Friday, April 30, 2021

April Wrap-Up

 

*Contains spoilers for the April FairyLoot book*


This was a great month personal-wise as I got a new job after being unemployed since July (eek) but reading-wise it was a bit mixed . . .


WHAT I READ

 


Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - audiobook - 3.5/5 stars

Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin - paperback - 3/5 stars

 

 


The Starlight Watchmaker (The Watchmaker and the Duke, #1) by Lauren James - paperback - 2.5/5 stars

The Switch by Beth O'Leary - hardback - 3.5/5 stars


 

 
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow - eARC - DNF (1/5 stars) - read my review here.

City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake, #1) by Victoria Schwab - audiobook - 3/5 stars



Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars, #1) by Elizabeth Lim - hardback - 3/5 stars

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - hardback - 3/5 stars - read my review here.


 
The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He - eARC - 3/5 stars - review to come in May as part of the blog tour

Eight Will Fall by Sarah Harian - audiobook - 2.5/5 stars


 

 

HAULED BOOKS

I hauled quite a few physical books this month.

I got The Midnight Library off Bookswap, The Beautiful Ones was from the publisher, and The Prison Healer was the FairyLoot book of the month.

 






NetGalley ARCs:




 My thanks to the publishers!

  



BLOG POSTS

 

As well as the reviews linked above I also posted the following:


Review - Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw

Easter Readathon TBR

April TBR

Easter Readathon Wrap-Up

Can't-Wait Wednesday - Witches Steeped in Gold

Can't-Wait Wednesday - The Beautiful Ones

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Colourful Covers

Can't-Wait Wednesday - Circus of Wonders

Top Ten Tuesday - Animals From Books

Can't-Wait Wednesday - The Chosen and the Beautiful



 

CURRENTLY READING

 


  Emma by Jane Austen

 

 

What did you read or haul in April?

 

 

 

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Review - The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

 


Title: The Beautiful Ones

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Pages: 320

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Release Date: 27th April 2021

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a sweeping romance with a dash of magic.

They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun, and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis—neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse—and the haphazard manifestations of her powers make her the subject of malicious gossip.

When entertainer Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled. A telekinetic like her, he has traveled the world performing his talents for admiring audiences. He sees Nina not as a witch, but ripe with potential to master her power under his tutelage. With Hector’s help, Nina’s talent blossoms, as does her love for him.

But great romances are for fairytales, and Hector is hiding a truth from Nina — and himself — that threatens to end their courtship before it truly begins. The Beautiful Ones is a charming tale of love and betrayal, and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.

 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

 

 

My Review:

 *I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Jo Fletcher Books*




Nina is an outsider in Loisail where the wealthy, well-established families are known as the Beautiful Ones. She is staying with her rich cousin and his socialite wife while she is in Loisail for her first Grand Season.

Nina’s ability of telekinesis has always made her the subject of gossip and is something she struggles to control.

At a party one evening, Nina meets Hector Auvray, a performer who has telekinesis like Nina.

Nina and Hector spend time together and grow close, but Hector is hiding a secret.

Will Nina’s debut go to plan?


As a fan of the author’s more recent novels, I was really excited when I heard that some of her backlist books were being republished. The Beautiful Ones especially intrigued me with its mix of telekinesis and the regency-esque/society backdrop.

Nina was a likeable and relatable protagonist. She was quite naive in some ways, but this contrasted nicely with Valerie who was in many ways the antithesis of Nina. It was interesting to read their interactions and what they thought of each other. I have to say that I definitely preferred Nina out of the two, but Valerie was a complex, rather bitter, character who I did feel for at times. Another character I felt for and found interesting was Hector, who I enjoyed getting to know more.

The setting of Loisail was quite intriguing, but I preferred the sound of Oldhouse, where Nina usually lived. It sounded like a unique place with that would be nice and peaceful.

Plot-wise, not much really happened, but this was definitely a book that was more focused on the characters. So, I think I would have enjoyed this more if I’d felt more connected to the characters.

I liked how sweet and understated the romance was, and while I did root for them to be together, it wasn’t one of my favourite romances.

I liked the writing style, which was easy to read and follow, but despite this it did feel like it took me longer to read the book than I expected.

While I did enjoy this novel, I wasn’t gripped by what was happening or enthralled with the characters. I’m disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this more, but I did enjoy it overall and found it to be unique and interesting.


Overall, this was an enjoyable read.


 


 

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Can't-Wait Wednesday - The Chosen and the Beautiful

 

 Can't-Wait Wednesday is a feature hosted at Wishful Endings where people showcase an upcoming book they are looking forward to.

 

This week I'm anticipating . . .

 

 


 Title: The Chosen and the Beautiful

Author: Nghi Vo

Pages: 272

Publisher: Tor.com

Release Date: 1st June 2021

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 
Immigrant. Socialite. Magician.

Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society—she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She’s also queer, Asian, adopted, and treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her.

But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how.

Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.


 
 Why I'm Anticipating This Book:

How amazing does this sound?!

Words can't describe how excited I am to read this!



 

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Top Ten Tuesday - Animals From Books

 

 Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.



This week the topic is  
Animals From Books

 

 

Here are my picks . . .

 

Mr Kindly from the Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff

Mogget and the Disreputable Dog from the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix

Mephi from The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

Blackjack from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Saphira from the Inheritance Cycle by Christoper Paolini

Nayimathun from The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Iorek, Pan and Hester from the His Dark Materials books by Philip Pullman



What are your picks?


Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Can't-Wait Wednesday - Circus of Wonders

 

  Can't-Wait Wednesday is a feature hosted at Wishful Endings where people showcase an upcoming book they are looking forward to.

 

This week I'm anticipating . . .


 

 

 Title: Circus of Wonders 

Author: Elizabeth Macneal

Pages: 336

Publisher: Picador

Release Date: 11th May 2021

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

1866. In a coastal village in southern England, Nell picks violets for a living. Set apart by her community because of the birthmarks that speckle her skin, Nell’s world is her beloved brother and devotion to the sea.

But when Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives in the village, Nell is kidnapped. Her father has sold her, promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl. It is the greatest betrayal of Nell's life, but as her fame grows, and she finds friendship with the other performers and Jasper’s gentle brother Toby, she begins to wonder if joining the show is the best thing that has ever happened to her.

In London, newspapers describe Nell as the eighth wonder of the world. Figurines are cast in her image, and crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. But who gets to tell Nell’s story? What happens when her fame threatens to eclipse that of the showman who bought her? And as she falls in love with Toby, can he detach himself from his past and the terrible secret that binds him to his brother?

Moving from the pleasure gardens of Victorian London to the battle-scarred plains of the Crimea, Circus of Wonders is an astonishing story about power and ownership, fame and the threat of invisibility.

 

 

Why I'm Anticipating This Book:

 A book about a girl who is sold to a circus by her father and then finds fame? Yes, please!



 

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Top Ten Tuesday - Colourful Book Covers

 

 Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.



This week the topic is 
 
Colourful Book Covers

 

Here are my picks:

 


 








 What colourful covers do you like?

 


Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Can't-Wait Wednesday - The Beautiful Ones

 

 Can't-Wait Wednesday is a feature hosted at Wishful Endings where people showcase an upcoming book they are looking forward to.

 

 

 This week I'm looking forward to . . .

 

 

Title: The Beautiful Ones

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Pages: 320

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Release Date: 27th April 2021

 

Blurb from Goodreads

 From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a sweeping romance with a dash of magic.

They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun, and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis—neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse—and the haphazard manifestations of her powers make her the subject of malicious gossip.

When entertainer Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled. A telekinetic like her, he has traveled the world performing his talents for admiring audiences. He sees Nina not as a witch, but ripe with potential to master her power under his tutelage. With Hector’s help, Nina’s talent blossoms, as does her love for him.

But great romances are for fairytales, and Hector is hiding a truth from Nina — and
himself—that threatens to end their courtship before it truly begins. The Beautiful Ones is a charming tale of love and betrayal, and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.

 

 

Why I'm Anticipating This Book:

 After the success of Mexican Gothic, some of the author's previously published books are being re-published, one of which is The Beautiful Ones.

Having loved Gods of Jade and Shadow and enjoyed Mexican Gothic, I'm really looking forward to reading The Beautiful Ones - the mix of romance and telekinesis is very intriguing and I love the cover!

 

 

Saturday, April 10, 2021

DNF Review - The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow


 

 


Title: The Once and Future Witches

Author: Alix E. Harrow

Pages: 529

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: 13th October 2020


Blurb from Goodreads:

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters--James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna--join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

 

 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop





My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley*


- DNF @50% -



It's 1893 and it is not a good time to be a woman - they don't have the right to vote and their magic has been reduced to small, useful spells which are nothing like the powerful witching that was once around.

The Eastwood sisters have grown apart and are living different lives, but James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth and Beatrice Belladonna find themselves drawn back together and seeking the power of the old witching.

However, there are forces at work that intend to stop them.

Will the sisters triumph?


Having enjoyed the author's previous novel, I was excited to read this one, especially as the time period and the magic intrigued me. Unfortunately, I ended up being disappointed.

The sisters were fairly interesting protagonists and they were very different from one another. While Agnes was my favourite, I'm not left with overly strong feelings about any of the characters.

The setting of New Salem didn't feel very fleshed out to me and I would have liked some more information/detail about it.

My main issue with the book was that it was far too long. I don't mind character-focused books when I love the characters and enjoy the plot and setting, but in this case I found the storyline almost achingly slow and the other aspects of the book were not enough to save it. I read over two hundred pages of this book and it could quite easily have been cut in half given how little actually happened.

I liked that nursery rhymes were used as spells and the fairy tales that were included throughout the book.

I might have another go at reading this at some point, but on this occasion I couldn't bring myself to pick up the book to read more and decided to DNF it.


I can definitely see other people enjoying this book, but, unfortunately, this wasn't for me.




Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Can't-Wait Wednesday - Witches Steeped in Gold

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a feature hosted at Wishful Endings where people showcase an upcoming book they are looking forward to.

 

This week I'm looking forward to . . .

 


Title: Witches Steeped in Gold (Witches Steeped in Gold, #1)

Author: Ciannon Smart

Pages: 544

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Release Date: 20th April 2020


Blurb from Goodreads:

Trust no witch . . .

Iraya Adair has spent her life in a cell. Heir of an overthrown and magically-gifted dynasty, she was exiled from her home on the island nation of Aiyca when she was just a child. But every day brings her closer to freedom - and vengeance. Jazmyne Cariot grew up dressed in gold, with stolen magic at her fingertips. Daughter of the self-crowned doyenne, her existence is a threat to her mother's rule. But unlike her sister, Jazmyne has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother's power. Sworn enemies, the two witches enter a deadly alliance to take down the woman who threatens both their worlds. But revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain - except the lengths Iraya and Jazmyne will go to win this game.

Two witches. One motive. And a very untrustworthy alliance.

 

 

 

Why I'm Anticipating This Book:

Sworn enemies + magic? Sign me up!