I Can't Wait for... Lightlark!

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 read about this one a couple weeks ago (yes, late to the game, as usual) and it sounds fantastic. 

Lightlark

Lightlark, Book 1

by Alex Aster
eBook, Hardcover, 416 Pages
August 23, 2022 by Amulet Books

Blurb:

Welcome to the Centennial.

Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.

Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.

To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything. 

Add to Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop.org

Why I Want To Read Lightlark:

I'm loving the trope of deadly games lately. Not to mention that Isla sounds like a character I'll absolutely love. Just everything about the blurb, and the cover, sounds so good!

***

Will you be checking this book out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

{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} Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

 

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

About the Book:

Release Date: January 18, 2022

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook

Pages: 338

Blurb:

Edinburgh, 1817. Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry. 

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.

A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.

Buy the Book:

Amazon | Add to Goodreads | Bookshop.org

My Review:

I was drawn to check this book out because it reminded me of the Stalking Jack the Ripper books, which I love. In Anatomy we meet Hazel, who has a passion for medicine and wishes to become a surgeon. The problem? It's Edinburgh in 1817 and women, especially noble-born women, are supposed to be meek, pretty, and have no life or opinions outside of marrying well and producing children.

Then there's Jack, a resurrection man (a person who robs graves and sells bodies to the medical college). He's just trying to survive but his friends are disappearing and a strange illness is spreading through Edinburgh.

When Hazel is discovered to be a female by the professor whose surgical classes she's been sneaking into and is thrown out, she's more determined than ever to continue her studies. All she needs is access to dead bodies. Luckily, a chance encounter introduces her to Jack and they form a tentative agreement. What starts out as a business exchange soon turns into something much more.

I really loved this book. It was definitely one of my favorite reads at the end of 2021, early 2022. While it is similar when compared to other books (Stalking Jack the Ripper, The Corpse Queen, etc.) it was those similarities that originally drew me to the book. It is unique from at lease SJTR in the difference in social class between Hazel and Jack.

My only drawback was the ambiguity of Hazel and Jack's relationship at the end of the book. Will they ever get to be together? For a "love story" as the title specifically states, I wanted more of a tied up ending.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I Can't Wait For... THE INITIAL INSULT

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 can't believe I didn't hear about this book until recently but it sounds amazing...

The Initial Insult

The Initial Insult Duology, Book 1
by Mindy McGinnis
YA Thriller
eBook, Hardcover, audiobook 384 pages
February 23, 2021 by Katherine Tegen Books

Blurb:

Welcome to Amontillado, Ohio, where your last name is worth more than money, and secrets can be kept… for a price.

Tress Montor knows that her family used to mean something—until she didn’t have a family anymore. When her parents disappeared seven years ago while driving her best friend home, Tress lost everything. She might still be a Montor, but the entire town shuns her now that she lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the “White Trash Zoo,” – a wild animal attraction featuring a zebra, a chimpanzee, and a panther, among other things.

Felicity Turnado has it all – looks, money, and a secret that she’s kept hidden. She knows that one misstep could send her tumbling from the top of the social ladder, and she’s worked hard to make everyone forget that she was with the Montors the night they disappeared. Felicity has buried what she knows so deeply that she can’t even remember what it is… only that she can’t look at Tress without having a panic attack.

But she’ll have to.

Tress has a plan. A Halloween costume party at an abandoned house provides the ideal situation for Tress to pry the truth from Felicity – brick by brick – as she slowly seals her former best friend into a coal chute. With a drunken party above them, and a loose panther on the prowl, Tress will have her answers – or settle for revenge.

In the first book of this duology, award-winning author Mindy McGinnis draws inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe and masterfully delivers a dark, propulsive mystery in alternating points of view that unravels a friendship . . . forevermore.

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

***

Will You Be Checking This Book Out? 

I Can't Wait For... The Nature of Witches

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.

This one sounds really interesting and I'm looking forward to reading it when it releases this summer...

The Nature of Witches

Standalone
by Rachel Griffin
YA, Paranormal, Fantasy
eBook, Hardcover, 362 pages
June 1, 2021 by Sourcebooks Fire

Blurb:

Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It's wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she's the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she's terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves...before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

Add to Goodreads

***

Will You Be Checking This Book Out? 

I Can't Wait For... Firekeeper's Daughter!

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.

This one has been on my TBR since I first heard about it months ago and now we're only three months away from the release!

Firekeeper's Daughter

Standalone
by Angeline Boulley
YA #OwnVoices Thriller
eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook 320 pages
March 2, 2021 by Henry Holt & Co. (BYR)

Blurb:

Debut author Angeline Boulley crafts a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

Add to Goodreads

***

Will You Be Checking This Book Out? 

{New Release Spotlight} KNEE DEEP by Karol Hoeffner

 

Title: KNEE DEEP

Author: KAROL HOEFFNER

Release Date: SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

Publisher: REGAL HOUSE PUBLISHING

Paperback, eBook, 219 Pages

Genre: YOUNG ADULT, ROMANCE, PARANORMAL, SUSPENSE, LITERARY FICTION

BLURB:

Named after a hurricane, Camille is the rebellious sixteen-year-old daughter of a New Orleans bar-owner who grows up in the shadow of Bourbon Street, raised on stories of hauntings, lusty encounters, and voodoo magic. And even though her family loses their home in a hurricane, she counts herself among the lucky until she discovers that her eighteen-year-old neighbor whom she secretly loves goes missing in the storm.

In Camille’s own words: "This is the story of what happened to me on Fat Tuesday, how I ended up on the steps of St. Mary’s, the hem of my pirate’s petticoat soaked in somebody else’s blood. Although I know the story to be true, I don’t totally believe it myself. Like all good tales born out of the bayou, mine involves the dead, the living, and the one trapped in the brackish waters between heaven and hell. It is the story of true love and true disaster, and at the end of it, I’ll leave it to you to decide which is harder to survive."

Camille’s story unfolds as a Mardi Gras memoir, one girl’s journey through the parties and the parades as her community comes together and rises up from the chaos following the devastating storm.

Buy A Copy

About the Author

Karol Hoeffner is the Chair of Screenwriting at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She has penned several novels and her latest book Knee Deep will release on 9/25/20. Knee Deep. One of the most anticipated titles of 2020, Knee Deep is a coming-of-age, Hurricane Katrina love story that blends romance, suspense, and Mardi Gras magic from the shadows of Bourbon Street. 

Hoeffner also has fourteen film credits including Mary Kate and Ashley's Winning London, MTV's All You've Got, several Danielle Steel adaptations, a television mini-series Harem, movies-of-the-week based on true stories – The Making of a Hollywood Madam and Miss America: Behind the Crown.

Among her other credits are the original movies, Voices from Within and Burning Rage.   

Connect with Karol online:

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | IMDB | LinkedIn | Website

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Book Titles That Could Be Band Names

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 Book Titles that would make rockin' band names

 This week's TTT is all about titles that would make cool band names...

1.Reborn Yesterday by Tessa Bailey

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 

3. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry 

4. Wildcard by Marie Lu 

5. Rage by Cora Carmack

6. The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

7. Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

8. Up in Flames by Abbi Glines

9. Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

10. Oblivion by Kelly Creagh

What titles do you think would make awesome band names? What kind of music do you think they'd play?
Let me know  in the comments & drop me a link to your TTT!

Happy Reading Bookdragons!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 20 April 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.

Hey Bookdragons! I unexpectedly disappeared the past couple weeks but I'm back. My dad died on April 1st (from cancer, not coronavirus related) and I've been under a lot of stress so I needed to take a step back. Understandably I haven't been reading much either but I did manage to finish a couple things. 

What I Read Last Week(s):
The Return by Rachel Harrison

This one is a serious contender for one of my favorite books of the 1st 1/2 of 2020! It's creepy and atmospheric AF with a supernatural monster that isn't so much named on the page as given the feeling of. 

The Winter Witch by Karpov-Kinrade & Heather Hildenbrand

This is a cool Beauty and the Beast retelling. It's short - only about 96 pages but it's definitely worth a read!

The Alien's Future by Ella Maven

This series was introduced to me during a chat in Virtual ApollyCon (since Apollycon was cancelled due to the virus) and I really enjoyed this novella introduction to this sexy sci-fi series!

The Mist by Stephen King

One of my goals this year is to read some of Stephen King's backlist and this was a quick, eerie book that ironically fit being in 'safer-at-home' mode lately. 

Currently Reading / Still-in-Progress
Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

I'm about 30% into this one but I put it on the back burner while I listen to Aurora Rising for the read-along.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

 Yesterday wrapped the second week of the read-along covering chapters 10-15. I caught up on the reading listening to the audiobook while I dyed my hair yesterday.

Reborn Yesterday by Tessa Bailey

I was making great progress with this one about a week and a half ago and then I just... didn't feel like reading about corpses and funeral homes and vampires. I want to try to finish it this week. 

Up Next
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

I recently joined the street team for this upcoming YA thriller and I can't wait to dive into it. 

What have you been reading lately?

Top Ten Tuesday: Love Freebie

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: Ten Underrated OTPs

 This week's TTT is a Love Freebie since Valentine’s Day is Friday. We all know about the most talked about OTPs (One True Pairings)... Feyre and Rhysand, Jude and Carden, Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell... for my freebie I’m listing some of my favorite ships that fly under the radar...

1. Isobel and Varen Nethers (Nevermore Trilogy by Kelly Creagh)

2. Abbey and Caspian (Hollow Trilogy by Jessica Verday)

3. Leda and Watt / Cord and Rylen / Avery and Atlas (The Thousandth Floor Trilogy by Katharine McGee) 

4.Tea and Kalen (The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco)

5. Emika Chen and Hideo Tanaka (Warcross Duology)

6.Claire Danvers and Shane Collins (The Morganville Vampires Series)

7. Eelyn and Fiske (Sky In the Deep by Adrianne Young)

8.Khalid and Shahrzad (The Wrath and the Dawn Duology by Renee Ahdieh

9.Sepora and Tarik (Nemesis Duology by Anna Banks)

10.Catherine Moorland and Henry Tilney (Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen)

What theme did you choose for this week’s love freebie?

 Let me know  in the comments & drop me a link to your TTT!

Happy Reading Bookdragons!

Book Review: BROKEN THINGS by Lauren Oliver

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Blurb:

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.
Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

My Review:

What first drew me to this book, even before I knew what it was about was the awesome cover. Then, as a Wisconsinite, the blurb immediately drew parallels to the Waukesha Slender Man Case so I knew I had to read it. 

This book is not a play on that case, there are of course similarities whether the author planned on that or not but this book is an engrossing mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out: Who really killed Summer Marks? 

It's a gorgeously written tale of a small town that persecutes three teenagers with little proof, misconceptions, how the scars of the past have shaped the lives of those left behind after a grisly crime, and learning to heal from it all. 

This is my first Lauren Oliver book and after finishing I kind of (completely want to) want to go out and auto-buy all of her other books. The big reveal in this one blew me away, I never would have suspected it and the ending left me satisfied.

Overall, this is a perfect October read, or an anytime read when you're looking for a pulse-racing thriller.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: THE BONELESS MERCIES by April Genevieve Tucholke

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

Blurb:

A dark and gorgeously drawn standalone YA fantasy about a band of mercenary girls in search of female glory. Won in a major six-house auction!

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life. 

When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies' one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.

Full of fierce girls, bloodlust, tenuous alliances, and unapologetic quests for glory, this elegantly spun tale challenges the power of storytelling—and who gets to be the storyteller. Perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater, V.E. Schwab, and Heidi Heilig.

My Review:

What can I say about this book really? It was unbelievably fantastic! The storytelling is beautiful and lush, the world-building is clear, and the characters are well-rounded. The Boneless Mercies is definitely a stand-out among the books I've read this year, possibly my FAVORITE of the year. 

Frey is strong yet imaginative, Runa is moody yet fearless, Ovie is silent and wise, Juniper is bright and hopeful, and Trigve is their support system, their ally, their friend. They will face the world together, leave the path of Boneless Mercies forever in search of the Blue Vee Beast, and fight side by side the dangers they encounter along the way. 

This book keeps you reading, like listening to a story of old around the fire. The author splendidly weaves the tale, keeping you enchanted, and longing for the close bonds of friendship etched into the Mercies. There's mythology and courageous heroines and I loved every single page!

Do you like Norse-inspired stories? Strong female characters? Fierce friendships? The Boneless Mercies is the book for you! 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

6 of 5 Stars!

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #117

This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm reading the second book in a duology I finally gave a chance last month...

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows Duology #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Blurb:

When you can't beat the odds, change the game.

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far:

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved Six of Crows and the day I finished it and returned it to the library I ordered Crooked Kingdom signed from Books of Wonder and I'm just getting around to reading it now. I'm enjoying it so far, and I'm loving Jesper's father's arrival in Ketterdam. I wonder what's going to happen there and I'm eager to see whether the crew will be able to rescue Inej, collect their money, and have a happy ending... though from the non-spoilery things I've heard from other people, the happy ending might end in let down. Either way, I can't wait to see... 

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #116

This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm finally reading a book I've wanted to read for so many months now and finally tracked down at a used bookstore..

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Blurb:

A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far:

I first heard about An Enchantment of Ravens from a fellow book blogger around the time of its' release last fall and fell instantly in cover love with Charlie Bowater's stunning cover! I was hoping for this book for Christmas but I didn't get it and it wasn't until I found a copy at Half Price Books a couple weeks ago that I actually got a copy - which actually turned out to be a signed copy at that! I started An Enchantment of Ravens yesterday and was immediately hooked, I didn't want to put it down! I may - dare I say it - like this book better than ACOTAR! 😲

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #99

This week I've got 99 Problems but reading isn't one of them. At least not entirely. I have two ARCs sitting on my Kindle ready to be read but I can't enjoy them without burning out my eyes until I get my new glasses, so instead I'm reading...

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Blurb:

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far:

Last week I read the last of my library books including the amazing Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff, so when I hit up the sale at Half Price Books after my eye appointment last Thursday I went in search of Brenna's other books and came up with The Replacement. I'm just starting this book today but I'm hoping it has the same Southern Gothic, creepy feel as Fiendish. 

#BookMail Thursday #35

This week's #BookMail includes an impulse purchase, a successful ARC trade, a signed preorder I've been waiting on, and a prize I won from the #BerserkerStreetTeam. Let's open my mailbox and see what's inside...

Ally by Anna Banks

I know, I know - I could have just bought the finished copy but I really wanted an ARC (because I collect them) and when a friend of mine showed interest in an ARC I was done with we set up a trade and I was really happy to take this ARC of Ally off her hands! 

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

As you probably know, I had an ARC of Hunting Prince Dracula, but I'm a sucker for signed copies so I had to order one from Books of Wonder! The Finished Copy is even prettier than the ARC!

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Bitten was my most recent Netflix binge-watching obsession and when I realized it was a book I ordered a copy immediately! I can't wait to read it as soon as I finish my current read!

Berserker Street Team Swag

I was lucky enough to be one of the winners from the first #BerserkerStreetTeam challenge so I received my signed bookplate signed and personalized by the author of Berserker, Emmy Laybourne, and this really cool mini journal.