Cover Runway Sunday

 

They say don't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes it's the cover that originally catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer.

When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.

Then a coded message from Kiva’s family arrives, containing a single order: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.

But no one has ever survived.

With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.

HAPPY READING!!

Stick a Flag in it - Review

Author: Arran Lomas

Genre: Nonfiction

Format: Ebook

Pages: 442

I received a free copy of this via Netgalley for my honest review.

The first thing that caught my eye about this book is its name. It reminds me of the Eddie Izzard, 'Do you a flag?' joke. The second thing was the cover itself. One of my favorite kinds of nonfiction books is the one that tells the stories of the weird and wacky things that happened throughout history. So I couldn't pass this one up, and it really didn't disappoint. 

Stick a Flag in It hooked me from the very start. The chapter titles themselves are hilarious and set each chapter up with a quick anecdote. The humor carries throughout the books with Arran Lomas throwing in his own opinions here and there. There are also a decent amount of comparisons that pull the effects of some of these events into the modern-day to show it's not all just dusty old history.

Each chapter is packed full of information, but I never found myself confused or lost. In fact, I was able to keep up with each chapter and follow along with the history. The chapters are small so it never felt like pieces were dragging along, and I enjoyed the little breaks of fun and strange, little facts between chapters. 

My only complaint about the chapters is the ones talking about the creation of the banks and during the American Revolution. I found the former dull and those papers seemed to drag on, and since I went to school in the US I have had the American Revolution beat into my skull through every single history class I've taken. 

The book moves along quickly enough, and I like that the timeline jump along quickly. It doesn't feel like it drags on through the years. Arran Lomas picks what he thinks is the most bizarre parts of a decade and throws into a fun narration and not only reaches but had me laughing out loud. 

I found myself reading quite a bit of this book out loud to my roommate. 

The only real complaint with the whole thing is I wished I would have a physical copy to read. This is one of those books I'd love to highlight passages and tab pages. Sadly I couldn't do that with the Netgalley version.

All-and-all I thought it was great and I really enjoyed it. This is definitely one I'd recommend to friends and would be something I would gladly add to my shelves. I also need to check out Arran Lomas's Youtube Channel, Thoughty2.

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about what we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Simon Frost lives in a curious place, where magic is used by the very best Animists to do wondrous things—like call upon imps, wraiths, and all manner of monsters too right wrongs, deliver justice, and accomplish feats no human could achieve.

Simon Frost is not one of those Animists, though he’s been trying to become one for years. 

When a plea arrives from a distant hamlet, preyed upon by an abominable monster, Simon sees the opportunity to finally prove his worth.

But upon arriving in the tiny village, Simon finds not just a monster but a key to his past—and a pathway into an unbelievable future.

Why I'm Waiting: This just sounds adorable and fun.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

People say the house is cursed.
It preys on the weakest, and young women are its favorite victims.
In Louth, they're called the Dead Girls.

All Bram wanted was to disappear—from her old life, her family's past, and from the scandal that continues to haunt her. The only place left to go is Louth, the tiny town on the Hudson River where her uncle, James, has been renovating an old mansion.
But James is haunted by his own ghosts. Months earlier, his beloved wife died in a fire that people say was set by her daughter. The tragedy left James a shell of the man Bram knew—and destroyed half the house he'd so lovingly restored.
The manor is creepy, and so are the locals. The people of Louth don't want outsiders like Bram in their town, and with each passing day she's discovering that the rumors they spread are just as disturbing as the secrets they hide. Most frightening of all are the legends they tell about the Dead Girls. Girls whose lives were cut short in the very house Bram now calls home.
The terrifying reality is that the Dead Girls may have never left the manor. And if Bram looks too hard into the town's haunted past, she might not either. 

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

This was a really cute revamping of classic fables with bright and fun artwork. It held a lot of nostalgia for me. I like the hodge-podge of animals that pop into the pages. I could see how fun this would be to read outloud with your kids. It was a cute and quick afternoon for readers of all ages.

I'm a geek for Mike Mignola! He's an instant buy author for me, since I first read Hellboy. So I know of Sir Edward Grey, and I finally started this series. I really liked it. I thought the story moved really quickly, and the artwork fits into the Mignola universe that I love. They mystery itself unfolded nicely. I really wished we'd have gotten to keep some of the side characters we met along the way, but we can't always get what we want. I did enjoy the fact that we got two mini stories at the end that tied into the main story. I'm excited for volume two to arrive.

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

 

They say don't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes it's the cover that originally catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

The small town of Pickman Flats offers a bright sunny place filled with quaint shopping and wine tasting. But underneath the town's inviting exterior lies a dark underbelly, a sinister element that lurks in the shadows.

Clare is a devoted vegan who goes to Catholic high school, is fastidious in her manner, and also, well, a killer. The Other Clare takes over at the most inopportune of times. She tries to keep her inner beast at bay, but it's hard when there are so many creeps around who help to unleash it.

What secret lies hidden beneath Pickman Flats? And who is Clare really?

If you want answers, well…there’s only one way to find out—even if it kills you.

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about what we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Ren Kolins is a silver wielder—a dangerous thing to be in the kingdom of Erdis, where magic has been outlawed for a century. Ren is just trying to survive, sticking to a life of petty thievery, card games, and pit fighting to get by. But when a wealthy rebel leader discovers her secret, he offers her a fortune to join his revolution. The caveat: she won’t see a single coin until they overthrow the King.

Behind the castle walls, a brutal group of warriors known as the King’s Children is engaged in a competition: the first to find the rebel leader will be made King’s Fang, the right hand of the King of Erdis. And Adley Farre is hunting down the rebels one by one, torturing her way to Ren and the rebel leader, and the coveted King’s Fang title.

But time is running out for all of them, including the youngest Prince of Erdis, who finds himself pulled into the rebellion. Political tensions have reached a boiling point, and Ren and the rebels must take the throne before war breaks out.

Why I'm Waiting: This sounds like it's going to impossible to put down.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

They whisper about her in Chicago. Men come to her with their hopes, their dreams--their fortunes. But no one sees them leave. No one sees them at all after they come to call on the Widow of La Porte. The good people of Indiana may have their suspicions, but if those fools knew what she'd given up, what was taken from her, how she'd suffered, surely they'd understand. Belle Gunness learned a long time ago that a woman has to make her own way in this world. That's all it is. A bloody means to an end. A glorious enterprise meant to raise her from the bleak, colorless drudgery of her childhood to the life she deserves. After all, vermin always survive.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

I read the first issue of this eight years ago when it first came out, it was excited to finally jump back into this series. I really like this take on the Holmes canon. The mystery is solid and I enjoy both Sherlock and Watson in this one. Sherlock and Mycroft are a little more human in this story and the mystery is solid. I like the art is a bit gritty as well, it adds to the whole set up. It's hard to put down, and moves at a quick enough pace you don't want to. I also like that we get an epilogue that touches base on the mystery that starts the whole story off. My only issues with this are there are quite a bit of typos and a few times the panels were too small and you weren't really sure who was talking. Other than those two things it's a solid story and I'm excited to get my hands on volume two. 

Delightful! This is a super cute story about Badger and Skunk learning to live together. It's never easy learning to go from living alone, to living with a roommate. Things change, but not always for the worse. I thought this was a fun way to learn about cohabitating even when you seem like complete opposites. I loved the artwork in this as well and a great way to see the world Skunk and Badger live in. A fun chapter book for Middle Grade and Adult readers alike.

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

 

They say don't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes it's the cover that originally catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

'Humans, as is there won't, have a terrible habit of making a mess of everything.'

Mirabelle has always known she is a monster. When the glamour protecting her unusual family from the human world is torn and an orphaned brother and sister stumble upon Rookhaven, Mirabelle soon discovers that friendship can be found in the outside world.

But as something far more sinister comes to threaten them all, it quickly becomes clear that the true monsters aren't necessarily the ones you can see.

A thought-provoking, chilling, and beautifully written novel, Pádraig Kenny's The Monsters of Rookhhaven, stunningly illustrated by Edward Bettison, explore difference and empathy through the eyes of characters you won't want to let go.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

This was absolutely adorable! The story was fun and ridiculous, especially the end. A fun story to read aloud to your kids, or something fun for the kids at heart. Chris Riddel's artwork is bright, fun, and my favorite part. While I'm always a geek for Gaiman, I'll pick up anything that Riddell has illustrated.

This series as has been on my TBR forever and for the usually reasons I've never picked them up. Totally worth the wait. Kate Beaton's art mixed with the fact she's historian made for a fun read. Beaton's art is done like newspaper comic strips, and I loved her little foot notes at the end. Each strip and page is a small history lesson. I learned few things, I Googled a few things, and I had enjoyed my time with this book. I'm excited to read the next book!

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about what we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Damelas Shademantaigne picked a poor night to flee a judicial duel.

He has precious little hope of escaping the wrath of the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city until he stumbles through the stage doors of the magnificent Operato Belleza and tricks his way into the company of actors. An archaic law provides a temporary respite from his troubles - until one night a ghostly voice in his head causes Damelas to fumble his lines, inadvertently blurting out a dreadful truth: the city's most legendary hero may actually be a traitor and a brutal murderer.

With only the help of his boisterous and lusty friend Bereto, a beautiful assassin whose target may well be Damelas himself, and a company of misfit actors who'd just as soon see him dead, this failed son of two Greatcoats must somehow find within himself the courage to dig up long-buried truths before a ruthless band of bravos known as the Iron Orchids come for his head.

Oh, and there's still that matter of the Vixen waiting to duel him . . .

Why I'm Waiting: Because despite not having yet read any of Sebastien De Castell's books, they always call to me! 

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

A historical YA novel that takes place during the Greenwood Massacre of 1921, in an area of Tulsa, OK, known as the Black Wall Street.

Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Wilson is, on the surface, a town troublemaker, but is hiding that he is an avid reader and secret poet, never leaving home without his journal. A passionate follower of WEB. Du Bois, he believes that black people should rise up to claim their place as equals.

Sixteen-year-old Angel Hill is a loner, mostly disregarded by her peers as a goody-goody. Her father is dying, and her family’s financial situation is in turmoil. Also, as a loyal follower of Booker T. Washington, she believes, through education and tolerance, that black people should rise slowly and without forced conflict.

Though they’ve attended the same schools, Isaiah never noticed Angel as anything but a dorky, Bible-toting church girl. Then their English teacher offers them a job on her mobile library, a three-wheel, two-seater bike. Angel can’t turn down the money and Isaiah is soon eager to be in such close quarters with Angel every afternoon.

But life changes on May 31, 1921, when a vicious white mob storms the community of Greenwood, leaving the town destroyed and thousands of residents displaced. Only then, Isaiah, Angel, and their peers realize who their real enemies are.

HAPPY READING!!