05%20at%2011.01.50%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="388" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVR1cpeaimCBHY5Ejl7xYRED0ysphNsGwUD20A9qaqw_pWXpEPqIqSv2AnDJtgowLhbb_zfwbs5NhddNC5wZn0zeLSsXXIZF1pE8aSMGtYu0I7Ois4iWoVV1W02zFQA9hGW_SQhpScmQhZ-mHul_3OMJ_BCvEbbOLOMRbkTxE_Rr7DiCVI6uhtzrB4km6/w377-h229/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-05%20at%2011.01.50%20AM.png" width="377" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">We've officially made it through the first month of 2024! It's been a pretty busy month for me, but I'm feeling good so far about my productivity and the progress I've been making on work/hobbies/various tasks. I've always been a bit anxious about new years and whatnot, but I think I'm doing much better this year than I used to, even though there's actually a lot my husband and I are planning on tackling in 2024. But all that aside, let's talk about books!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">One thing I wanted to try to work on this month was to improve my focus while reading, and I think I've been doing pretty well with that since I somehow ended up reading 14 books! It was a solid month for books, as I liked most of these and even loved a couple. Some of my favorites from the month were <i>Sparrow, The Butcher of the Forest, Alone on the Ice, </i>and <i>The Book of Sand. </i>Let's cross our fingers I can keep this momentum up for the rest of the year (or at least one more month, haha)!</p><p style="text-align: center;">How was your January? Were you ready for the year to end?? Let me know how your month was below and what you've been reading!</p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=foreverlostin-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B07D3NPMT6" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=foreverlostin-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B076BHHMCG" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=foreverlostin-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B075TTN2FN" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNJfGZUbacDwtFrnBI5U22qgRmRVOl0jrnRKREARJRuMu3j3Xhs1-eiQOCxJxCUsvzh0qHmTVmp1_aG0NshbjydX1unEvgiRSD0vpV_Vd1mOktcTBzjk5FSYpwC4G02SMIWbDC6NrJKJ6/s1600/booksread.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="28" data-original-width="364" height="26" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNJfGZUbacDwtFrnBI5U22qgRmRVOl0jrnRKREARJRuMu3j3Xhs1-eiQOCxJxCUsvzh0qHmTVmp1_aG0NshbjydX1unEvgiRSD0vpV_Vd1mOktcTBzjk5FSYpwC4G02SMIWbDC6NrJKJ6/s400/booksread.png" width="400" /></a><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"># books read: 14</span></b></div><div><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1687615391i/98654347.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="133" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1685624911i/127281143.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="125" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387148119i/17986419.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="134" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1679418290i/123295535.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="128" /><br /><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span><b><i>Sparrow</i> by James Hynes </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Giveaway | Format: Hardcover</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I had a feeling I'd like this historical fiction, and I did! This was a really heartbreaking story that I really loved, despite the fact that it's honestly a pretty tough read most of the time. Highly recommended for fans of <i>The Wolf Den</i>!<br /><div style="color: black;"><br /></div></span></span></div></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><div><span><b><i>The Butcher of the Forest</i> by Premee Mohamed </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I adored this dark fantasy novella immensely and I'll have a review up for it closer to its publication later in February!<br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration</i> by David Roberts </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Owned | Format: Paperback</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I finally got to this survival story about Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition and the title isn't wrong, it really was an incredible survival story.<br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>Winter in the Blood</i> by James Welch<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Owned | Format: Paperback</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I read James Welch's Fools Crow a couple years back and had been meaning to get to Winter in the Blood, so I'm glad I finally did. <br /><br /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639633133i/57823390.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="129" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1683042962i/146814600.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="130" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1686501452i/176443548.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="132" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1665647082i/60165379.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="132" /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>The Book of Sand</i> by Theo Clare </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I belive the author of this one passed shortly before the book was released. <br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>The Tusks of Extinction</i> by Ray Nayler </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: This didn't end up grabbing me quite as much as I'd expected it to, but it was still a really fascinating premise and is a novella that I would absolutely recommend. <br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>Here in Avalon</i> by Tara Isabella Burton </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: This was really beautiful and more emotional than I expected! It actually was quite different from what I expected in general, but I still really enjoyed it. <br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>The Great Air Race: Glory, Tragedy, and the Dawn of American Aviation</i> by John Lancaster </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Library | Format: Audiobook</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I ended up reading this on a bit of a whim and I had a really fun time with it! I only know some basics about America's aviation history, so this was a really informative story that capture some important events, figures, and even shared a bit about aviation progress outside of America. Highly recommended for both how entertaining and informative it was.<br /><br /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574943819i/43890641.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="130" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608557750i/45300567.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="132" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1692130506i/127823210.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="135" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1635774115i/58724599.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="130" /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>Hamnet</i> by Maggie O'Farrell </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Library | Format: Audiobook</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I finally got around to reading this one and it was good, but not quite as impactful as I expected it to be. I did really like the ending and of course it's still beautifully written.<br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>River East, River West</i> by Rey Aube Lescure </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: This was a small but powerful novel split between two timelines set in past and present Shanghai and it felt like a really important read. I liked diving into life in Shanghai for different time periods and experiencing what it's like for people to struggle with identities. <br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>The Maidens</i> by Alex Michaelides </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Library | Format: Audiobook</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: To be completely honest, this was a huge disappointment. I was excited to check this one, but held my expectations in check because these can be hit or miss, and it was a miss. This just felt scattered and didn't work for me. <br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>A Taste of Gold and Iron</i> by Alexandra Rowland </b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b>★</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: This was somehow almost exactly what I expected it to be, and I had a good time with it! Reminded me a lot of Foz Meadows' <i>A Strange and Stubborn Endurance</i> (or the other way around, I don't recall which came out first), so if you like one I really think you'll like the other. <div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1644230879i/58536005.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="132" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646370979i/60546007.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: start;" width="133" /><br /><div style="color: black;"><span><b><i>The Club</i> by Ellery Lloyd </b><b>★</b><b>★.5</b><b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></b>Source: Library | Format: Audiobook</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: This was fun and had a pretty good start, but fizzled out a bit and got a little complicated by the end. Still, a fun thriller overall. </span></span><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><i>Sidetracked</i> by S.T. Abby </b></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span>Source: Library | Format: Audiobook</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #660000;">Thoughts: I initially had no plans to continue this series, but Libby recommended it to me and it was only three hours so I did, and now I'm actually mildly more interested to see where it goes, so maybe I'll continue, we'll see.</span></span></div><div><br /></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DNF/To-Be-Finished:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">From what I can recall, I don't think I DNF'd anything this month.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b> </b></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibB6HHKGPKXLvWCcTA2Is3ZGZaMZi2WhT5Fwkh1CvXdzAufD_iq7I7GhyH3G_x0-B7UBXT8_b3cU4gGOPVxtG1sy6qxVKvkn5SF9u8TxeoqdR5eOPoyQ2MfiyO8dyYTOTGBc4nQsDBzmH6/s1600/booksreviewed.png"><span style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="31" data-original-width="428" height="43" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibB6HHKGPKXLvWCcTA2Is3ZGZaMZi2WhT5Fwkh1CvXdzAufD_iq7I7GhyH3G_x0-B7UBXT8_b3cU4gGOPVxtG1sy6qxVKvkn5SF9u8TxeoqdR5eOPoyQ2MfiyO8dyYTOTGBc4nQsDBzmH6/s640/booksreviewed.png" width="640" /></span></a><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2023/02/review-magicians-daughter-by-hg-parry.html" target="_blank"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684452206i/134117196.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="133" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684202106i/126918070.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="132" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1683042962i/146814600.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="130" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1686838393i/145624782.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="131" /><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1686501452i/176443548.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="132" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/review-emily-wildes-map-of-otherlands.html" target="_blank"><i>Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands</i> (Emily Wilde #2) by Heather Fawcett</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/review-longest-autumn-by-amy-avery.html" target="_blank"><i>The Longest Autumn</i> by Amy Avery</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/review-tusks-of-extinction-by-ray-nayler.html" target="_blank"><i>The Tusks of Extinction </i>by Ray Nayler</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/review-city-of-stardust-by-georgia.html" target="_blank"><i>The City of Stardust</i> by Georgia Summers</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/mini-review-here-in-avalon-by-tara.html" target="_blank"><i>Here in Avalon</i> by Tara Isabella Burton</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/anticipated-january-2024-releases.html" target="_blank">Anticipated January 2024 Releases</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/month-in-review-december-2023.html" target="_blank">Month in Review: December 2023</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/most-disappointing-books-of-2023.html" target="_blank">Most Disappointing Books of 2023</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/best-books-of-2023-pt-i-backlist.html" target="_blank">Best Books of 2023, Pt. I: Backlist & Honorable Mentions</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/best-books-of-2023-pt-ii-2023-releases.html" target="_blank">Best Books of 2023, Pt. II: 2023 Releases</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/2023-reading-stats.html" target="_blank">2023 Reading Stats!</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Blog Memes:</b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Can't-Wait Wednesday:</span></b><br /><b>1/3:<i> </i></b><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/cant-wait-wednesday-tainted-cup-by.html" target="_blank"><i>The Tainted Cup</i> by Robert Jackson Bennett & <i>The Butcher of the Forest </i>by Premee Mohamed</a><br /><b>1/10:</b><i> </i><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/cant-wait-wednesday-what-feasts-at.html" target="_blank"><i>What Feasts at Night</i> (Sworn Soldier #2) by T. Kingfisher &<i> The Bad Ones</i> by Melissa Albert</a><br /><b>1/17:</b> <a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/cant-wait-wednesday-book-of-doors-by.html" target="_blank">The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown & <i>The Fox Wife </i>by Yangsze Choo</a><br /><b>1/24:</b> <a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/cant-wait-wednesday-medea-by-eilish.html" target="_blank"><i>Medea</i> by EIlish Quin & Snowglobe by Soyoung Park</a><br /><b>1/31:</b> <a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/cant-wait-wednesday-fathomfolk-by-eliza.html" target="_blank"><i>Fathomfolk</i> by Eliza Chan & <i>Neferura</i> by Malayna Evans</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Friday Face-Off:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/the-friday-face-off-current-read-22.html" target="_blank">Current Read #22: <i>Sparrow</i> by James Hynes</a><br /><a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/2024/01/the-friday-face-off-current-read-23.html" target="_blank">Current Read #23: <i>Alone on the Ice</i> by David Roberts</a></div></div></div></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-75794436569741655312024-01-31T02:00:00.000-08:002024-01-31T02:00:00.131-08:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan & Neferura by Malayna Evans<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/s638/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/w320-h180/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This week's upcoming book spotlights are:</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjs8ysdFW9Uy7b7JCGRBrS4m3mau6xhxtK-AZpbfCOlwT1l64Y1bR5U_ysMisPlvy69SpdJTABZGlQUemr5tvFKwti7Od8NU-DWDKsTfAy15fqd492Up2xDgUiGHFbptIXOZ0B6QcSpelK_bv-GlKJ3qqqdcwEOqwUqB-fGvELLv4oyFji-xBIMzX9en_5U" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="498" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjs8ysdFW9Uy7b7JCGRBrS4m3mau6xhxtK-AZpbfCOlwT1l64Y1bR5U_ysMisPlvy69SpdJTABZGlQUemr5tvFKwti7Od8NU-DWDKsTfAy15fqd492Up2xDgUiGHFbptIXOZ0B6QcSpelK_bv-GlKJ3qqqdcwEOqwUqB-fGvELLv4oyFji-xBIMzX9en_5U=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Fathomfolk</i> by Eliza Chan</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Publication: February 27th, 2024</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Orbit</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Paperback. 448 pages.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/47vk2Ih" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780316564922" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/173404001" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:</span><br /><span style="color: #555555;">"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #555555;"><i>Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears. <br /><br />But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk — sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below. <br /><br />For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn't hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when a water dragon is exiled to the city. <br /><br />New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything. Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira's softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist group, leaving Mira to find the headstrong youth before she makes everything worse. <br /><br />And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for. <br /><br />When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem. Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.</i>"</span></p><span><div style="text-align: center;">What an interesting premise! I think this sounds so fantastical and I can't wait to get a chance to read it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyCL-mylyDzfL9zHg3u5Th81W8quEf9SNVrPQs22Kzh85oCdXzP_sKpPJNePGJaiCaeqTgXh-8Ab2UtrE7JsmhJRkg1mith7KCALiUdY5syGikNoTzqDr7LguzVqcnpvzkhdpv81sjILa6hELV7JCE5Z4-arZHJmd4pxNr8o2A7psFkps7U12ayT2EaddQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyCL-mylyDzfL9zHg3u5Th81W8quEf9SNVrPQs22Kzh85oCdXzP_sKpPJNePGJaiCaeqTgXh-8Ab2UtrE7JsmhJRkg1mith7KCALiUdY5syGikNoTzqDr7LguzVqcnpvzkhdpv81sjILa6hELV7JCE5Z4-arZHJmd4pxNr8o2A7psFkps7U12ayT2EaddQ=w213-h320" width="213" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Neferura</i> by Malayna Evans</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: February 13th, 2024</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Sourcebooks Landmark</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Paperback. 368 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3vnnV4S" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781728278728" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136276903-neferura" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i>For readers of The Wolf Den and Kaikeyi comes the thrilling tale of the forgotten daughter of a legendary Egyptian pharaoh and the path she must take to escape her own dangerous fate. <br /><br />There are many paths to power. <br />They all come with a price. <br /><br />Neferura, princess and high priestess of Kemet, knows her duty is to her people. When your mother is the great Pharaoh, it is hard to forget. <br /><br />But Neferura's unique position at court comes with high stakes for her country, especially when she's forced to serve her vile half-brother, a man determined to stop Neferura's potential rise. Peace, it seems, never lasts for women who wield power in the open. <br /><br />Especially when they cross a vengeful man. When Neferura overhears Thutmose's plot to end her mother's rule, she knows he must be stopped, no matter the cost. The discovery of a mysterious tattooed wisewoman and her shadowy network of spies offers an uneasy alliance. But the wisewoman wields more power than Neferura knew possible -- power with the potential to rival her own. Neferura must decide where her loyalties lie and how much she's willing to sacrifice to protect the people she loves before everything crumbles at the hands of a tyrant.</i>"</span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I love that this is focusing on Neferura and am so curious to see what the author does with this one. I love these types fo stories, so I'm really looking forward to it.</div></span></div></span>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-16368344023006173542024-01-30T02:00:00.000-08:002024-02-02T15:19:56.165-08:00Mini-Review: Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton<p> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9TJNXNSkpQCds8gdBbeiTkhnVEFRey7D-XtjitW98Z7XzPzusY0DAyVVdYeshlDW6WQjjVHY4Oo1KFOSxLna4YY6YB5LS1O62AbRt01Y72Avt2BeCdi7w9xYEJ6n9dSg1DJbNyNIH9dGD_0sOexp_Il0kXTeXUpTk9j6qINFxyFID27S8JaFuML5BXyJ2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghdBRh3geya-L7eg-2DWA7efha5hr2rdgToEyCBglJelqQwTvwFkUV3Fk1V_UQ_5uBrBPrgi56EcGKLnbXbWg7qEwYzqdBdNhLrSq2YusFXc-Qp3qCFDz4hNO4mDyywzzbf3tuW93WT3vvuxZcg19UZxqvYzg8rtPuav8qXqagP0fJZyVXsqn2R6BNqTNI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpq5f5x6y9jN-KwUkCdiL5FduyNEBhuxFPUMv2RCqFwJWPuObFgT5JVIi-DlAxLyN1gPz8rndGhH7HjzaBqsFN-ayzQ6F9RAjJajLhPV2TcHtSJ4knXmtC354E6tbMYmaehpgIaKB59c2eN9IJxt7BUFt9eIEszrh2ty55eG5J4DwBhbAgpKf11DGdxWXQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2114" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpq5f5x6y9jN-KwUkCdiL5FduyNEBhuxFPUMv2RCqFwJWPuObFgT5JVIi-DlAxLyN1gPz8rndGhH7HjzaBqsFN-ayzQ6F9RAjJajLhPV2TcHtSJ4knXmtC354E6tbMYmaehpgIaKB59c2eN9IJxt7BUFt9eIEszrh2ty55eG5J4DwBhbAgpKf11DGdxWXQ=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Here in Avalon</i> by Tara Isabella Burton</b></div></span><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Simon & Schuster</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Publication Date: January 2nd, 2024</span></b></div></b><b style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Hardcover. 320 pages.</span></b></div></b><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p></p><p></p><div style="background-color: #d9d9d9; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 8px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>About <i>Here in Avalon:</i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"</i><i>Rose has come a long way. Raised—and often neglected—by a wayward mother in New York City’s chaotic bohemia, Rose has finally built the life she’s always a good job at a self-help startup, a clean apartment, an engagement to a stable if self-satisfied tech CEO who shares her faith in human potential, hard work, and the sacrifice of childish dreams. <br /><br />Rose’s sister Cecilia, on the other hand, never grew up. Irresponsible and impetuous, prone to jetting off to a European monastery one month and a falcon rescue the next, Cecilia has spent her life in pursuit of fairy-tale narratives of transcendence and true love—grand ideas Rose knows never work out in the real world. When Cecilia declares she’s come home to New York for good, following the ending of a whirlwind marriage, Rose hopes Cecilia might finally be ready to face compromises and all. <br /><br />But then Cecilia gets involved with the a cultish-sounding cabaret troupe—one that appears only at night, on a mysterious red boat that travels New York’s waterways—and soon one of a growing number of suspicious disappearances among the city’s lost and loneliest souls. The only way Rose can find Cecilia is by tracking down the Avalon herself. <br /><br />But as Rose gets closer to solving the mystery of what happened to her sister, the Avalon works its magic on her, too. And the deeper she goes into the Avalon’s underworld, she more she begins to question everything she knows about her own life, and whether she’s willing to leave the real world behind."</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><i>Here in Avalon </i>was not at all what I expected, but it's still a beautiful story that I found myself strangely captivated by. I thought this was going to have a lot of magical realism elements and that there was going to be some underground magical world in New York City that we would uncover à la <i>Neverwhere</i> or something and that is very much not the case, but there is still a lot of different forms of magic in this book. <br /><br /><b>What I liked:</b> I really enjoyed this book and everything it tried to do. I loved this idea of a group of people that want so badly for people to be able to experience something magical and unique and once in a lifetime (well, for most, at least) that they go to immense lengths to create something almost otherworldly and ethereal and magical just for them and those that are struggling. I love the mystique surrounding this red boat and cabaret and how we slowly learn more about it with Rose. Rose and Cecilia also acted as such great foils to one another and I liked getting to know both of them throughout the story. It was fascinating to watch both of them react to different aspects of life in such different ways, as well as how the author kept us on a very specific journey with Rose that slowly and occasionally intersected with Cecilia's in some really interesting ways. Tara Isabella Burton also has really lovely prose and does a great job of explaining certain emotions and experiences in very relatable ways.<br /><br /><b>What I didn't like:</b> This definitely dragged a bit in the last third of the book. I think a lot of the slow character development and passage of time was critical in some areas, but at other times I felt the story dragged on just a bit too long without. much really happening or progressing. While I think it reflected the tone fo the story effectively, it slowed down the reading experience a bit too much and probably could have been pared down a little bit. I also have a few frustrations with some of the cabaret members and things that occurred, but I don't want to spoil too much relating to that part of the story, so I'll just say that a little bit of the magic was taken away for me in ways that took me out of the story a bit. </p><p>Overall, I've given <i>Here in Avalon</i> four stars.<br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;">*I received a copy of Here in Avalon in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Buy the book: <a href="https://amzn.to/48XfY4G" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781982170097" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-74551723659904463412024-01-26T02:00:00.000-08:002024-01-26T02:00:00.131-08:00The Friday Face-Off: Current Read #23<p> <img alt="Friday Face Off New" height="131" src="https://booksbyproxy.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/friday-face-off-new.jpg?w=764" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <i style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome to <a href="https://booksbyproxy.wordpress.com/the-friday-face-off/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">The Friday Face-Off</a>, a weekly meme at <a href="https://booksbyproxy.wordpress.com/the-friday-face-off/">Books by Proxy</a>. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. You can find a list of upcoming topics at <a href="https://lynns-books.com/tag/friday-face-off/">Lynn's Books</a>.</span></i></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">This week's topic is:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;"><span><b>Current Read #23</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Of the four books I'm currently reading, only one had more than two editions, so I decided to share the one with three: <b><i>Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration</i> by David Roberts</b>. I have to say, it seems like every survival story I've ever read claims to be "the greatest," so that seems like quite a claim for the title, haha–but I've only just started it so who knows, maybe I'll end up agreeing! This is a nonfiction account of Australian Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition, and I've been eager to read it for a while. Let's go ahead and have a look at some covers for it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387148119i/17986419.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="214" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2014 US Paperback</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1358748952i/17119452.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="210" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2013 US Hardcover</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" loading="eager" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663242685i/62597247.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="216" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2013 Hungarian</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">My choice(s):</span></b></div><div>None of these stand out to me overmuch, but I do still think they are quite striking in their own right. I'm currently reading the US paperback and I like the bright color, but it doesn't really grab me with its design. The original Hardcover definitely reflects more of the terrain and struggles that the explorers deal with. I'm not very taken by the Hungarian cover, but it does seem to evoke a certain sense of melancholy or something like that. Which cover(s) do you like best?</div></div>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2178061027984498724.post-66061938918214127762024-01-24T02:00:00.000-08:002024-01-24T02:00:00.138-08:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Medea by EIlish Quin & Snowglobe by Soyoung Park<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/s638/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jMjY8gNWLNsi3Ln3m6cPFBLPjjJT_6GYbIdRkJfXukuhiW9z0jRcmG9fo3WqpNJiZbAG8croIgBlr9DTOkp1Be5zgvRcPLq_BFugYYXu5G4c0_B--Qp5F4fR94csqS1k4G9y6_gPi3uKOKMLaFOVEAQo0RVXrD_OEJhO8g33ccXC63-YYeuRhmZJOw/w320-h180/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-06%20at%203.25.59%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This week's upcoming book spotlights are:</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiapb4AcCkqyxpA8hZRiyoJDloK7n52-c48pXgcIEweSf4NoH4dg1Kt8qXY8QK3MTlnXmZSQ1MMA0ylIz2-0gh86t-DeDJXLPmFR4jNSHmQ3vwBQ1r2kEZm8VQR03vyKiDkbW0P_T1ymJ2VSIyCuV3NgKV_1x0OTS7oDZQI6Hl51IOZl1sV2UYlkOx0_E2O" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYvv2p-mBqcbRbpPzvI0BTUiwxmCYzaxKlEzAO2ymplN1TaanGHceJzr90a3aHbefBeqa6A77rfdNZGl1D91eqO_up2ko3GxanTmhucgT1tsSGLgcjsb2pb7tAMkpDcGwbyjPrnRCC_9pPoEWn2Jk3UdM2hIb34Xa5Fk_WTg-LF0pTewU87dSjO2gn8ATy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZp1Cuhra9aRAW9hAAXJ2J62byrU_CBeSTgM3E5zePx88OdktkvT1zwFc4YChSy4IjXJxdAiD3h9-HnSDchkKIie6zAsyT-MMwjBCJdQfvaJZlwyXEI771pYTLnFbmC-DIH0yp6JxE56EaN9RtE2y-7SvsmW909sUYzHDktBCO26NEATEoL5TpH-3SZ1YO" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1838" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZp1Cuhra9aRAW9hAAXJ2J62byrU_CBeSTgM3E5zePx88OdktkvT1zwFc4YChSy4IjXJxdAiD3h9-HnSDchkKIie6zAsyT-MMwjBCJdQfvaJZlwyXEI771pYTLnFbmC-DIH0yp6JxE56EaN9RtE2y-7SvsmW909sUYzHDktBCO26NEATEoL5TpH-3SZ1YO=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Medea</i> by Eilish Quin</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Publication: February 13th, 2024</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Atria Books</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 304 pages.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3vzkkk4" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9781668020760" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/176443159" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:</span><br /><span style="color: #555555;">"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #555555;"><i>Among the women of Greek mythology, the witch Medea may be the most despised. Known for the brutal act of killing her own children to exact vengeance on her deceitful husband, the Argonauts leader Jason, Medea has carved out a singularly infamous niche in our histories. <br /><br />But what if that isn’t the full story? <br /><br />The daughter of a sea nymph and the granddaughter of a Titan, Medea is a paradox. She is at once rendered compelling by virtue of the divinity that flows through her bloodline and made powerless by the fact of her being a woman. As a child, she intuitively submerges herself in witchcraft and sorcery, but soon finds it may not be a match for the prophecies that hang over her entire family like a shroud. <br /><br />As Medea comes into her own as a woman and a witch, she also faces the arrival of the hero Jason, preordained by the gods to be not only her husband, but also her lifeline to escape her isolated existence. Medea travels the treacherous seas with the Argonauts, battles demons she had never conceived of, and falls in love with the man who may ultimately be her downfall.</i>"</span></p><span><div style="text-align: center;">There have been so many Greek retellings in the past couple years, yet I'm still excited for a Medea one!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3pTC0KsMIwmLT2wwWo59cZPkCSQm6MDHaikGjgxrvE2hNh3WXSI6Yw6eHBTcc4eiHG-v3LDThnwafTLvsCX8MOVr81_CFXlJJEmSeg09zLTJ9CNqt5inDk_HGZ-M-ULJBiO2d0VOvxg1un_gnB2Z0MrUQIOgEdCSdQ5kSeu0sC880hdtQtUh68OGlvgs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXO4u719pYpybxGmYLD7RbgiYK-dq20g0rq0P81RzkxRsBypqE6J0O1EgHdJ21pq9oOTm9U_FDFYTyZRFbgXMnvSMO_slTF1VB9p6ZLHLljmSi4AO-26UUfV4pSIYLbhfIuUj7NQ8istzrz5cYPBQzwI9JNgxUfsC7MepenMv69GCCt2ylJlQTks1CCypH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhROOZXxcDU81bprubr3PgjC0gHN9jCQN-7oEKdnus6ZQLeKMf618DHAokjw5iJBwg7rUmIyr2l6poraSZyJHsroh_z52UrwQ8f4cMAk-bejikaKkR_JDog9ebTr5Hojb5gOa1k8QmNN7hmcmSbTfxgTG0cICQyWk9R9ZJU3JkxzR8ruB4SvxVvJqKWI3cD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDYe7Gx0Hp5-3Z42eRlSfK0iq-JIh33y9G3nJgndc-x1U4-evplR6cU26NoSt_UWvvI_zVe1CzHzDputguxWC4mVazniVJAjyTa29WU88Dyvtvb41ANkeoXzOI85NsRPujSj5SaXkoqeqK4jRHeCAvZZqSq6IJFQMtgxLT0LT2xWUUAZAtEk_LzLvGPUA5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDYe7Gx0Hp5-3Z42eRlSfK0iq-JIh33y9G3nJgndc-x1U4-evplR6cU26NoSt_UWvvI_zVe1CzHzDputguxWC4mVazniVJAjyTa29WU88Dyvtvb41ANkeoXzOI85NsRPujSj5SaXkoqeqK4jRHeCAvZZqSq6IJFQMtgxLT0LT2xWUUAZAtEk_LzLvGPUA5=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="background-color: #eeeeee; border: 2px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 2px 6px 4px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Snowglobe</i> by Soyoung Park, trans. Joungmin Lee Comfort</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Publication: February 27th, 2024</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Delacorte Press</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Hardcover. 384 pages.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Pre-order: </span><a href="https://amzn.to/48JaLh6" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/79103/9780593484975" style="color: black; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #555555;">From </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/171681724" style="color: #555555;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="color: #555555;">:<br />"<i>Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that’s warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty-four-hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city. <br /><br />The residents of Snowglobe have fame, fortune, and above all, safety from the desolation outside their walls. In exchange, their lives are broadcast to the less fortunate outside, who watch eagerly, hoping for the chance to one day become actors themselves. <br /><br />Chobahm lives for the time she spends watching the shows produced inside Snowglobe. Her favorite? Goh Around, starring Goh Haeri, Snowglobe’s biggest star—and, it turns out, the key to getting Chobahm her dream life. <br /><br />Because Haeri is dead, and Chobahm has been chosen to take her place. Only, life inside Snowglobe is nothing like what you see on television. Reality is a lie, and truth seems to be forever out of reach. <br /><br />Translated for the first time into English from the original Korean, Snowglobe is a groundbreaking exploration of personal identity, and the future of the world as we know it. It is the winner of the Changbi X Kakaopage Young Adult Novel Award.</i>"<br /></span></p><p></p><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">This sounds like a really fascinating premise, I'm always intrigued by these futuristic ones that play around with different possibilities. I'm excited to see how this one turns out!</div></span></div></span>Jordan @ForeverLostinLiteraturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15231807884697678173noreply@blogger.com1