Thanks to NetGalley, Feiwel & Friends, and author June Hur for providing the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Silence of Bones Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Release date: 21 April 2020 Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
Panda Rating:
I have a mouth, but I mustn’t speak; Ears, but I mustn’t hear; Eyes, but I mustn’t see.
1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.
As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder. But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.
June Hur’s elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.
Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly featurefor book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?Here are the rules:
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!
First lines:
“If I believe in omens, this would be a bad one. There’s only one suitcase left on the baggage carousel. It’s bright pink, covered with Hello Kitty stickers, and definitely not mine.”
Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?
We’re back with another Top 5 Saturday! I might’ve missed last week’s topic but I will come back to it at some point 🙂 Just in case you don’t know Top 5 Saturday is a weekly meme created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and it’s where we list the top five books (they can be books on your TBR, favourite books, books you loved/hated) based on the week’s topic. You can see the upcoming schedule at the end of my post 🙂 This week’s topic is: books to read while stuck inside/quarantined!
I’ve seen a lot of book bloggers making recommendation lists about what books to read while most of us are stuck inside, WFH, quarantined, self-isolating etc. We’re all looking for either comfort or an escape from what’s going on right now. I know I’m especially avoiding the politics of this pandemic and how the Indonesian government has been handling the situation (real piss poor for effort, mate). So this Saturday I’m going to be looking at five books on my immediate TBR that I’m planning to read during this quarantine period (that for me will last until the end of May)!
It is a year after the action of One of Us Is Lying, and someone has started playing a game of Truth or Dare. But this is no ordinary Truth or Dare. This game is lethal. Choosing the truth may reveal your darkest secrets, accepting the dare could be dangerous, even deadly. The teenagers of Bayview must work together once again to find the culprit, before it’s too late . . .
My first pick would be One of Us is Next. I love a good murder mystery and don’t often read them in YA so I’m really excited for this sequel! OOUIL sucked me in and I’m hoping this will do the job of taking my mind off reality. I’m also a total sucker for this paperback version that has awesome sprayed edges 😍
It’s 2020 and I’m back with my first Down the TBR Hole post of the year! As of right now, my Goodreads TBR is a whopping 1,052 books and I thought I’d make it clear that just because it’s on my Goodreads TBR doesn’t actually mean all these books are on my physical or Kindle shelves (I wish I could afford to own that many books)! With that out of the way, I’m hoping to start the year off strong and boot a few more books off my list. Let’s see how I do today!
Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Storythat 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.
Goodreads: Sadie Genre: Young Adult Thriller, Mystery, Audiobook Panda Rating:
A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. And an ending you won’t be able to stop talking about.
Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.
But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.
When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.
I’m really surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this story. I had seen very mixed reviews and the more people said they were disappointed by it, the more I hesitated to read it, but I started it on a whim and I certainly don’t regret the decision! Sadie is a young adult mystery/crime thriller told through an interesting format: a mix of podcast and first person POV. It delves into pretty dark topics including child abuse (off page) and drug/alcohol abuse and addiction. It’s not a happy story by any means and there isn’t much of a happy ending (though tbh, I’m still a little salty about that ending!), but I think it’s worth the read.
Yes, I’m well aware it’s no longer Sunday but wow, this weekend went by so quickly and didn’t feel like a weekend at all… So we’re back with another SundaysMondays 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!
I spent yesterday stuck in a car for about 9 hours because of roadwork that caused major traffic. Fun times. But that meant I got to spend more time with Sadie. So glad I decided to follow this one on audiobook because the full-cast was really great and helped me build a deeper connection with the characters, which I feel wouldn’t have happened had I only read the book.
A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. And an ending you won’t be able to stop talking about.
Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.
But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.
When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.
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 Sadie by Courtney Summers. Well, I’ve had this one on my list for quite some time now (added in September 2018)! Sadie has pretty great rating statistics on Goodreads: an average rating of 4.18 stars with 39,121 ratings and 9,949 reviews.
A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. And an ending you won’t be able to stop talking about.
Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.
But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.
When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.
Why do I want to read it?
I’ve heard a lot about this book and much of it is mixed ! I’m getting the feeling that you either really love/hate this book and there’s very little feeling in between. That said, the cover has always pulled me in (I remember seeing it for the first time and thinking: MUST TO HAVING)! I don’t know what it is about it, but I love it. I’ve also heard that listening to this as an audiobook really enhances the reading experience, as the story is told partly in podcast format. I’ve never read anything in podcast style before so it’ll be interesting and I’m definitely looking forward to it!
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 Furies by Katie Lowe. This is one of the more recent additions to my want-to-read shelf on GR (April 2019). I think I was adding books to my tbr like crazy at this point but I do remember hearing of it and liking the sound of it. It has a 3.21 rating from 1,159 ratings and 517 reviews!
In 1998, a sixteen-year-old girl is found dead on school property, dressed in white and posed on a swing, with no known cause of death. The novel opens with this image, as related to us by the narrator, Violet, looking back on the night it happened from the present day, before returning to relate the series of events leading up to the girl’s murder.
After an accident involving her Dad and sister, Violet joins Elm Hollow Academy, a private girls school in a quiet coastal town, which has an unpleasant history as the site of famous 17th century witch trials. Violet quickly finds herself invited to become the fourth member of an advanced study group, alongside Robin, Grace, and Alex – led by their charismatic art teacher, Annabel.
While Annabel claims her classes aren’t related to ancient rites and rituals – warning the girls off the topic, describing it as little more than mythology – the girls start to believe that magic is real, and that they can harness it. But when the body of a former member of the society – Robin’s best friend, with whom Violet shares an uncanny resemblance – is found dead on campus nine months after she disappeared, Violet begins to wonder whether she can trust her friends, teachers, or even herself.
Why do I want to read it?
I don’t read many thrillers and when I do they’re definitely not YA, so I’m always looking for more from this genre to read. The synopsis is giving me minor The Craft vibes, a movie that scared the holy schnitzels out of me when I was a kid and saw it on TV. As an adult the thought that this could be “craft-like” creeps me out but also has me curious, and it does sound more murder-mystery than paranormal possession, so that’s always good because the latter is definitely not my jam! The cover also always pulls my eye (this one especially, I don’t really like the other cover). I’ve heard tons of mixed reviews about this one though, with many people saying they were disappointed by it and that it wasn’t what they were expecting. I’m still curious though so I think I’ll keep it on my TBR.
Have you read The Furies or is it on your TBR too?Let’s chat!
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: books with numbers in the title and the minute I read the prompt, my mind drew a straight blank. Had I actually read any books with numbers in the title? Thankfully I have my awesome buddy that’s known as Goodreads to help me figure this out! I found a few titles but I’m not sure if there are enough to amount to ten, so let’s see how it goes!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Read earlier this year, it is probably one of my 2019 favorites! I had a completely different idea of the book at the start, but wow, was I pleasantly surprised by what was served. TJR has a way of making you feel everything.
One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. I devoured this story in one sitting (literally from 6pm – 4am) because I didn’t want to put this down! This was my first YA thriller and I was so pleasantly surprised with the Breakfast Club + Gossip Girl + HTGAWM vibes of the story. So good!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. There were some minor slow spots but I was so surprised by how quickly and how much I loved this book. RPO took me on a helluva 80s trip through music and gaming and it was incredible!
Marriage for One by Ella Maise. 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 🔥 !
Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo. I think I read this two years ago and while I remember genuinely loving it, I also can’t remember much of it now? 🙃 Writing reviews has done wonders for my memory, so I’m looking forward to reading this again, and reviewing it this time!
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. This was probably my fifth or sixth Jodi Picoult book after I discovered her in high school. You can do a lot of things in nineteen minutes and one thing is to get revenge. This is a story about a school shooting, and it was heartbreaking and extremely hard hitting.
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. My third TJR read of the year and it certainly solidified her as one of my auto-buy and new favorite authors! I was worried the hype would let me down, but I needn’t have worried because WOWZER. I loved it (and the full-cast audiobook)!
Have you read many titles with numbers in them? 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! 🙂
Friends, it’s August tomorrow. We’re eight months into the year and… I don’t even know what I’ve done with my year besides read! I think it’s kind of scary how quickly time is going. Don’t you think? Or is it really just me? Lol It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:
What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?
What did you read last?
My recent ‘big finish’ was Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Daisy Jones is probably one of the most hyped up books in 2019 and I admit to a great load of wariness in picking it up because even though I’ve loved everything that I’ve read by TJR so far, I was worried this one would let me down. Let me put those shameful thoughts to rest right now because wow, I really had nothing to worry about. I absolutely LOVED it. I will be posting a longer review on my blog soon (because I really can’t stop gushing about it) but for now, you can read my review up on Goodreads! After finishing Daisy Jones on Monday, I was a little worried about having an epic book hangover so I decided to read a fluffy romance (or two). I finished That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1) by Meghan Quinn and The Consequence of Falling by Claire Contreras. Reviews coming soon!
What are you currently reading?
I’m kind of not reading anything at the moment? I really can’t decide what to pick up next after finishing The Consequences of Falling earlier today. I feel like I’m still in that ‘book hangover zone’ from Daisy, so I’m wondering if I should stick to romance (The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker), move on to some thrilling YA (Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson) or if I should just pick up a fantasy that I’ve been wanting to read for a while (We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal)? I might be reading all three of these before the night is over 😬
What will you read next?
I have a feeling that my buddy read for A Spark of Light has fallen through because nobody is saying anything in the group chat (lol) but if I’m in the mood for it, I think I’ll still pick it up. There are also some ARCs that I want to get to and I’m considering participating in ARC August(?) that I’ve seen a few people mention. I’ve got a few that are fairly overdue and my guilt is kind of eating away at me but I’m also so good at ignoring it? This is why being a mood reader can be so frustrating sometimes!
What are you currently reading? How do you avoid a book hangover?! Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂
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