Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: August 2024

September 2, 2024September 2, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

I’m just happy football is back. A big list of favorites this month!

Favorites this month:

Not Safe for Work
Ghostsmith
Delicate Escape
So True a Love
Better Than the Movies (reread)
A Heart Sufficient (reread)
Nothing Like the Movies
A Peculiar Combination
Quicksilver
Elizabeth of East Hampton
The Mist Thief
How to Hide in Plain Sight
Runaway Bride and Prejudice
Apprentice to the Villain
Demon Copperhead
Once Upon a Boyband
The Never Curse

[ARC] Drown Me with Dreams (Sing Me to Sleep #1) by Gabi Burton
The Fiancé Dilemma (The Long Game #2) by Elena Armas
Not Safe for Work (California Love #2) by Lindsey Lanza
Hearts That Cut (Threads That Bind #2) by Kika Hatzopoulou
[ARC] No Match for Love by Karen Thornell
The Mirror of Beasts (Silver in the Bone #2) by Alexandra Bracken
Not You Again by Ingrid Pierce
Songbird of the Sorrows (Myths of the Empyrieos #1) by Braidee Otto
[ALC] Ghostsmith (House of the Dead #2) by Nicki Pau Preto
[ARC] Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham
[ARC] Delicate Escape (Sparrow Falls #2) by Catherine Cowles
The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Love’s Academic #1) by India Holton
[Novella] Better Than Before (Better Than the Movies #0.5) by Lynn Painter
[Reread] Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies #1) by Lynn Painter
[Novella] Better Than the Prom (Better Than the Movies #1.5) by Lynn Painter
[ARC] So True a Love by Joanna Barker
[Reread] A Heart Sufficient (The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir #4) by Nichole Van
[ARC] The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig
[ARC] Serpent Sea (The Spice Road Trilogy #2) by Maiya Ibrahim
[ARC] Nothing Like the Movies (Better Than the Movies #2) by Lynn Painter
Black Tide Son (The Winter Sea #2) by H.M. Long
Haunted Ever After (Boneyard Key #1) by Jen DeLuca
A Peculiar Combination (Electra McDonnell #1) by Ashley Weaver
Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1) by Callie Hart
Positively, Penelope (Skymar #1) by Pepper Basham
[ARC] A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang
Elizabeth of East Hampton (For the Love of Austen #2) by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
The Mist Thief (The Ever Seas #3) by L.J. Andrews
[ARC/ALC] Long Live Evil (Time of Iron #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan
[ARC] How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes
The Maid and the Crocodile (Raybearer) by Jordan Ifueko
The Grandest Game (The Grandest Game #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
[ARC] Runaway Bride and Prejudice (Appies) by Emma St. Clair
[ARC] Bring Me Home by Ashley Weston
Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other by Bethany Turner
Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain #2) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Wisteria (Belladonna #3) by Adalyn Grace
[ARC] Once Upon a Boyband (Midnight Rush #1) by Jenny Proctor
The Never Curse (The Otherworlds Series #1.5) by Courtney Millecam

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Book Review: A Kingdom of Nomads (Outcast #2) by S.B. Nova

September 2, 2024July 23, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 940 pages
Author: S.B. Nova
Publisher: Night Owl Publishing
Release Date: January 29th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As the darkness grows, so must the light…

Branded as enemies of the fae kingdom, Serena and her friends are on the run from the witch queen, Morgan. They reach sanctuary, only to discover shocking secrets that separate them.

Serena’s newfound destiny takes her to a land plagued by endless war. To survive there, she is forced to bloody her sword, escape an evil king, and confront a god.

But when her brother is captured, she faces her greatest challenge yet. She must harness a deadly magic and embrace the wild witch within. Not only to free her kin, but to save her mate and protect the realm from a queen who’d murder the world just to wear a crown.

WAY TOO LONG.

I don’t think I would have gotten through this if it wasn’t for buddy reading it and listening to it on audio. I just don’t know why this needed to be nearly 1,000 pages long? It’s basically one very long-winded travel story with out a whole lot happening until the last 20%.

Not to mention, I waited WAY TOO FLIPPIN’ LONG to find out more about how the romance is working out. I won’t say details for spoiler reasons. But I’m very conflicted and was hoping for a different angle. I don’t know, maybe book three will work this issue out.

There’s some good moments throughout. The plot did eventually move forward at a glacial pace. I still needed more action and more general things happening. There’s random POV’s of some of the side characters thrown in and I also don’t think this added to the story.

I have been waiting for this sequel for years and I really wish it had worked out as a better read for me. Will I read book three? Probably so.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy + Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: 2-3 open door
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: battle scenes, blood/gore depiction, sexual assault, murder, physical and weapons violence, loss of loved ones

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Book Review: Garden of the Cursed (Garden of the Cursed #1) by Katy Rose Pool

August 23, 2024July 15, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Author: Katy Rose Pool
Publisher: Henry Holt
Release Date: June 20th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

n this thrilling YA fantasy/mystery duology from award-winning author Katy Pool, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with one of the most powerful nobles in Caraza City to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother’s disappearance. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.

Since fleeing the gilded halls of Evergarden for the muck-filled canals of the Marshes, Marlow Briggs has made a name for herself as the best godsdamn cursebreaker in Caraza City. But no matter how many cases she solves, she is still haunted by the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow’s old friend and scion of one of Caraza’s most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself.

SAVED BY THE ROMANCE.

This was a good series starter. I really enjoyed it and loved the audiobook.

I do think the world building and magic system needed some more explanation. I still feel a bit confused at how everything works and why. It kind of had a dystopian vibe? historical? fantasy? some combination of all three.

The FMC was great though. I liked her character and her perseverance to find out the clues to her mother’s disappearance. I especially loved the romance. Old friends to enemies to fake dating to wanna be lovers to enemies again?! YES PLEASE. So much tension and heat between them. I can’t wait to see where this romance goes.

Just a truly good read and an easy book for me to recommend. It had a lot of elements I continually enjoy seeing in YA books and the ending has me on pins and needles for the conclusion.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: light (but strong)
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Trigger/Content Warnings: physical and weapons violence, magical manipulations and violence, low blood/gore, murder

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ALC Book Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

August 7, 2024July 17, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Horror
Length: 336 pages
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: August 6th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic

Cordelia knows her mother is unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms, and her mother doesn’t allow Cordelia to have a single friend—unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers.

After a suspicious death in their small town, Cordelia’s mother insists they leave in the middle of the night, riding away on Falada’s sturdy back, leaving behind all Cordelia has ever known. They arrive at the remote country manor of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his unwed sister, Hester. Cordelia’s mother intends to lure the Squire into marriage, and Cordelia knows this can only be bad news for the bumbling gentleman and his kind, intelligent sister.

Hester sees the way Cordelia shrinks away from her mother, how the young girl sits eerily still at dinner every night. Hester knows that to save her brother from bewitchment and to rescue the terrified Cordelia, she will have to face down a wicked witch of the worst kind.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

NEW [TO ME] AUTHOR ALERT.

Alright, I’ve heard a lot about T. Kingfisher’s books. And when I had the opportunity to get an audiobook early for her newest release I took it as a sign. I enjoyed this! It’s probably one of the most horror-esque books I’ve ever read but didn’t go past whatever arbitrary line I have in my head that would have creeped me out. This had a good level of creep for me.

I liked the story too. It was intriguing and I kept coming back to it wondering what would happen next. I thought the audio production was well done and can easily recommend that format if you’re interested in reading this one.

This kind of gave me Mother Gothel vibes but make it a whole lot darker. I liked the atmosphere and seeing what kind of drama was going to unfold next. I thought the characters were well written and kept things interesting. The pacing slowed down a bit for me and I was waiting for things to get wrapped up. Otherwise, a great read, I think I would try another book by Kingfisher!

Overall audience notes: