Top 5 Tuesday: 2022 Releases I Still Haven't Read

Today I've chosen to participate in Top 5 Tuesday, originally hosted by BionicBookworm, now hosted by MeeghanReads! 

This week's theme is: 2022 Releases I Still Haven't Read–But Want To!

There are... a lot of books I wanted to read this year that I haven't gotten to. I also usually make a bigger end of year post with books I wanted to read and didn't get to, but I figured I'd get a head start and highlight five books I've featured on Can't-Wait Wednesday posts from this past year that I'd still really like to read.

The Haunting of Las Lágrimas by W.M. Cleese

About:

"Argentina, winter 1913. 

Ursula Kelp, a young English gardener, travels to Buenos Aires to take up the role of head gardener at a long-abandoned estate in the Pampas. The current owner wishes to return to the estate with his family and restore the once-famous gardens to their former glory. 

Travelling deep into the Pampas, the vast grasslands of South America, Ursula arrives to warnings from the locals that the estate is haunted, cursed to bring tragedy to the founding family of Las Lágrimas. And soon Ursula believes that her loneliness is making her imagine things – the sound of footsteps outside her bedroom door, the touch of hands on her shoulders when there’s no one there. Most strangely of all, she keeps hearing the frenzied sound of a man chopping down trees in the nearby forest with an axe, when all her staff are in sight. 

As the strange occurrences intensify – with tragic consequences – Ursula questions if there’s truth in the rumours about the cursed estate. The family’s return is imminent – are they in danger? And the longer Ursula stays at the estate, the more she realises that she too is in mortal danger." Goodreads 

The School of Mirrors by Eva Stachniak

About:
"A scintillating, gorgeously written historical novel about a mother and a daughter in eighteenth-century France, beginning with decadence and palace intrigue at Versailles and ending in an explosive new era of revolution. 

During the reign of Louis XV, impoverished but lovely teenage girls from all over France are sent to a discreet villa in the town of Versailles. Overseen by the King’s favorite mistress, Madame de Pompadour, they will be trained as potential courtesans for the King. When the time is right, each girl is smuggled into the palace of Versailles, with its legendary Hall of Mirrors. There they meet a mysterious but splendidly dressed man who they’re told is merely a Polish count, a cousin of the Queen. Living an indulgent life of silk gowns, delicious meals, and soft beds, the students at this “school of mirrors” rarely ask questions, and when Louis tires of them, they are married off to minor aristocrats or allowed to retire to one of the more luxurious nunneries. 

Beautiful and canny Veronique arrives at the school of mirrors and quickly becomes a favorite of the King. But when she discovers her lover’s true identity, she is whisked away, sent to give birth to a daughter in secret, and then to marry a wealthy Breton merchant. There is no return to the School of Mirrors." Goodreads

All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie

About:

"Everyone knows of the horses of Iceland, wild, and small, and free, but few have heard their story. Sarah Tolmie’s All the Horses of Iceland weaves their mystical origin into a saga for the modern age. Filled with the magic and darkened whispers of a people on the cusp of major cultural change, All the Horses of Iceland tells the tale of a Norse trader, his travels through Central Asia, and the ghostly magic that followed him home to the land of fire, stone, and ice. His search for riches will take him from Helmgard, through Khazaria, to the steppes of Mongolia, where he will barter for horses and return with much, much more. 

All the Horses of Iceland is a delve into the secret, imagined history of Iceland's unusual horses, brought to life by an expert storyteller." Goodreads

Hide by Kiersten White

About:
"The challenge: spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don't get caught. 

The prize: enough money to change everything. 

Even though everyone is desperate to win--to seize their dream futures or escape their haunting pasts--Mack feels sure that she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she's an expert at that. 

It's the reason she's alive, and her family isn't. 

But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes this competition is more sinister than even she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive. 

Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to hide, but nowhere to run. 

Come out, come out, wherever you are." Goodreads

Spear by Nicola Griffith

About:
"She left all she knew to find who she could be . . . 

She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon. 

With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she is an unlikely hero, not a chosen one, but one who forges her own bright path. Aflame with determination, she begins a journey of magic and mystery, love, lust and fights to death. On her adventures, she will steal the hearts of beautiful women, fight warriors and sorcerers, and make a place to call home. 

The legendary author of Hild returns with an unforgettable hero and a queer Arthurian masterpiece for the modern era. Nicola Griffith’s Spear is a spellbinding vision of the Camelot we've longed for, a Camelot that belongs to us all." Goodreads 

Have you read any of these books? What 2022 releases do you still want to read?

Top 5 Tuesday: Books Set in the Future

Today I've chosen to participate in Top 5 Tuesday, originally hosted by BionicBookworm, now hosted by MeeghanReads!

This week's theme is: Books Set in the Future

I had a lot of fun looking through the various books I've read that are set in the future, and it was surprisingly hard to settle on just five. That being said, I've really loved all five of the books on this list and am always looking for more great future-set stories to read. Let's take a look at my five picks!

1. Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace
I absolutely adored this book! It's set in a futuristic society where resources are scarce and things are all pretty much owned by large corporation. We follow a woman who makes her living as a VR gamer, but is dragged into something much bigger than she expected... - My review

About:

"Like everyone else she knows, Mallory is an orphan of the corporate war. As a child, she lost her parents, her home, and her entire building in an airstrike. As an adult, she lives in a cramped hotel room with eight other people, all of them working multiple jobs to try to afford water and make ends meet. And the job she’s best at is streaming a popular VR war game. The best part of the game isn’t killing enemy combatants, though—it’s catching in-game glimpses of SpecOps operatives, celebrity supersoldiers grown and owned by Stellaxis, the corporation that runs the America she lives in. 

Until a chance encounter with a SpecOps operative in the game leads Mal to a horrifying discovery: the real-life operatives weren’t created by Stellaxis. They were kids, just like her, who lost everything in the war, and were stolen and augmented and tortured into becoming supersoldiers. The world worships them, but the world believes a lie. 

The company controls every part of their lives, and defying them puts everything at risk—her water ration, her livelihood, her connectivity, her friends, her life—but she can’t just sit on the knowledge. She has to do something—even if doing something will bring the wrath of the most powerful company in the world down upon her." Goodreads 

2. The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes
This is a fast-paced and engaging futuristic sci-fi that takes place in space and has some fantastic characters. - My review

About:
"The Divide. 

It’s the edge of the universe. 

Now it’s collapsing—and taking everyone and everything with it. 

The only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels—the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military. 

At the Divide, Adequin Rake, commanding the Argus, has no resources, no comms—nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted. 

They're humanity's only chance." Goodreads

3. Docile by K.M. Szpara
This is set in a near/alternate future world where debt has risen to the point that people are now essentially forced into indentured servitude. It's an intense read. - My review

About:

"There is no consent under capitalism 

To be a Docile is to be kept, body and soul, for the uses of the owner of your contract. To be a Docile is to forget, to disappear, to hide inside your body from the horrors of your service. To be a Docile is to sell yourself to pay your parents' debts and buy your children's future. 

Elisha Wilder’s family has been ruined by debt, handed down to them from previous generations. His mother never recovered from the Dociline she took during her term as a Docile, so when Elisha decides to try and erase the family’s debt himself, he swears he will never take the drug that took his mother from him. Too bad his contract has been purchased by Alexander Bishop III, whose ultra-rich family is the brains (and money) behind Dociline and the entire Office of Debt Resolution. When Elisha refuses Dociline, Alex refuses to believe that his family’s crowning achievement could have any negative side effects—and is determined to turn Elisha into the perfect Docile without it." Goodreads

4. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
This is a futuristic, dystopia-esque world that is, essentially, governed by colors. It's ridiculously captivating and is so vibrantly written that it's truly hard to put down. There is a sequel in the works! - My review (it's an old one, apologies for quality)

About:

"Hundreds of years in the future, the world is an alarmingly different place. Life is lived according to The Rulebook and social hierarchy is determined by your perception of colour. 

Eddie Russett is an above-average Red who dreams of moving up the ladder. Until he is sent to the Outer Fringes where he meets Jane - a lowly Grey with an uncontrollable temper and a desire to see him killed. 

For Eddie, it's love at first sight. But his infatuation will lead him to discover that all is not as it seems in a world where everything that looks black and white is really shades of grey..." Goodreads

5. Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon
This is probably the closest to our "regular" world out of the books on this list. We follow a man trying to get by in a world that feels like it's crumbling apart. I loved Chaon's writing and how he captured this sort of mad, inconsistent road trip that felt both fast-paced and thoughtful at the same time. 

About:

"Sleepwalk’s hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he’s been living off the grid for over half his life. He’s never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship. A good-natured henchman with a complicated and lonely past and an LSD microdosing problem, he spends his time hopscotching across state lines in his beloved camper van, running sometimes shady, often dangerous errands for a powerful and ruthless operation he’s never troubled himself to learn too much about. He has lots of connections, but no true ties. His longest relationships are with an old rescue dog with posttraumatic stress, and a childhood friend as deeply entrenched in the underworld as he is, who, lately, he’s less and less sure he can trust. 

Out of the blue, one of his many burner phones heralds a call from a twenty-year-old woman claiming to be his biological daughter, Cammie. She says she’s the product of one of his long-ago sperm donations; he’s half certain she’s AI. She needs his help. She’s entrenched in a widespread and nefarious plot involving Will’s employers, and continuing to have any contact with her increasingly fuzzes the line between the people Will is working for and the people he’s running from." Goodreads 

Have you read any of these books? What are some books set in the future you've enjoyed?

Top 5 Tuesday: Top Books Set in the Past

  

It's been a minute since I've posted once of these, but today I've finally been able to participate again in Top 5 Tuesday, originally hosted by BionicBookworm, now hosted by MeeghanReads!

This week's theme is: Books Set in the Past

It's been a good while since I've joined up with a Top 5 Tuesday so I'm happy to be back participating again! Today's theme is books set int he past, and I was almost going to just change it to historical fiction for ease, but then I realized that there were a few picks I wanted to include that would technically be in the speculative fiction moreso than historical fiction.. so books set in the past really works well, after all. :) I love books set in the past so this was a hard list to narrow down (and, admittedly, I've included seven books instead of five...), but here are some books set int he past that I absolutely love and would recommend wholeheartedly. 

1. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber - Easily one of my favorite historical fiction books, this feels truly epic in terms of character development, themes, everything. - Review

From Goodreads: "...Twenty years in its conception, research, and writing, The Crimson Petal and the White is teeming with life, rich in texture and incident, with breathtakingly real characters.

Sugar, 19, prostitute in Victorian London, yearns for a better life. From brutal brothel-keeper Mrs Castaway, she ascends in society. Affections of self-involved perfume magnate William Rackham soon smells like love. Her social rise attracts preening socialites, drunken journalists, untrustworthy servants, vile guttersnipes, and whores of all kinds."

2. The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper - This is also a favorite historical fiction book and I love how much research was put into creating an authentic ancient setting. Amara is an incredible character to follow. I can't recommend this book enough–and there's a sequel! - Review

From Goodreads: "Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara. Welcome to the Wolf Den... 

Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father's death plunged her family into penury. Now she is a slave in Pompeii's infamous brothel, owned by a man she despises. Sharp, clever and resourceful, Amara is forced to hide her talents. For as a she-wolf, her only value lies in the desire she can stir in others.

Set in Pompeii's lupanar, The Wolf Den reimagines the lives of women who have long been overlooked."

3. The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky - From my review for this book: "I had no idea that I was opening up a book that would become one of my new all-time favorites that I am sure to re-read many, many times in the future. I have almost never finished a book and immediately wanted to flip back to the beginning and start reading it again, but I absolutely had that desire for this book. My heart was broken so many times in this book that I lost count, and I have to say that I loved every minute of it." - Review

From Goodreads: "'There is a very old story, rarely told, of a wolf that runs into the ocean and becomes a whale.'

A sweeping tale of clashing cultures, warring gods, and forbidden love: In 1000 AD, a young Inuit shaman and a Viking warrior become unwilling allies as war breaks out between their peoples and their gods-one that will determine the fate of them all."

4. The Terror by Dan Simmons - This was a riveting storing based on a true life story that ended in distaster... with a bit of a supernatural twist because, you know, things weren't scary enough already! - Review

From Goodreads: "The men on board the HMS Terror — part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage — are entering a second summer in the Arctic Circle without a thaw, stranded in a nightmarish landscape of encroaching ice and darkness. Endlessly cold, they struggle to survive with poisonous rations, a dwindling coal supply, and ships buckling in the grip of crushing ice. But their real enemy is even more terrifying. There is something out there in the frigid darkness: an unseen predator stalking their ship, a monstrous terror clawing to get in."

5. The Illumination of Ursula Flight by Anna-Marie Crowhurst - From my review: "...easily one of the most delightful and charming books I've read all year. It's engaging, unique, distinct in its voice, a little bawdy, and incredibly meaningful. This physical book is also unbelievably gorgeous and whoever designed this beauty deserves a raise." - Review

From Goodreads: "Born on the night of an ill-auguring comet just before Charles II's Restoration, Ursula Flight has a difficult future written in the stars. 

Against the custom of the age she begins an education with her father, who fosters in her a love of reading, writing and astrology. 

Following a surprise meeting with an actress, Ursula yearns for the theatre and thus begins her quest to become a playwright despite scoundrels, bounders, bad luck and heartbreak."

6. Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau - I fell hard for this story and particularly for the main character who such a delight to follow. This book captivated me immediately and is a fanastic historical fiction pick. - Review

From Goodreads: "The invitation to Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore than keeping up appearances with New York City socialites and her snobbish, controlling family. 

But soon it transpires that the hedonism of Coney Island affords Peggy the freedom she has been yearning for, and it’s not long before she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of. Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal, and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamor of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything… even murder."

7. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - I read this so long ago that I honestly am ashamed of how much I don't remember, but that just means I'm due for a re-read. I loved this book so much when I read it, and that's really what stays with me. 

From Goodreads: "Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals from its war wounds, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julian Carax. But when he sets out to find the author's other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax's books in existence. Soon Daniel's seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love."

Have you read any of these books? What are some of your favorite books set in the past?

Top 5 Tuesday: Crown

 

Today, I've decided to participate once again in Top 5 Tuesday, originally hosted by BionicBookworm, now hosted by MeeghanReads!

This week's theme is: Crown

This week's topic is 'crown,' and rather than share some covers with crowns or titles with the word crown, I've opted instead to share five books that involve some form of a fight for the crown or struggles with succession and royalty in fantasy books. 

I've only noticed after the fact that orange-y/yellow covers must be popular!

The Books:

(all descriptions from Goodreads)

1. Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward - Review
About: "While the armies of the Hadari Empire invade the borderlands, the Republic's noble families plot against each other, divided by personal ambition...As dark days beckon, these three must overcome their differences to save the Republic. Yet decades of bad blood are not easily set aside. Victory - if it comes at all - will command a higher price than they could have imagined."

2. Seven Deaths of an Empire by G.R. Matthews - Review
About:"General Bordan has a lifetime of duty and sacrifice behind him in the service of the Empire. But with rebellion brewing in the countryside, and assassins, thieves and politicians vying for power in the city, it is all Bordan can do to protect the heir to the throne.   Apprentice Magician Kyron is assigned to the late Emperor’s honour guard escorting his body on the long road back to the capital. Mistrusted and feared by his own people, even a magician’s power may fail when enemies emerge from the forests, for whoever is in control of the Emperor’s body, controls the succession."

3. The Councillor by E.J. Beaton - Review
About: "This Machiavellian fantasy follows a scholar's quest to choose the next ruler of her kingdom amidst lies, conspiracy, and assassination."

4. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

About: "A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.  The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door. "

5. The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri - Review

About: "One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire. "

Have you read any of these books? What are some fantasy books about crowns and royalty and succession that you enjoyed?

Top Five Tuesday: SFF Standalones

 

This week I decided to switch back over and participate in Top 5 Tuesday, originally hosted by BionicBookworm, now hosted by MeeghanReads!

This week's topic is: SFF Standalones

I decided to join Top Five Tuesday today because I've read a good number of great standalones this year that I'd love to talk about! I chose to narrow this topic down to only include SFF books because feel like I most often see people looking for SFF standalones in a world of series and trilogies, so I figured I'd share five SFF standalones I've read this year and really enjoyed!

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace

I haven't seen nearly as many people talking about this book as there should be! This was an incredible sci-fi that completely surprised me with how much it grabbed me. This follows a VR gaming who is doing what she can to get by, and is eventually–and unexpectedly–sucked into something much bigger than she could have imagined. It's also full of heart, hope, and a bunch of people standing up for what's right. 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Piranesi is, admittedly, a bit of an odd book, but it's an amazing odd book. We follow a protagonist known only as Piranesi, who earned himself a big place in my heart, as he lives in and explores the House in which he lives–and is, quite frankly, the only place he's ever known. The only other person who visits the House that Piranesi knows of is a man he refers to as the Other, and this man seems to come and go from somewhere Piranesi isn't aware of... 

Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti by Genevieve Valentine

This is another slightly out-of-the-norm one, and I'd say it's probably a bit more on the literary fantasy side with a very poetic feel to it. Nonetheless, it's a beautiful story that I'd absolutely recommend to anyone. The story takes place in a turbulent, war-like period and follows a group of circus members as they try to continue their work. It's a bit heartbreaking, to be honest, but it's absolutely worth the read. 

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

This was a beautiful myth retelling of Angrboda, Loki's wife, from before she meets Loki to far after. It's definitely a slower-paced story, but I personally loved following Ahgrboda's life as an adult, with all the tragedies and joys that she experiences. If you enjoyed Circe by Madeline Miller, then I think this is one you might definitely want to pick up. 

All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter

This was a delightfully dark, somewhat creepy folktale-esque story about what happens when your family struck a deal with the Mer people that they have begun to fail at over the years, and must now face the consequences. This was a beautiful story that hit all the right notes of eery and foreboding, and it's a great pick. 

The Binding by Bridget Collins

Okay, I know this makes six books, but I had to include this book because it's one I really enjoyed and think others will as well. This books plays a lot with memory and time, and it kept me fully engaged the whole. The characters are also compelling and have some amazing storylines that I didn't expect, and that made this a heartstring-tugging story for me. Be sure to check this one out if you're looking for an SFF standalone!

Have you read any of these standalones? Do you have any good SFF standalone recommendations? Leave them in the comments below!

Top 5 Tuesday: Books I Read Because of the Hype... and Liked!

 

This week I decided to switch back over and participate in Top 5 Tuesday, originally hosted by BionicBookworm, now hosted by MeeghanReads!

This week's topic is: Books I Read Because of the Hype... and Liked!

I decided to join up with Top 5 Tuesday this week because I loved the idea of the topic. There are a lot of books I've read because of the hype and been disappointed with, so it felt like a nice change to highlight a few that I actually really loved/liked!

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
This is one of those books that is almost always being recommended as a great fantasy read and seems to be largely considered a classic in the genre. I read this a number of years ago, but the reason I picked it up was likely largely because of how often I saw people raving about it and loving it–and of course the concept sounded amazing. This is now one of my favorite fantasy series!

A Little Life by Hana Yanagihara
I had a casual interest in this book for a while, but it wasn't until I kept seeing people ranting about how much they both loved it and how much it destroyed them that I realized I needed to try it out for myself. It also completely broke me, but it was completely worth it. I think.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Although I didn't love this first book in the series the most, I definitely picked it up because I constantly heard people talking about how much they loved the series. And I've also thoroughly enjoyed this series!

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City) by Sarah J. Maas
I've read and liked Maas' Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses series (which seems to be an unpopular thing to say these days for some reason??), but I wasn't sure or all that interested in her new series for some reason. But I kept hearing how much people actually really liked it and how much fun it was, so I decided to give it a shot. I was weirdly surprised by how much fun I ended up having with it! It's not the best fantasy ever and certainly has some issues, but it was a good time and I look forward to continuing the series.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Like many people, I was a bit intimidated by the size of this book and whether or not I really wanted to commit to such a big book with a new author I hadn't read anything from yet (even though I know her other series is hugely popular). This also isn't what I would call my favorite, but it was a really solid, well-written, and unique story that I'm glad I read. 

Have you read any of these books? What books have you read because of the hype and liked?

Top 5 Tuesday: Favorite New-To-Me Authors

 

This week I decided to switch back over and participate in Top 5 Tuesday, hosted by BionicBookworm!

This week's topic is: Favorite New-To-Me Authors

This week I decided to hop back over to Top 5 Tuesday since I just realized that it is back up and running! This week's topic is some new authors I've read in 2020 that I have really loved. These are not debut authors, but rather authors that I just haven't read before. I'll probably be putting together a favorite debut authors post closer to the end of the year--and maybe an additional one of more new-to-me authors! :)

(Note: please excuse if the formatting is messed up! I've still been having some issues with the new Blogger update and formatting.)

Author: Matt Wallace
Book: Savage Legion

Savage Legion completely blew me away and I cannot wait to not only read the next books in this series, but to check out more of Wallace's books as well. 

Summary: "They call them Savages. Brutal. Efficient. Expendable. 

The empire relies on them. The Savages are the greatest weapon they ever developed. Culled from the streets of their cities, they take the ones no one will miss and throw them, by the thousands, at the empire’s enemies. If they live, they fight again. If they die, there are always more to take their place. 

Evie is not a Savage. She’s a warrior with a mission: to find the man she once loved, the man who holds the key to exposing the secret of the Savage Legion and ending the mass conscription of the empire’s poor and wretched. 

But to find him, she must become one of them, to be marked in her blood, to fight in their wars, and to find her purpose. Evie will die a Savage if she has to, but not before showing the world who she really is and what the Savage Legion can really do." 

Author: TJ Klune
Book: The House in the Cerulean Sea

I think it's easy to see how I fell in love with this book, much like most people who read it seem to have fallen in love with it! It absolutely makes me want to read more of Klune's work--though I must say that I'm exceptionally excited for his upcoming companion-type release!

Summary: "A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. 

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. 

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. 

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn."

Author: Stephen Graham Jones
Book: The Only Good Indians

This was such a hauntingly beautiful story and now I can't believe I've never read anything by Stephen Graham Jones before! It's definitely time to rectify that. 

Summary: "Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way."

Author: Cherie Dimaline
Book: Empire of Wild

This was another books that I found rather haunting and also makes me wonder why I've never heard of Cherie Dimaline before this year! 

Summary: "Joan has been searching for her missing husband, Victor, for nearly a year—ever since that terrible night they’d had their first serious argument hours before he mysteriously vanished. Her Métis family has lived in their tightly knit rural community for generations, but no one keeps the old ways . . . until they have to. That moment has arrived for Joan. 

One morning, grieving and severely hungover, Joan hears a shocking sound coming from inside a revival tent in a gritty Walmart parking lot. It is the unmistakable voice of Victor. Drawn inside, she sees him. He has the same face, the same eyes, the same hands, though his hair is much shorter and he's wearing a suit. But he doesn't seem to recognize Joan at all. He insists his name is Eugene Wolff, and that he is a reverend whose mission is to spread the word of Jesus and grow His flock. Yet Joan suspects there is something dark and terrifying within this charismatic preacher who professes to be a man of God . . . something old and very dangerous. 

Joan turns to Ajean, an elderly foul-mouthed card shark who is one of the few among her community steeped in the traditions of her people and knowledgeable about their ancient enemies. With the help of the old Métis and her peculiar Johnny-Cash-loving, twelve-year-old nephew Zeus, Joan must find a way to uncover the truth and remind Reverend Wolff who he really is . . . if he really is. Her life, and those of everyone she loves, depends upon it."

Author: T. Kingfisher
Book: The Hollow Places

I'd been meaning to read some of T. Kingfisher's books for a couple years now, so I'm glad I finally got around to it because I love her work. I can't wait to dive into her backlist now!

Summary: "Pray they are hungry. 

Kara finds these words in the mysterious bunker that she’s discovered behind a hole in the wall of her uncle’s house. Freshly divorced and living back at home, Kara now becomes obsessed with these cryptic words and starts exploring the peculiar bunker—only to discover that it holds portals to countless alternate realities. But these places are haunted by creatures that seem to hear thoughts…and the more you fear them, the stronger they become."

Have you read any of these books/authors?

Top 5 Tuesday: Books That Weren't What I Expected

This week I decided to switch back over and participate in Top 5 Tuesday, hosted by BionicBookworm!

This week's topic is: Top 5 Books That Weren't What I Expected

I couldn't decide if I wanted to go with books where I specifically expected one thing and was surprised by what it actually was or books where I really wasn't sure what to expect at all, but I still felt surprised by what I read (whether good or bad). So to "solve" this problem, I just decided to share five of each type! I may or may not be doing this because it's always hard for me to pick only five, but hey, let's just go with the five of each kind thing. :)

Books where I had no idea what to expect and was surprised (some pleasantly surprised, others not so much)

          
The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton:
I had no idea that this book was going to be such a beautiful and lyrically written story and I adored it. I knew it was a Shakespeare-inspired fantasy, but I just didn't expect it to be as epic and moving as it was. Definitely a great surprise!

Master Assassins by Robert V.S. Redick:
Genuinely had no idea what to expect from this book. All I knew going in was that Mark Lawrence had raved about it in a review and Patrick Rothfuss blurbed. I certainly didn't expect for it to become one of my favorite fantasy books!

I Love You Too Much by Alicia Drake: 
This is not at all the type of book that I normally read, but I received a free copy and I like trying things out of my comfort zone so I decided to give it a shot and I ended up being completely blown away it. I don't tend to cry much when I read books, but this book made me cry so much and took so much emotion out of me. I never expected it to affect me so much--it got to the point where I had to decide, "do I feel like crying and having my heart pulled out right now?" before picking it up because I knew that was going to happen. I never expected that from the description of this book.

     
Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan:
All I knew about this one was that it was supposed to be a Russian-inspired setting and that it was going to be a dark fantasy. That's all I needed to know to check it out, but what it ended up being was not quite that. It tried to be a dark fantasy story and it tried to have an awesome Russian-inspired setting, but instead it was immensely cliche'd, predictable, and honestly just uninteresting. It was not what I was expecting at all.

All the Ever Afters by Danielle Teller:
So I had some ideas of what I might get from this book, but for the most part all I knew is that it was the story of Cinderella's stepmother and would probably be similar to other books like this. I was surprised to discover that it was written much more like a historical fiction novel recounting the stepmother's life from childhood to adulthood, with very little in the realm of 'fairy tale' atmosphere. I really liked this book and I'm happy with how it was written, but it wasn't what I expected at all!


Books where I had more specific expectations and the books ended up being far different from what I expected for one reason or another:

          
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James:
I was expecting an exciting, literary African-inspired fantasy that I would immediately love--Marlon James is a fantastic writer, what else would I expect? Unfortunately, I was so frustrated by this that I ended up DNF-ing it. It was literary, sure, but it was to the point that it just sound too pretentious, the plot was not engaging, and I just felt like I was forcing myself to read it. Definitely not what I expected!

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo:
I mostly enjoyed this book so this wasn't a bad 'misplaced expectations' situation, but it was still so different from what I expected. I can't actually say a lot of the reasons I was surprised because they might be spoiler-y, but the general setup and the secret societies in this were not quite what I was expecting and I had hoped that there would be a bit more of certain elements. Still, this was interesting and ended up being a mostly pleasant surprise, despite a few issues.

Suicide Club by Rachel Heng:
This is a sort of dystopia-type novel that basically wasn't what I expected because it was uninteresting and took a very odd plot line that didn't really fit with what I expected from the synopsis.

     

84K by Claire North:
This wasn't what I expected due to the writing style. I hadn't read any of Claire North's books prior to 84K so I didn't know anything about her style, but this book was just not at all what I expected. This book is about a world in which you can essentially pay a fine for crimes committed, with the cost per offense going up as the crime goes up in severity (for instance, murder is probably unafforable for most of us). I thought this was going to be a really fascinating exploration of this idea, but instead it followed person's story in a way that I didn't anticipate and that wasn't overly interesting to me.

Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman:
I had the highest of hopes for this book, but it ended up being completely different than I hoped. The concept of a woman "dying" for days at a time and then coming back, as if stuck in random comas, was so interesting! So much could be done with this, but what I ended up reading was a drawn-out, too long, weird Western-genre style stereotype that I couldn't quite get into.



Have you read any of these books? What are some books that didn't end up being what you expected?