BEAT THE BACKLIST CHALLENGE

Do you have books on your to-read list that already released? Do you struggle to get to those backlist books with all the new releases each year?

Join in with Novelknight’s 2023 challenge!

I set my goal at 20 this year with a caveat that these must be on my actual tbr with a date before 31 December 2022 and not bought/borrowed before this date!

TIME FOR MY 1ST UPDATE!

To hit my goal I really needed to have read 5 backlist books from my list by now and am happy to report I’ve read 12 so far! I think, if I carry on reading my backlist at this rate, that I’ll need to up my goal!

Here are my reads!

1) Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
2) The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
3) The Luminaries by Susan Denard
4) The Dead Romantics by Ashley Postin
5) Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo
6) Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
7) Heartstopper volume 1 by Alice Osman
8) A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson
9) What Hunts Inside The Shadows by Harper L Woods
10) The Roommate by Rosie Danan
11) Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
12) Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

Are you doing BTB? How are you getting on?

February theme – INTO THE FIRE!

Items are inspired by The Poppy War, Legendborn, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and there’s a fandom neutral item as well!

💛 Lighten the Darkness Water Bottle designed by @rosdottir
💛 Celestial Kingdom Book Light designed by @chattynora inspired by DotMG
💛 Phoenix Book Jacket designed by @pauhami inspired by The Poppy War
💛 Pendragon Zipper Charm designed by @aylesasworld inspired by Bree’s pendant in Legendborn

💛 FEATURED BOOK 💛

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao

Exclusive cover
Digitally printed edges
Full colour hardcover printing
Endpaper artwork
Bonus content
Signed

Title: Little Thieves

Series: Little Thieves #1

Author: Margaret Owen

Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl…

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love–and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele’s dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back… by stealing Gisele’s life for herself.

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja’s tail, she’ll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.

‘Little thieves go to the gallows.’

Vanja, the adopted daughter of Death and Fortune has taken over Princess Gisele’s life, thieving, so she can make a break for it but she has attracted the attention of junior prefect Emeric Conrad!!!!

On top of that she also has an evil fiance, Aldalbrecht, and also a curse to deal with!

With a small crew, they try to find a way to beat it all! 

I must admit I found the first 15% hard going but after that, I got into it and loved it!

I loved Vanja, she is so naughty but so likeable. Emeric is so lovely! I want a prefect!!!!!

Now I can’t wait for Painted Devils as I need more Vanja and Emeric!

February theme – MORALLY GREY!

How far would you go to achieve your goals? Would you abandon your moral compass? Tread the line between good and evil? This box is dedicated to the characters whose motives are questionable, but their goals are clear… and they will stop at nothing to reach them!

Items inspired by From Blood and Ash, Once Upon A Broken Heart, These Violent Delights and The Black Witch.

🖤 From Blood and Ash Foiled Mug designed by @avendellart
🖤 These Violent Delights Pencil Case designed by @chattynora
🖤 Foiled Art Print by @rosiethorns88 – Jacks and Evangeline
🖤 Snow Oak Pendant from The Black Witch Chronicles designed by @jezhawk
🖤 Tarot Cards – Taha and Qyad from Spice Road

BOOK OF THE MONTH

City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer

Exclusive cover
Digitally sprayed edges
Endpaper art by @avendellart
Hardcover artwork by @avendellart
Signed

Title: The Coven

Series: Coven of Bones #1

Author: Harper L Woods

Revenge.

Raised to be my father’s weapon against the Coven that took away his sister and his birthright, I would do anything to protect my younger brother from suffering the same fate. My duty forces me to the secret town of Crystal Hollow and the prestigious Hollow’s Grove University—where the best and brightest of my kind learn to practice their magic free from human judgment.

There are no whispered words here. No condemnation for the blood that flows through my veins. The only animosity I face comes from the beautiful and infuriating Headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne, a man who despises me just as much as I loathe him and everything he stands for.

But that doesn’t mean secrets don’t threaten to tear the school in two. No one talks about the bloody massacre that forced it to close decades prior, only the opportunity it can afford to those fortunate enough to attend.

Because for the first time in fifty years, the Coven will open its wards to the Thirteen.

Thirteen promising students destined to change the world.

If the ghosts of Hollow’s Groves’ victims don’t kill them first.

Dark, delish and full of witchey goodness and vamps!

Willow goes to Hollows Grove University on a mission….but she gets more than she bargained for in headmaster Alaric Grayson Thorne, aka Gray.

I can’t say too much about the plot without the dreaded spoilers but I will say it’s full of the best S’s….secrets, surprises and schexy times!

It also has my fave character ever in and I (internally) shrieked with joy…but my lips are sealed!

If you love adult, dark, paranormal/fantasy with a good plot, fleshed out characters, tension and spice, then this is the book for you! I need to know what happens next!

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?

It’s been a busy week! My car was serviced, there was a 2 day teacher strike, I had to hunt down gluten free gravy granules and I had an office day! And to top it off some reform changes came in work that we were not expecting and we had to scramble so I am mentally worn out! Today is Mothers Day in the UK and got some nice chocolates I’m going to munch on soon and relax!

Shadow and Bone season 2 came out this week, I didn’t managed to watch any in the week but caught up on a couple yesterday!

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What I’ve Read

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Waters Wrath by Elise Kova
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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New arrivals

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao

City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer

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You might have missed…..

Review – Never Never by CoHo and Tarryn Fisher
Review – A Dowry Of Blood by ST Gibson
Feature – Books I want releasing April
Review – The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by SA Chakraborty

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What have you read lately?

Title: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

Series: Amina al-Sirafi #1

Author: SA Chakraborty

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power… and the price might be your very soul.

‘For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power… and the price might be your very soul.’

Oh this was like a breath of fresh air!

A 40 something ex-pirate, now full time mum, is hired for one last job and it was such fun!

Back on the sea with her old crew, Dalila,
Majed, Tinbu, a useless ship’s cat and Raksh on a rescue mission. But it all takes a turn for the worst!

It was full of action, diverse characters, magic and fantastical creatures!

Amina was so relatable, especially about her dodgy, weak knee and the love for her daughter.

My favorite however was Raksh. I can’t really say much about him but when you read, come back and tell me how right I am!

Another character that captured my heart was the Scribe. Again, read this and tell me how right I am!

I’m trying. I really am. But I seem to fail each month at trying not to buy books!!!! And April will be no exception 🤣🤣

Here’s what’s tantalising me that’s releasing in April (that I’ll probably buy!!)

Ruling Destiny by Alyson Noel
Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Cursed Crowns by Katherine Webber

What books are you looking forward to?

Title: A Dowry of Blood

Series: A Dowry of Blood #1

Author: ST Gibson

This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. . .

Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things.

Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband’s dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.

‘My saviour. My teacher. My guiding light in the dark.’

Constanta is ‘saved’ and made a vampire when her village in Romania was attacked and she was savagely beaten and left for dead.

This story is the tale of her life and her love letter to ‘him’, her maker.

Constanta
Magdaleine
Alexi
Him.

The writing was beautiful, almost haunting, all the characters, fleshed out, and I fell in love with them, all of them forced and then found family. It was utterly beautiful.

‘We are children of the same rotten family, survivors of the same intimate war.  We will always be lovers, for ever bonded, scross distance and time.’