I grabbed this idea from Lucy (with permission!) from Bookworm Blogger! Go check out her blog!
I always hope that I read new-to-me authors every month and getting book box subscriptions, access to library borrows, Netgalley and also KU really helps with that so thought it would be nice to look back and see what new authors I’d read this month.
By the end of September I’d read 38 new-to-me authors and now I’ve read 44 so far this year!
Lenny Henry Joan He Dianna Wynne Jones Catherine Doyle/Katherine Webber Travis Baldree
The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions and three warlordesses hoping to claim the continent for themselves.
But Zephyr knows it’s no contest.
Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged—while Ren’s honor draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed. When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren’s followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one—and not all of them are human.
Stop what you are doing and go and buy this book! It was so good and is one of my best books of 2022 – all the stars!
Let me start off by saying that I didn’t know what a zither was so I looked it up before I started reading and when the significance entered the story I was in awe!!!! It was beautiful, utterly beautiful!
Zephyr is a strategist for a warlordess, Ren and she’s good at what she does. When her plans take her on the wrong side of the war she puts her plans into action. There she also meets fellow strategist, Crow and sparks fly……
There was war, politics, found family, schemes, women working together (and against each other!). It was an action packed masterpiece!
Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Topic: Unlikable Characters You Can’t Help but Love!
I mean I always go for the evil bad boy so making this list wasn’t a stretch for me!!!!
Celestial Heirs – Zodiac Academy Serapio – Black Sun Andrew Minyard – All for the Game The Darkling – Grishaverse Jacks – Once Upon a Broken Heart
Lord Sorcier (Elias Wilder) – Half a Soul Wrath – Kingdom of the Wicked Ryder – Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Rhysand – ACOTAR Kieran Kingson – Shadowhunters
“Fear not November’s challenge bold— We’ve books and friends, And hearths that never can grow cold: These make amends!” — Alexander Louis Fraser, “November”
“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” – Jim Bishop
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.
Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week? Celebrated Halloween early? 🎃
School was out this week and I booked the week off work too! We did some shopping, carved pumpkins, my son had his booster and he is not happy he has to go to school on Halloween!
I am still mopping up my over reservations on library holds, had the time to read an arc and took part in a readalong!
What I’ve Read
🎧Beach Read by Emily Henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ See my review here.
🎧 A Darkness at the Door by Intisar Khanani ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ See my review here
Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 See my review here.
The Wicked King by Holly Black ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ See my review here
If you want a great spooky MG series then this series is for you. Also perfect for Halloween!!
I thought I’d do a series review out of respect for Halloween!!!!
Series: Cassidy Blake
Title: City of Ghosts/Tunnel of Bones/Bridge of Souls
Author: Victoria Schwab
City of Ghosts
I loved the Monsters of Verity, I haven’t read a middle grade book before and the blurb grabbed me (and it’s nearly Halloween!)
Ghosts, ghouls and spectres…..and Cassidy ‘A little special. A little strange. Not quite alive but definitely not dead’. And she has a sidekick. A best friend. Jacob. Who isn’t alive.
I can’t tell you how much I loved this read. I flew through it! It was spooky and filled with facts that pulled me in and made me want to look up the actual history, I don’t think a book has ever made me want that! And was that may be a hint of more adventures to come?
Tunnel of Bones
THE INSPECTERS EPISODE TWO
LOCATION: Paris, France
And here we are again with Cassidy Blake, the girl who can cross into The Veil and help the dead move on.
Cassidy and her parents have travelled from Edinburgh to Paris with her trusty ghost best friend, Jacob and of course Grim the cat!
As in the first book I was hooked on the history and this one has a kid ghost! Does it get scarier than that? It does not. I was terrified…but still hooked!
I discovered my love for Jacob in this book. In book 1 I liked him but he really came into his own here and my heart went out to him. I love his friendship with Cassidy.
And……
Oh my giddy ant, that ending!
Bridge of Souls
‘Look and listen. See and know. This is what you are.’
Back in the world of Cassidy Blake and this time we are in New Orleans but someone, or something, is hot on the heels of Cass.
‘You cannot win without losing too.’
I know the books in this series are MG reads but I admit I was spooked! But I couldn’t stop reading. It has that same pull as Percy Jackson and Harry Potter!
Mystery, death, ghosts, an emissary and the Society of the Black Cat. This book has it all. And as a side note the Thread and Bone is somewhere I want to visit!
I’m wondering if this this end to the series? I really hope not because I love it!!!
Rowan is visiting her aunt – Winne the hedge witch – in the Welsh countryside, to get back to nature and hone her skills, as well as taking a break from her annoying sisters and enjoying some peace and quiet. However, Rowan soon comes to realise that hedges are a serious business and this isn’t quite the opportunity to rest and escape she thought it might be.
Not only that, but mysterious events around the town are causing panic in the secret magical community and cowans – non-magical folk – are starting to take notice.
Can Rowan hone her hedge craft, try to make some friends and solve the riddle of the mysterious goings-on, or is magic about to be revealed to the world … or at least Wales?
I absolutely loved Threadneedle and Rowan was one of the highlights for me so I had to grab this extra!
So Rowan has been packed off to a tiny cottage in Wales in the middle of no where for the summer to learn from her Aunt Winifred, a Hedge Witch.
Set in the beautiful countryside of Wales, this is the tale of a teenager who wants some fun, she wants to be liked, she wants to know where she belongs and she wants her first kiss!
I really loved this novella and have to give a special mention to the magic system, Winnie and especially Llew and his mushrooms!
CJRTB Books 