Down the TBR Hole – 04

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! Y’all, I’m proud to say that I’m down to 1,015 books. PROUD PANDA 🐼Last week was a really quick post of five books and I think this week will be the same too because, life is still life! Let’s see if I manage to cut any out this week!

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. I remember seeing this one so much back in the day but never ended up purchasing it. It has a lot of amazing reviews, plus the premise sounds like something I’d really enjoy. Nothing in the blurb gives away why it’s called The Memory Keeper’s Daughter either, so I’m even more intrigued!

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. This is one of those books that you keep hearing people talk about. I do enjoy a good family saga and this one sounds like it has a bit of a mystery to it, so I’m definitely intrigued. I don’t know when I’ll get to it but it’s one of the books I want to read at some point!

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Everything about this sounds completely up my alley. I didn’t remember it when I saw it on my list but it seems a lot of friends have read it and rated it very highly.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I honestly think the only reason I’m keeping this book on my list is because I have the physical copy (I got it from a former colleague who was giving away books) and I’m thinking: since I already have it I might as well read it, right? Lol

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I remember really enjoying this movie and wanting to read the book after watching it. Never did get to it (obv) but I think I’m still interested in reading it!

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Okay, that’s it folks. I clearly spoke too soon about being on a roll with taking books of my TBR list because it’s another week of reviewing five and removing none 😂 All of these do sound good (well, I’m still on the fence about the Poisonwood Bible) and like stories I’ll enjoy reading so… 🤷🏻‍♀️

Have you read any of these books? How easy is it to cull your TBR list? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Cover Reveal: His Royal Highness by R.S. Grey

R.S. Grey’s next romantic comedy, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, releases November 14th! See the gorgeous cover below and find out more about HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS!

About HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS (available November 14th)

I’ve spent eight years wishing I’d fall out of love with Derek Knightley. Blowing out birthday candles, chasing after shooting stars, making it rain spare change into mall fountains—every time it’s the same wish: forget about Derek.

But the day he walks back into my life, I realize there are two things time has yet to soften: my feelings for him and his chiseled jawline.

It’s infuriating that my heart still races when he walks into a room. I refuse to fall prey to old unrequited love, so I decide the less I’m around him, the better. Avoidance is key.

Unfortunately, Derek isn’t going to make it easy. As a teenager, I would have crawled on my hands and knees to attract his attention. Now I can’t seem to escape it.

I’m not sure why he’s bothering. He’s not just out of my league—he’s out of my tax bracket. As the sole heir to the Knightley Company, he’s as close to American royalty as you can get. As for me, I’m just a part-time princess at Knightley’s flagship magical theme park.

I spend my days playing make-believe, but Derek has no use for fairytales. His unwavering confidence makes it clear he thinks I’ll surrender in the end.

He’s just biding his time.

Making me sweat.

His Royal Highness always gets what he wants.

And he wants me.

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS releases November 14th – you’ll be able to preorder your copy for .99c a few days before release!

Keep an eye on R.S. Grey’s Facebook page for the link!

 

 

About R.S. Grey

R.S. Grey is the USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels, including THE FOXE & THE HOUND. She lives in Texas with her husband and two dogs, and can be found reading, binge-watching reality TV, or practicing yoga! Visit her at rsgrey.com

Website | Twitter | Facebook | R.S. Grey’s Little Reds Facebook Group | Newsletter | Instagram

The Guilty Reader Book Tag!

Despite having a million tags that I was actually tagged in but haven’t done yet *cough*, I decided that I wanted to do this Guilty Reader Book Tag that I saw on Anniek @ Anniek’s Library a few months ago! It looked like a fun and quick tag to answer and I’m always all for that, especially since I always end up taking forever to answer tags lol

Have you ever re-gifted a book that you’ve been given?

Nope! At least, not that I can remember. But I honestly don’t have a lot of people who read in my life so I wouldn’t re-gift a book as a gift because I don’t really have anyone to give it to 😅 I’ve re-gifted other non-book items though! LOL

Have you ever said you’ve read a book when you haven’t ?

Heh. I mean… We’ve all done this, right?! Most of the time it was for class, but there were times when I was having a discussion with someone who mentioned some classic and… Well, I have to admit that I said I’ve read it when I haven’t 😂 But then I did go out and read that book before someone tested my knowledge of it haha

Have you ever borrowed a book and not returned it?

Maybe… It was totally be accident though. I didn’t intentionally keep the book… It was just that I didn’t bring it on the day we were supposed to return it, and then next thing I knew the year was over, and another year was over… and then I’d forget I still haven’t returned it and … it was just too late 😅

Have you ever read a series out of order?

My first instinct is to say no because why would you do something like that? But then I think about it and realize that sometimes I do read series out of order when the story and characters don’t overlap. So it doesn’t really matter lol but never when it’s a “proper” series!

Have you ever spoiled a book for someone?

NO! Never! I’m pretty sure that I haven’t. I would never do that because I hate when people do that to me. Some people may think it’s funny but no. No, it’s not 😒

Have you ever dogeared a book?

I can’t lie, I haaaaaave. It doesn’t happen often if at all, but it’s usually when I’m really desperate and don’t have anything on hand and know that I won’t be able to remember the page number where I left off. But… It’s very rare! 😅

Have you ever told someone you don’t own a book when you do?

No, I don’t believe I have. If I’ve done this it’s probably because I can’t remember whether I do have it or not (or I’m thinking of another book that’s really similar).

Have you ever told someone you haven’t read a book when you have?

YES. This is usually when it comes to romances because I honestly get such judgmental looks and comments when I say I read and enjoy romance. So for a long time I’ve not mentioned or denied that I read these books… 😒

Have you ever skipped a chapter or a section of a book?

The only times I’ve done this is when I want to DNF a book. I don’t like to DNF but when I really can’t stand the book and want to get through it as quickly as possible, I skip sections and quickly skim chapters.

Have you ever badmouthed a book you actually liked?

My memory is so bad… I really can’t remember if I’ve ever done this but my instinct is to immediately claim no, I haven’t! I honestly can’t see why I would even do such a thing tbh.

I’M TAGGING YOU, LOVELY PERSON READING THIS POST!

#WWWWednesday: 16 October

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

Since the last check in, I’ve managed to finish four books! I’m really loving Mariana Zapata’s books and finished two in the last week alone. Although the formula to her stories isn’t all that complicated and not entirely unpredictable, I really enjoy the journey I go through with her characters. Sometimes it’s just really satisfying to get what you sign up for in these reads, you know? I finished Dear Aaron and Wait For It. Dear Aaron was alright but Wait For It had me smiling constantly. I also finally finished House of Salt and Sorrows and I also read Faker, another contemporary romance.

What are you currently reading?

I started Serpent & Dove yesterday and um… I love it so much?! Lou is so bad ass and why am I developing a soft spot for Reid?! I haven’t had much time to read since my friend is visiting, but I’m really fighting the desire to read this book non-stop! At the same time, because my friend is here I’ve decided that NOW IS THE TIME to start reading Rules for Vanishing. It’s… TERRIFYING. I’ve only managed to read a little bit but my toes are curling thinking about how scary this is sounding. I don’t honestly don’t know if I’ll be ready for the scary shit, with or without my friend here 😅

What will you read next?

I’m still trying to give priority to several eARCs that are well overdue! I’m still hoping to read TH1RT3EN soon because I’ve seen a ton of people posting about it and I think it’d be great to stick to my goal of reading more creepy books this month. I’ve heard great things! Shadow Frost is also a bit of a priority since it was just published earlier this month but I’ve heard so many mixed reviews (mostly not so great ones) that it’s making me reluctant to read it 🤦🏻‍♀️

What are you currently reading? How’s your week going?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Books with Extraordinary Titles

It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: extraordinary book titles (submitted by Elise @ A Book and a Cup). I struggled a little with this one because extraordinary? What exactly makes a title extraordinary? It’s completely subjective, and I’m sure what I’d find extraordinary wouldn’t be the same for someone else. But…here’s a list of book titles (read and unread) that I think are amazing!

READ

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. There was a bit of a trend with these kinds of titles in the last year, but the ½ in this title really intrigued me–how does someone die a half death? Unfortunately for me, I didn’t love the book as much as I enjoyed the title though I know a lot of other people did!

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini. Even if I didn’t know what this story was about, there’s something about this title that just completely pulls me in. I guess that makes it extraordinary to me?

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah. I don’t know if it’s just me, but the image that forms in my mind from reading this title is magical and thus, I think the title is extraordinary. I found the story to be just as enchanting, too!

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. The title of this non-fiction was what caught my attention because I just wanted to know what it could mean and then it ended up being one of my favorite reads of 2018! I was surprised by how quickly I was absorbed by Grann’s writing and highly recommend this if you’re interested in true crime and maybe even learning about the birth of the FBI!

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. I still haven’t written a review for this one, but rest assured I loved it. The build up was agonizingly good and the chemistry between our two MCs was so 🔥 !

UNREAD

Ten Thousand Doors of January by Claudia Gray. I think this title is extraordinary because it brings such a clear image to my mind, but it also makes me want to picture who exactly January is, where these doors lead and how they’re discovered in the first place.

The Library of the Unwritten (A Novel from Hell’s Library #1) by A.J. Hackwith. I mean, a novel from Hell’s Library? Why does that intrigue me so much and why does it make this a must read for me? Again it comes back to the imagery that the title conjures up in my head.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer. There’s something about this title that just pulls at my heartstrings because it brings such a clear image to mind about the characters and the story. I think it’s such an awesome title.

Beneath A Sugar Sky & Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children Series) by Seanan McGuire. To be honest, I find all of the titles for the books in this series absolutely compelling. That’s actually the reason why I wanted to pick it up the books in the first place 😂

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. I remember hearing about this book for the first time when I was a middle-schooler and I found myself absolutely mesmerized by it. The cover also makes me even more intrigued by the premise and title!

What do you think of these titles? What makes a title extraordinary to you? If you’ve done a TTT for today, please leave your links in the comments so I can mosey over to your blog and check it out! 🙂

Down the TBR Hole – 03

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! Y’all, I’m proud to say that I’m down to 1,016 books (four lower than last count). PROUD PANDA 🐼That said, this week is going to be a really quick post of five books because life!

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. The title alone has me hooked and wanting to read this. The premise also totally sounds like something I’ll absolutely love. Who doesn’t love a good SFF romance!?

The Thief Taker by C.S. Quinn. I love historical fiction and enjoy a good dark murder mystery, so I’m really digging the sounds of this one!

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. So… I tried reading Americanah and just couldn’t get into it at the time; I put it down and still haven’t picked it back up again yet. But this is one of Adichie’s most widely praised books and I feel like I might really like it, so I’m planning to give it a chance!

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Same as above really.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. So I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I can’t remember whether I’ve read this or not. I think I might have read this in school but I actually can’t remember either 🙈I know the story though because I’ve seen the movie but I also know that it freaked me out and gave me a little bit of anxiety hahaha

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This week I reviewed 5 and got rid of…. NONE! 😂 Yeah, I’m not booting any of these off my TBR for now… but who knows how I will feel later on if I don’t get to them anytime soon!

Have you read any of these books? How easy is it to cull your TBR list? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Goodreads Monday – 14 October

We’re back with another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.

This week’s book is The Woodcutter by Kate Danley. I honestly really don’t remember adding this to my list on in October last year but the author’s name does ring a bell (not sure from where because I know I haven’t read her books before). This has a rating of 3.69 stars with 9k+ ratings and around 1k+ reviews.

Deep within the Wood, a young woman lies dead. Not a mark on her body. No trace of her murderer. Only her chipped glass slippers hint at her identity.

The Woodcutter, keeper of the peace between the Twelve Kingdoms of Man and the Realm of the Faerie, must find the maiden’s killer before others share her fate. Guided by the wind and aided by three charmed axes won from the River God, the Woodcutter begins his hunt, searching for clues in the whispering dominions of the enchanted unknown.

But quickly he finds that one murdered maiden is not the only nefarious mystery afoot: one of Odin’s hellhounds has escaped, a sinister mansion appears where it shouldn’t, a pixie dust drug trade runs rampant, and more young girls go missing. Looming in the shadows is the malevolent, power-hungry queen, and she will stop at nothing to destroy the Twelve Kingdoms and annihilate the Royal Fae…unless the Woodcutter can outmaneuver her and save the gentle souls of the Wood.

Blending magic, heart-pounding suspense, and a dash of folklore, The Woodcutter is an extraordinary retelling of the realm of fairy tales.

Why do I want to read it?

I LOVE re-tellings and this one sounds like it’s a magical mix of many from the fairy tale realm. I saw the author answered a question by someone asking about a fairy tale and she answered it was a Nordic fairytale, so it seems like she also includes fairy tales from other countries, and more obscure ones too. I’m definitely curious to see how all the stories will come together. My interest is piqued once more!

Have you read The Woodcutter? Do you want to?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [26]

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This Sunday I spent the day in bed with Faker by Sarah Smith. When I heard about this romance earlier in the year, I was super excited to get my hands on it because it’s an enemies-to-lovers romance, plus I’m always keen to see more diverse characters in this genre (the female MC is half Filipina). Have you heard of this one before?

Emmie Echavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men.
From nine to five, Monday through Friday, she’s tough as nails–the complete opposite of her easy-going real self. One thing she doesn’t have to fake? Her disdain for coworker Tate Rasmussen. Tate has been hostile to her since the day they met. Emmie’s friendly greetings and repeated attempts to get to know him failed to garner anything more than scowls and terse one-word answers. Too bad she can’t stop staring at his Thor-like biceps… When Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a charity construction project, things get…heated.
Emmie’s beginning to see that beneath Tate’s chiseled exterior lies a soft heart, but it will take more than a few kind words to erase the past and convince her that what they have is real.

What are you currently reading?

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S SUNDAY. HOW?! I’ve literally spent this weekend tucked up in bed because I’ve been whacked by the red wave out of the blue and I’ve been suffering from more pain than usual. I’ve been feeling so nauseated and dehydrated since Saturday despite drinking almost 2L of water a day, and this tropical heat isn’t helping at all! 🙁Why must we suffer so?! ANYWAY. That’s probably TMI so we’re moving on from this uneventful weekend news 😅

In other news, my bestie who I haven’t seen in four years is arriving tonight and will be staying with me in my shoebox flat for a week! Our friendship is the kind where we can pick up where we left off and I’m so glad that she’ll be visiting me because not only am I really looking forward to the time off I’ll be taking, but I think we both could really use some BFF time. This will mean that I’ll be pretty MIA on the blogosphere for a week or so, but I’m going to try to post as much as possible (and maybe even schedule some posts in advance?)!

Reading & Blogging Recap

I’ve been basically reading non-stop since Friday and managed to finish two books this weekend. If it isn’t obvious from my weekly check-ins and reviews, I’ve been on a little bit of a contemporary romance kick lately! There are books I feel like I “should” be reading right now but all my heart really seems to want is some romance 🤣Mariana Zapata style romance in particular–oh, those epic slow burns are just so damn good! Safe to say that I have been bingeing her books this week and despite them usually being over 650 pages on average, I always finish them in one night because I just CAN’T STOP READING! Aren’t those kinds of books the best? 😊

It’s been a week friends but WordPress is telling me that I’m on a 55-day posting streak so, woo me! But seeing as next week is gonna be hectic I’ll probably end up breaking this streak 😕 Hopefully not but we’ll see. I noticed that I’ve really not been posting reviews lately–I’ve been reading so much but just haven’t felt motivated to write reviews? EEK. I have quite a few to catch up on but I will get back to it. Also, I just wanted to apologize that I’ve been so MIA with engaging with all your wonderful posts. I’ve been feeling a cave-ish lately and have been trying to push out of that mindset, but it’s been a struggle, friends… Thank you all for not deserting me and continuing to engage with me on my blog though! Mad appreciation and love to you all 💜For now, here’s a wrap up of all the posts I did this week, in case you missed them:

Top 5 Saturday: Books that Cast A Spell On Me!
#Blogtober: Witchy YA
Friday Favorites: Childhood Favorites (Pt. II)
First Lines Friday: 11 October
Review: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
The Netgalley Book Tag!
#Blogtober: Reading Challenge Update
eARC Review: My Life as Marlee by Victoria Anders
WWWWednesday: 09 October
#TopTenTuesday: Falling in Love with Book Characters!
eARC Graphic Novel Review: Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu
Down the TBR Hole – 03
Goodreads Monday: 07 October

I’m leaving you with one of the tracks that has been on constant repeat for me this week. YEBBA’s voice is MAGIC. Not only does her sultry tone suck you in but her range and power is incredible! And honestly I’m just a sucker for Mark Ronson 💚

How has your week been? Hope everyone has/had a great weekend!
Let me know how you’re doing in the comments and let’s chat, friends 🙂

Top 5 Saturday: Books That Cast A Spell On Me!

It’s time for another Top 5 Saturday, a weekly meme created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and this week’s topic is: books that cast a spell on me. I think this topic is pretty open to interpretation; it can be about a book that wrapped you up completely in its story, it can be a book whose cover enchanted you, it can be a magical/witchy story. For this one I think I’m going to look at five books that cast a spell on me by completely wrapping me up in its story, only to spit me out at the end in a daze (almost always very satisfied with the ending and most of the time also emotionally destroyed).

After hearing so much hype about this book, I read it together with a group of bookstagram buddies in June and it completely shattered me. I a crying hot mess by the end of this story–and I’m not just talking about silent tears, it was the ugly kind of crying where I couldn’t catch my breath. This book honestly sucked me in so much that I felt like I’d never been SO INVESTED in the lives of book characters before I read it. Obviously, that’s not true, but the story swept me up completely and I was lost in both Isabelle and Vianne’s lives. If you love historical fiction set during WWII/the Holocaust, strong/bad ass female characters, sister relationships, and a touch of romance, then read this book!

I literally just finished this book yesterday and every time I picked this book up, I felt completely immersed in this terrifying gothic tale. It’s like a shroud of creeping horror would be pulled over my head each time I started reading it again (you can get I made sure to only read it during the day)! It was really unique and I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before. It was definitely refreshing to read a retelling based one of the more obscure fairytales by the Brothers Grimm.

I honestly don’t know what to say about this book other than it gave me the biggest book hangover of my life. I wasn’t able to focus on another book for almost a month after finishing ALL! I also spent a full day in bed after finishing it bawling my eyes out and basically scaring everyone at home who came to check on me to make sure I was well (I WASN’T). This is probably one of the most difficult books I’ve read emotionally and mentally. There’s a lot of criticism against it but also a lot of praise for it–I kind of feel like there’s no middle ground when it comes to ALL. But I was completely in it all the way to the heartbreaking end. THIS BOOK.

This book has been shared a lot every where by everyone and I think by now a lot of people are sick of hearing it always be recommended (same might go for The Nightingale actually lol). But the way Owens wrote about the marsh teeming full of all kinds of life, and about Kya, the Marsh Girl, who absolutely stole my heart, definitely cast a spell on me. This was a very slow paced novel, but it was so atmospheric, I felt I could smell the tang of the salt from the sea, the dragging humidity of the marsh, and the call of the wildlife all around me. It was beautifully written and one of my favorites this year!

I’ve mentioned this book frequently on this blog. This was my first Gaiman and it was what made me want to catapult myself into the wildly bizarre and captivating worlds in his stories. I was enchanted by the dark and magical elements of London Below. I love stories that write an alternate reality of places I’ve been and am somewhat familiar with. My imagination would love to believe much of it is true, although it would also be terrifying.

What are the books that cast a spell on you? Any of these get you like they did me? I’d love to know in the comments below! Let’s chat! 😂

#Blogtober: Witchy YA

If you haven’t heard, Blogtober is a month of blogging every single day, and thanks to Anniek and Haf, we’ve been gifted with a list of autumn/halloween related prompts for every day this month! Woo, lookie me posting my second blogtober post so soon after writing my first 😂 Who am I even?! Seriously though, I didn’t think that I’d join in again so soon and I still don’t know if I’ll participate every day, but I’ve decided to join in for today’s prompt on Witchy YA. I don’t read a lot of books about witches because most of the time my mind immediately jumps spooky witchy things and we all know by now that spooky and me do not jam. But I know that they’re not all super spooky and here are a list of the ones that I do like the sound of and want to read (hopefully soon)!

Hannah’s a witch, but not the kind you’re thinking of. She’s the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she’s ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah’s concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah’s sure it’s the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica. While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she’s going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem’s witches become deadlier by the day.

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.
Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home. Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself. In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead. Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch. A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after. But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.

Akata Witch transports the reader to a magical place where nothing is quite as it seems. Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied. But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged in to the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset. Together, Sunny, Orlu, Chichi and Sasha form the youngest ever Oha Coven. Their mission is to track down Black Hat Otokoto, the man responsible for kidnapping and maiming children. Will Sunny be able to overcome the killer with powers stronger than her own, or will the future she saw in the flames become reality?

To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.

All the women in Iris and Malina’s family have the unique magical ability or “gleam” to manipulate beauty. Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, while Malina interprets moods as music. But their mother has strict rules to keep their gifts a secret, even in their secluded sea-side town. Iris and Malina are not allowed to share their magic with anyone, and above all, they are forbidden from falling in love. But when their mother is mysteriously attacked, the sisters will have to unearth the truth behind the quiet lives their mother has built for them. They will discover a wicked curse that haunts their family line—but will they find that the very magic that bonds them together is destined to tear them apart forever?

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Have you read any of these witchy YA reads or are they also on your TBR?Leave me a comment below and let’s chat!