Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Love That Were Written More Than 10 Years Ago

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Love That Were Written More Than 10 Years Ago

This week’s TTT is all about books we love that were written before 2012! Looking through my Goodreads shelves, it's interesting to see how long ago some of my favorites were written and published! Some of them feel like just yesterday. (Although just to be clear, And Then There Were None was published way, way before I was born! 😆)

1. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine (2006)

2. The Revenant by Sonia Gensler (2011)

3. If She Only Knew by Lisa Jackson (2000)

4. Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore (2011)

5. The Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan (2001-2003)

6. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh (2010)

7. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939)

8. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (1996)

9. Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill (2009)

10. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie (2010)

***

What books do you love that were written more than 10 years ago? Did any of mine make your list? Let me know in the comments or drop a link to your TTT!

Happy Reading Bookdragons!

-Taylor

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 25 July 2022

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Bookdragons! I had a decent reading week last week. I worked last Monday night so I had six solid hours of reading and was almost able to finish Surviving Savannah. I came home, slept, and then finished listening to the audiobook. That's what I love about nightshifts, usually I can spend 80% of my shift reading. 

What I Read Last Week: 

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan

Mini Review:

This book was beautifully written, painstakingly researched, and so moving. When I first looked up this book, I had never heard of the Pulaski disaster but I put it on my TBR because I'm planning a trip to Savannah in the next year and love to get the feel for places I'm visiting through books. Now? Now I'm completely obsessed with the fascinating, horrific tale of the doomed steamship, Pulaski. Full Review here.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Currently Reading:

The City of Dusk by Tara Sim

I was able to make about 30 pages process in The City of Dusk last week. I'm thinking of getting the audiobook edition to see if I can move through it quicker. 

My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey

I started reading this one on Thursday and I'm almost finished with it. It's as spicy as I was expecting from reading It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line, and Sinker. I'm also really enjoying the mystery aspect of it. Did I mention the female main character is named Taylor? (like me!)

Next Read

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

I've been wanting to read this one since it came out. I'm a bit nervous when a book comps itself to Crimson Peak (my favorite movie) but I'm hoping to really enjoy this one. 

I have a few upcoming September ARCS to read but I'll focus on those next week.  

*** 

 What are you reading this week? Have you read any of my recent reads?

{Book Review} MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE by Alex Light

 

Meet Me In The Middle by Alex Light

About the Book:

Release Date: July 12, 2022

Publisher: Harperteen

Genre: YA Contemporary

Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook

Pages: 384

A romance interrupted by tragedy sets two people on different paths in Wattpad superstar Alex Light’s latest YA romance.

Eden had her best friend Katie—she didn’t need anyone else. But then there was Truman.

Katie’s older brother, the artist. The recluse. The boy with the innocent smile and the dangerous eyes.

Eden had never really known Truman—not until the night of Katie’s accident. That was the night they’d finally let each other into their orbits—only to have the sky come crashing down on them.

With Katie in the hospital and Truman fleeing from his grief without a word, Eden is left alone to grapple with her own pain. But when Truman returns to the city, can Eden let him back into her life knowing that their first kiss is what tore their world apart?

Wattpad superstar Alex Light is back with another poignant romance perfect for fans of Jennifer Dugan and Laura Taylor Namey.

Buy the Book:

Amazon | Add to Goodreads | Bookshop.org

My Review:

I really enjoyed this book! It’s fast paced, well written, and grabs you right from the start. It also really handles grief in a beautiful way. I don't read Contemporary YA very often but something about this book just spoke to me from the first time I read about it. It gave me all the feels and I couldn't put it down. 

My only drawbacks were that I didn't really care much for Eden as a character in the beginning. She definitely needed time to grow on me. Truman however I loved right away. I would have liked to see more depth to the side characters as well. And it would be great to see what happened to the characters a little bit down the line. 

Overall, this is a really nice read that I think teen and adult readers alike are going to love. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟.75

{Book Review} MARY, WILL I DIE? by Shawn Sarles

 

Mary, Will I Die? 

Standalone

Shawn Sarles

YA Horror

304 Pages, Hardcover, eBook

September 7, 2021 from Scholastic Press

Blurb:

Bestselling author Shawn Sarles' most terrifying YA horror yet...

It starts innocently enough. Four kids - three girls, one boy - are at one of their houses, playing games. One of them has read about "Bloody Mary" and the idea that if you look into a mirror and say her name thirteen times, she will show you the future. Some legends say she'll show you your one true love or a skull to mark your death within five years. Others say that conjuring Bloody Mary will bring her into your world.

Both sets of legends are true. The kids go through with the act, saying her name thirteen times. One girl looks in the mirror and sees her longtime crush. One girl looks in the mirror and sees the boy in the group. But she pretends to see something else. One girl looks in the mirror and sees a girl she's never seen before but can't get out of her mind. And the boy . . . he sees a skull. But he pretends to see something else. They try to laugh it off. And mostly they forget about it. Or at least they don't talk about it. Yes, over the next few years, whenever they look into a mirror, it's like there's always another figure standing in the background, getting closer.

Just short of five years later, the four of them are no longer friends, having gone on separate paths. The girl whose house it was has always tried to avoid the mirror they used - because she always sensed someone in the background. One morning as she's passing by, she sees much more than her own reflection - it's a scary figure taunting her. She startles and breaks the mirror. When the pieces are put back together (barely), the figure is gone.

That day in school, a new girl arrives. Her name is Mary...

My Review:

Elena, Steph, Calvin, and Grace used to all ride to school together when they were younger. One afternoon as a tornado is coming in Elena, who really doesn't like any of the others, takes them upstairs into her deceased grandmother's room and shows them the mirror. It starts out as a game to kill boredom. Stand in front of the mirror and say her name 13 times and Bloody Mary will show you an image of your true love or will show that you're going to die within five years. One girl sees the boy she's crushing on, one girl sees a girl she's never seen before, the third girl sees the boy, and the boy sees Bloody Mary. 

Five years later they four are no longer friends and the game is a distant memory. Elena is the most popular girl in school, Steph is tall and awkward but a star on the volleyball court, Calvin is a loner who draws in his sketchbook all the time, and Grace is a horror movie obsessed outcast. But as strange, horrifying things begin happening the four will have to reunite to vanquish an ancient evil. 

I found it difficult at times to like Grace and Steph and I absolutely hated Elena, even at the end of the book. I did read this book pretty quickly, despite not loving it. It was a fast read and I'm always up for anything to do with the Bloody Mary urban legend but it was just an okay read for me. Maybe it's because I'm past YA age, but I feel the book could have been scarier. The ending came together really quickly and was a little underwhelming. 

Overall, this book will probably be great for younger teens and is a nice read for the spooky season but it was a bit of a letdown for me. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟

3.75 of 5 Stars!

{Book Review} GRAVEBRIAR by Casey L. Bond

  

Gravebriar

Standalone

Casey L. Bond

Released: March 19, 2021

Indy Pub

Blurb:

Sometimes witches hunt their own…

Someone knows my secret and they’re wielding it as the weapon of my execution. I stand accused of poisoning my Gravebriar coven mate. To my fatal regret, I can’t prove my innocence without revealing the truth I’ve long kept hidden: while every other Gravebriar witch are green witches and healers, my magic lies in poisons.

There is one witch who believes me – the same boy who was sent to kill me with instructions to pluck the briars that sprouted from my grave – the only cure for a Gravebriar witch. Forge Silverthorn will be my undoing… or my salvation.

He claims there is a malicious plot vining through the witch town of Cauldron that threatens to tighten around my throat in a deadly noose. Promising I can escape by seeking the help of a banished witch who hides our kind in plain sight, he leads me to a dark circus full of witches.

The ringmaster will only help us if we agree to join his circus of uncanny tricks and diabolical feats for two nights only, using our magic to thrill his patrons. In exchange for our participation under the big top, he’ll divulge the information I need to save my coven mate and clear my name.

But when dark secrets emerge from the shadows of this promised sanctuary, I’m forced to decide if I can truly trust anyone, especially Forge… my would-be executioner, my coven’s sworn enemy, and my could-be love.

My Review:

I'd been meaning to read this one since it first came out and now I wish I'd read it sooner!

I loved everything about this book. The town of Cauldron was fascinating, an entire city of witches. It was really interesting reading about the different types of witches in this world and the amazing things they could do. Everything was so vividly described so as to give the reader a perfect visual. I felt like I was right there in the story.

Castor was a character I could really connect with and I loved her chemistry with Forge. Anyone that likes enemies-to-lovers will really love watching them together. Their heat steams right off the page. 

I also really liked the carnival Castor and Forge end up at and the twist that is uncovered there. 

Overall, I couldn't stop reading this book. I literally was sneaking sections of it while I was at work because I had to see what was going to happen next. I would love to see something more in this world because I really hated leaving it when the book was finished. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

{Book Review} ROOTS OF RUIN by Amber Mitchell

  

Roots of Ruin

Garden of Thorns Book 3

Amber Mitchell

Released: August 16, 2021 by Entangled Teen

Blurb:

They did the impossible, but their problems are far from over…

After freeing the Delmarion empire, Rose and Rayce must go to Varsha, the desert home Rose fled when she was a child—the country she’s meant to rule.

Rayce is the new emperor of Delmar, Varsha’s longtime enemy, but that won’t stop him from assisting the girl he loves. Armed with the brute force of Rayce’s military, Rose sets out to free her people from the oppressive rule of the usurper king who killed her father.

But even if they win, how can she be queen to her homeland and in love with the man ruling its bitter enemy? With her loyalties split between heart and crown, Rose must find a way to do the impossible again…unite two kingdoms at war, or sacrifice half of herself to save the other.

My Review:

I often think of this series because I really loved the first two books and was hoping for there to be a third book so I was happy when I was given an eARC to read. 

It's been a couple years since the second book came out and I definitely needed a refresher on where we left off. I do recommend rereading or at least refreshing yourself on the previous two books before starting this one.

Rose has grown so much as a character from the first book and it's been so rewarding watching her character arc. 

We start Roots of Ruin with peace in Delmar now that Rayce is the new Emperor but Rose and Rayce are unable to touch due to a method used to save Rayce's life in book two. And what of Rose's homeland? Don't worry, there is plenty of action and swoonworthy moments in this book and it leaves readers with a satisfying end in this truly fantastic trilogy. 

Overall, this book was well worth the wait and I'm so happy to have read this series. I highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

I Can't Wait For... All of Us Villains

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.

I saw this one in a publisher's newsletter and added it to my TBR...

All of Us Villains

All of Us Villains Book 1

by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 400 Pages
November 9, 2021 by Tor Teen

Blurb:

The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins.

Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death.

The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world--one thought long depleted.

This year, thanks to a salacious tell-all book, the seven champions are thrust into worldwide spotlight, granting each of them new information, new means to win, and most importantly: a choice - accept their fate or rewrite their story.

But this is a story that must be penned in blood.

Add to Goodreads | Amazon | Snowbound Books (Help Support My Favorite Indie Bookstore)

***

Will you be checking this book out? 

{Cover Reveal} STEALING INFINITY by ALYSON NOEL

 

Hey Bookdragons! Today I'm excited to help Entangled Teen share with you the gorgeous cover of Alyson Noel's upcoming novel, STEALING INFINITY! When I signed up for the reveal I just knew the reveal was a surprise, not who the author was going to be but I'm so pleased to see that it's one of my favorite authors! Check out the gorgeous cover below and add it to your Goodreads TBR!

About the Book

Title: Stealing Infinity

Author: Alyson Noel

Release Date: February 2, 2022

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Time-Travel

Blurb:

When a young girl with an usual gift is whisked away to an academy for time-travelling teens, she becomes the target for a sinister organization hell-bent on rewriting history in this clever and fast-paced YA that is guaranteed to become your next fantasy romance obsession.

Add to Goodreads

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 4 January 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! Happy New Year! I hope you're off to good reading so far this year. My reading goal this year is to read more books I actually own before buying more.

What I Read Last Week: 

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

I had planned to start 2021 with a different book but I'm trying to pack up my books to move and this one was on the top of my book cart. It was just an okay read. I liked the forest and I liked the fox but I loathed the main character (for no real reason that I could think of). It didn't stand out to me and I'm sure if you ask me a month from now I'll have forgotten entirely what the story was about. It's sad because I am obsessing over the cover. 

Currently Reading:

Crier's War by Nina Varela

I swear I tried to read this book once before and couldn't get into it but when I started reading it now it was clear that I have never attempted this one before. I'm enjoying it and about halfway through. I could do with a little less on how the government/rebellion is run and more on the development of Crier and Ayla's romance though. I feel it coming up and it's kind of thrown at you... not sure how well it will work on page. We'll see. 

Next Read

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

I've had a copy of this since it first came out and have heard really good things about it. Yet it falls into the pile of books I own apparently for no other reason but to take up shelf space. I think I'll give it a go next. 

*** 

What book was your first read of 2021?

I Can't Wait For... Reign!

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.

I loved the first two books now I'm anxiously awaiting the conclusion... 

Reign

Stormheart Book 3
by Cora Carmack
YA Fantasy
eBook, Hardcover, 352 Pages
August 25, 2020 by TorTeen


Blurb:
FIRST SHE ROARED. THEN SHE RAGED. NOW IT'S TIME FOR HER REIGN.

Aurora Pavan wanted to change her world.

She wanted to protect her people, not because they paid taxes, but because they deserved to live without fear. She wanted Pavan to be a home that welcomed everyone--remnants, stormhunters, and witches included.

For the first time in her life, she did not dread the duty into which she was born. She wanted it.

Then she met him. The Stormlord--the man who wielded the same magic as she, but with the intent to destroy rather than save. The Aurora Pavan who came home from that confrontation was not the same girl that had braved the wildlands and joined a rebellion. She was no longer the girl who was ready to change the world, ready to rule.

But she's the queen now all the same. And her kingdom needs her.

If only she can keep the new darkness inside her at bay.

The series that USA Today called "bright, electric, and imaginative" continues: Aurora Pavan rises to take her throne in this third installment of the Stormheart series by New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack.

Add to Goodreads

***

Will You Be Checking This Book Out? Have you read the first two books?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 25 May 2020

 

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

What I Read Last Week:

Dawn Till Dusk by Tyffany Hackett and Becky Moynihan

I went into this book both excited and nervous. Excited because I've been eager to read this one since I first heard about it. But also nervous because I've been in a reading funk where I can get so far into a book (usually 100 pages or so) and then my mood plunges and I don't feel like reading anything no matter how much I'm enjoying it. But this book kept me engaged and I loved both of the main characters.

Currently Reading
Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie

I started this ARC at the beginning of the year but when I got to Bastien's first chapter I really disliked him as a character and set the book aside. But when Fairyloot started their read along on IG last week I decided to try again with my copy I got in their March box. I actually really got into it this time but I got behind on the read along so I'm hoping to have enough energy to finish it this week. I still hate Bastien by the way. And Jules. 
 

Up Next
Help Me Pick My Next Read!

A.) Fallen by Lauren Kate (reread)

B.) The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

C. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

D. Recommend Me A Book!

What have you been reading lately? Are you reading more lately or less?

I Can't Wait For... The Redpoint Crux

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.

I found out about this book recently when I got an email about a blog tour sign up. When I saw that fans of Phantom of the Opera would like it I was sold...

The Redpoint Crux

Standalone
by Morgan Shamy
YA Mystery
eBook, Hardcover?, 290 Pages
June 9, 2020 by Parliament House Press


Blurb
Fans of The Phantom of the Opera and Black Swan will enjoy this thrilling debut.

When Megan Van Helsburg gets kicked off the U.S.A. Climbing Team, she has no choice but to return home and leave her climbing career behind. With no coach, no money, and no prospects, she joins the corps de ballet determined to improve her strength and agility. But the ballet theater is in dire straits. Not only do a series of murders break loose, but the ballerinas are becoming deathly thin and brain-dead. As Megan investigates, she meets Bellamy, a tortured young man who lives beneath the depths of the theater. Megan falls hard and fast for Bellamy, who becomes her mentor, but something is off about him.

It isn't until the company announces they're doing Giselle for the fall performance that Megan realizes the parallels between the ghost story and the lives around her. Megan must find a way to not only save her climbing career, but balance her feelings for Bellamy, and stop the murders and dying girls before she, too, is numbered among the dead.

Add to Goodreads | Amazon | B&N |

What do you think? Will you be checking this one out?

Writer Thursday: 5 Books I'm Excited About Reading in May

Writer Thursday: 5 May Releases I'm Excited to Read

This Writer Thursday I'm discussing five books I'm excited to read that will be releasing next month...

1.Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I loved the first book in this series and I've enjoyed reacquainting myself with the characters during the reread so I'm excited to see what Squad 312 gets up to next.

2. The Betrothed by Kiera Cass 

I loved the first book in the Selection series when I read it years ago (the rest of the series not so much) but I'm excited to read this book which gives me definite Selection vibes.

3. The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton

I loved Alwyn Hamilton's Rebel of the Sands trilogy and when I heard about this new series it was an automatic add to my TBR list.

4. Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay

This isn't the sort of book I usually read but I've been in such a slump lately it sounds like the perfect quick, easy read for me.

5.Ghosting by Tase Skilton

This book sounds hilarious and I can't wait to pick it up. 

What May releases are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Reading Bookdragons!