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: Freebie: New-to-me authors so far in 2023
If there is one thing I love about books it’s reading new to me authors and discovering gems! Here’s 10 that I’ve found so far this year!
T Kingfisher Kate Dramis Runyx Emma Torzs Carissa Broadbent
Ashley Postin Rachel Gillig Maya Ibrahim Rebecca Yarros Lynn Painter
In a game like this, there are only two choices – win and live, or lose and die.
Items inspired by The Hunger Games, A Magic Steeped in Poison, The Final Strife and a multifandom item.
💛 Fire is Catching Towel inspired by The Hunger Games, designed by @afterblossom_art 💛 Guess the Character Game designed by @chattynora with artwork by @polarts_ 💛 Magic Stemless Tea Cups inspired by A Magic Steeped in Poison, designed by @jessleart 💛 Guild of Knowledge Pouch inspired by The Final Strife, designed by @alicemariapower
💛 FEATURED BOOK 💛
The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem
Exclusive cover Foiled hardback by @chattynora Digitally printed edges by @chattynora Endpaper art by @chattynora Signed
No Sunday Post today because I didn’t read a single word on holiday but I wanted to show you something I saw that fascinated and enraged me! It’s not bookish so feel free to skip if you aren’t interested!
We came across this grave on the Dartmoor moors in the middle of nowhere on a crossroads and our local guide told us the story which was along the lines of:
In the late 18th century, Kitty Jay was a servant in a farmhouse and the owners son got her pregnant. This was scandalous in those days as they weren’t married.
The farmer threw her out, the church abandoned her and the son denied everything (that’s what made me mad!) With no options, she hung herself in an outbuilding.
In those days victims of suicide weren’t allowed to be buried on consecrated ground because the locals believed the spirit would make its way back to familiar territory and haunt them so they were buried under crossroads without the rites of Christian burial.
Years later her body (and that of her unborn child) were dug up and set in a fresh grave on the crossroads surrounded by stones. To this day, no matter what time of the year, there are always fresh flowers on her grave. No one knows who puts them there but legend says it is the Dartmoor pixies!
There are all sorts of ghost stories and pagan ritual type things surrounding the grave but I just think it’s an utterly sad story. I do like that the town and people in it were forgotten but Kitty’s story lives on!
Here are some more pictures of the moors (the sheep free roam – also cows and horses do this too!)
Revolution is a bloodthirsty business . . . especially when vampires are involved.
It is 1793 and the French Revolution is in full swing. Vampires—usually rich and aristocratic—have slaked the guillotine’s thirst in large numbers. The mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel, a disguised British noble, and his League are heroically rescuing dozens of aristocrats from execution, both human and vampire. And soon they will have an ace up their sleeves–Eleanor Dalton.
Eleanor is working as a housemaid on the estate of a vampire Baroness. Her highest aspiration is to one day become a modiste. But when the Baroness hosts a mysterious noble and his wife, they tell Eleanor she is the spitting image of a French aristocrat, and they convince her to journey to France to aid them in a daring scheme. Soon, Eleanor finds herself in Paris, swept up in magic and intrigue—and chaos—beyond her wildest dreams. But there’s more to fear than ardent Revolutionaries. For Eleanor stumbles across a centuries-old war between vampires and their fiercest enemy. And they’re out for blood. . . .
A fun, action packed, historical romp all the way back to the French Revolution…..but with vamps!
Eleanor is a seamstress with an uncanny resemblance to an important French historical figure who is imprisoned so shes inducted into the ranks of the Scarlet Pimpernel!
I loved Eleanor, she was so strong and her inner pep talks made it for me! I also loved the detail around the time period, the author must have done so much research!
I hope Eleanor and Charles so make it because they were really very cute!
I didn’t give it 5 stars because there was something very bizarre that happened with the introduction of a new ‘character’ just over halfway through, it confused me and I didn’t understand what use it had really! Maybe there’s more to come from this in future books and it will make sense then? But for now it felt a bit rushed and not fully explained? Maybe it was me!
These are roles Paris Hilton embraces now as a fully realized woman.
Paris rose to prominence as an heiress to the Hilton Hotels empire, but cultivated her fame and fortune as the It Girl of the aughts, a time marked by the burgeoning twenty-four-hour entertainment news cycle and the advent of the celebrity blog. Using her celebrity brand, Paris set in motion her innovative business ventures, while being the constant target of tabloid culture that dismissively wrote her off as “famous for being famous.” With tenacity, sharp business acumen, and grit, she built a global empire and, in the process, became a truly modern icon beloved around the world.
Now, with courage, honesty, and humor, Paris Hilton is ready to take stock, place it all in context, and share her story with the world. Separating the creation from the creator, the brand from the ambassador, Paris: The Memoir strips away all we thought we knew about a celebrity icon, taking us back to a privileged childhood lived through the lens of undiagnosed ADHD and teenage rebellion that triggered a panicked–and perilous–decision by her parents. Led to believe they were saving their child’s life, Paris’s mother and father had her kidnapped and sent to a series of “emotional growth boarding schools,” where she survived almost two years of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. In the midst of a hell we now call the “troubled teen industry,” Paris created a beautiful inner world where the ugliness couldn’t touch her. She came out, resolving to trust no one but herself as she transformed that fantasy world into a multibillion-dollar reality.
Recounting her perilous journey through pre-#MeToo sexual politics with grace, dignity, and just the right amount of sass, Paris: The Memoir tracks the evolution of celebrity culture through the story of the figure at its leading edge, full of defining moments and marquee names. Most important, Paris shows us her path to peace while she challenges us to question our role in her story and in our own. Welcome to Paris.
I didn’t quite know what to expect going into this but can assure you this was open and brutally honest.
I was so shocked at what this girl has been through, it was heartbreaking. I guess you just see the money, the name, the clothes, the outward image and make assumptions but she is so much more than that and I applaud her for being able to function now in life because I’m not sure I would be able to if I’d been through what she had!
Even though Paris said this book might jump around because of her ADHD, I never even noticed because I was so hooked!
I am so glad she has found her person now in Carter and wish her all the best for the future with little Phoenix.
There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.
Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?
But nothing with fairies is ever simple.
Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He’s heard there’s a curse here that needs breaking, but it’s a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…
A loosely based Sleeping Beauty retelling, but oh so different!
And oh so good!
Toadling is stolen from the human world and lives in Faerie but is called upon to try and help right a wrong….but it doesn’t go exactly to plan! Years later a Knight comes knocking at the door and Toadlings tale unfolds!
This is a brilliant short story with some great themes, messages and basically found family….
‘She was theirs; they were hers . The love of monsters was uncomplicated.’
This book is a first for me from this author and now certainly won’t be the last but I do wonder if there will be more in this world?! I’d love that!
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?
I’m on holiday! We set off on Friday to a remote converted barn with 30 of my family members so I’ve scheduled this post in! Sorry if I’m late coming back on comments and posts- I have no idea what the internet is going to be like there!
Hope the week ahead treats you well!
New Arrivals
Nothing this week!
What I’ve Read
🎧 Sea of Ruin by Pam Godwin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Look out for my reviews soon!
You might have missed…..
Review – Ravensong by TJ Klune Review – Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake Feature – September releases
We are having a big family holiday (30 of us!) in a massive converted barn so I’m going to be off the grid from today until the 20th!
I have scheduled some posts in, but unless I can find some time (and internet!) then I won’t be blog hopping and commenting and will try my best to catch up when I get back!
Here’s what’s tantalising me that’s releasing in September (that I’ll probably buy or have already preordered!!)
Mindbreaker by Kate Dylan The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young A Fall of Wrath and Ruin by JLA Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab Cage of Dreams by Rebecca Schaeffer
CJRTB Books 