To Be Read – Sav’s Review

Movie Review Monday: Movies Based on Books that I haven’t Read

I love watching movies based on books, but there are quite a few movies that I’ve seen where I haven’t read the books. Here are a few.

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Something is out there . . .

Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children’s trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster?

Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey—a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motely group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside—and confront the ultimate question: in a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?

Interweaving past and present, Josh Malerman’s breathtaking debut is a horrific and gripping snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page.

(Book description from Amazon)

This movie was epic! I watched it while pregnant and I will admit that was a bit of a mistake because it made me anxious and nauseous. I do actually own this book and read the first couple chapters. The book and movie have obvious differences, but it seems like each separate entity will be good on their own.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

When four old University friends set off into the Scandinavian wilderness of the Arctic Circle, they aim to briefly escape the problems of their lives and reconnect with one another. But when Luke, the only man still single and living a precarious existence, finds he has little left in common with his well-heeled friends, tensions rise. With limited experience between them, a shortcut meant to ease their hike turns into a nightmare scenario that could cost them their lives. Lost, hungry, and surrounded by forest untouched for millennia, Luke figures things couldn’t possibly get any worse. But then they stumble across an old habitation. Ancient artefacts decorate the walls and there are bones scattered upon the dry floors. The residue of old rites and pagan sacrifice for something that still exists in the forest. Something responsible for the bestial presence that follows their every step. As the four friends stagger in the direction of salvation, they learn that death doesn’t come easy among these ancient trees . . .

(Book description from Amazon)

I stumbled upon The Ritual thanks to Netflix. This movie is terrifying and has a very unexpected twist at the end. The book is currently on my Amazon wishlist, and I added Nevill’s book The Reddening to my kindle thanks to kindle unlimited. If the novel of The Ritual is anything like the movie it will be a great read.

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic rural town of Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. Despite Ludlow’s tranquility, an undercurrent of danger exists here. Those trucks on the road outside the Creed’s beautiful old home travel by just a little too quickly, for one thing…as is evidenced by the makeshift graveyard in the nearby woods where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. Then there are the warnings to Louis both real and from the depths of his nightmares that he should not venture beyond the borders of this little graveyard where another burial ground lures with seductive promises and ungodly temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there—one more terrifying than death itself, and hideously more powerful. As Louis is about to discover for himself sometimes , dead is better…

(Book description from Amazon)

I have seen both movie versions of Pet Sematary but I have never read the book. I actually prefer the second version of the movie even though the cat playing Church in the first movie is far superior. It’s interesting because I consider Church one of my favorite literary pets, but I’ve never read the book he stars in.

The Meg by Steve Alten

Seven years ago, and seven miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Dr. Jonas Taylor encountered something that changed the course of his life. Once a Navy deep-sea submersible pilot, now a marine paleontologist, Taylor is convinced that a remnant population of Carcharodon megalodon–prehistoric sharks growing up to 70 feet long, that subsisted on whales–lurks at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. When offered the opportunity to return to those crushing depths in search of the Megs, Taylor leaps at the chance… but the quest for scientific knowledge (and personal vindication) becomes a desperate fight for survival, when the most vicious predator that the earth has ever known is freed to once-again hunt the surface.

(Book description from Amazon)

Honestly, I thought this movie was going to be so stupid and I had no idea it was based on a book, but I’m a sucker for Jason Stathem. So obviously I had to watch it. It was surprisingly fun to watch. I don’t know if I’ll ever pick up the book but it was interesting to learn that there is a book.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them—for a price.

Until something goes wrong. . . .

In Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton taps all his mesmerizing talent and scientific brilliance to create his most electrifying technothriller.

(Book description from Amazon)

You’re probably thinking, how have you not read Jurassic Park? To be frank, I have no idea. You’d think loving books, loving the movies, and working at a bookstore would have motivated me to pick it up, but I haven’t. It’s on my TBR though.

Are there any books that you’ve seen the movie adaptation of, but haven’t read the books? Let me know in the comments.

May Book Haul

Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon

The facility lay deep in Appalachian Mountains, a secret laboratory called Coldbrook. Its scientists had achieved the impossible: a gateway to a new world. Theirs was to be the greatest discovery in the history of mankind, but they had no idea what they were unleashing. With their breakthrough comes disease. Billions are dead yet still walking. The only hope is a cure, and the only cure is genetic immunity. In the chaos of destruction there is one person that can save the human race. But will they find her in time?

I love zombie novels and I’m always looking to expand. Coldbrook was something that I accidentally found on Amazon and I’m excited to read it.

The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey

One exceptional boy journeys into the ashes of society to find the cure for a devastating plague in this riveting post-apocalyptic standalone set in the same world as the USA Today-bestselling The Girl With All the Gifts.

Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy.

The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world.

To where the monsters lived.

After reading The Girl With All The Gifts, I had to get the prequel. This book sounds so interesting and I’m excited to enter that universe one more time.

Inspection by Josh Malerman

J is a student at a school deep in a forest far away from the rest of the world.

J is one of only twenty-six students, all of whom think of the school’s enigmatic founder as their father. J’s peers are the only family he has ever had. The students are being trained to be prodigies of art, science, and athletics, and their life at the school is all they know—and all they are allowed to know.

But J suspects that there is something out there, beyond the pines, that the founder does not want him to see, and he’s beginning to ask questions. What is the real purpose of this place? Why can the students never leave? And what secrets is their father hiding from them?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, in a school very much like J’s, a girl named K is asking the same questions. J has never seen a girl, and K has never seen a boy. As K and J work to investigate the secrets of their two strange schools, they come to discover something even more mysterious: each other.

This book has been on my book wishlist on Amazon for a long time now. I actually got this book for free thanks to a credit on Amazon, because I choose no-rush shipping all the time 😅 But it sounds kind of like Maze Runner to me and I thought it might be a good read.

Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes

Thrust into leadership upon the death of his emperor father, young Prince Ahkin feels completely unready for his new position. Though his royal blood controls the power of the sun, he’s now responsible for the lives of all the Chicome people. And despite all Ahkin’s efforts, the sun is fading — and the end of the world may be at hand.

For Mayana, the only daughter of the Chicome family whose blood controls the power of water, the old emperor’s death may mean that she is next. Prince Ahkin must be married before he can ascend the throne, and Mayana is one of six noble daughters presented to him as a possible wife. Those who are not chosen will be sacrificed to the gods.

Only one girl can become Ahkin’s bride. Mayana and Ahkin feel an immediate connection, but the gods themselves may be against them. Both recognize that the ancient rites of blood that keep the gods appeased may be harming the Chicome more than they help. As a bloodred comet and the fading sun bring a growing sense of dread, only two young people may hope to change their world.

Rich in imagination and romance, and based on the legends and history of the Aztec and Maya people, The Seventh Sun brings to vivid life a world on the edge of apocalyptic disaster.

I actually picked this up because Lani Forbes was offering it for a dollar yesterday, she posted on Twitter and I thought, why not? So hopefully it’s as good as it sounds.

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton

Winter was the only season every Lake-Lander feared…

In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.

Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he’s forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he’s always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over.

But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary’s secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they’ve ever known.

An action-packed and thought-provoking debut, for fans of Patrick Ness, Marcus Sedgwick, DREAD NATION and The Walking Dead.

A long time ago I saw Wranglestone recommended somewhere and I’ve been watching it ever since. This was actually my first Book Depository purchase, so we will see how it goes.

All of these book descriptions are from Amazon, except Wranglestone which is from Goodreads.

Do any of these sound interesting to you? Have you read any? Let me know in the comments.

May TBR Pile

So I’m super excited and overwhelmed to say that I’ve had a lot of awesome authors reach out to me via twitter and my email about reviewing their books. So I’ve put all my other projects on hold to read and review these books. Here’s the current list even though it seems it’s ever growing 😅

Complete Darkness by Matt Adcock

For centuries many have pondered the prospect of an afterlife and feared what came to be known as ‘hell’.

In the near future, we map the elusive ‘dark matter’ around us, only to find out that it is hell itself, and it is very real…

As the satanic President Razour attempts to bring forward Armageddon to prevent humanity repenting, the fate of us all rests in the hands of Cleric20, a hedonistic loner with a chequered past, and his robot sidekick, GiX.

(Description from Amazon)

Heir of Ashes by Jina S. Bazzar

At the age of twelve, Roxanne Fosch had a perfectly normal life. By the time she was twenty-two, she was being hunted.

After being trapped for years in the clutches of the Paranormal Scientists Society, Roxanne escapes and sets on a dangerous quest for the truth.

Hunted by scientists keen to exploit her extraordinary abilities, and dangerous factions whose plans she cannot fathom, Roxanne discovers a shocking secret about her past. But is everything she’s ever known a lie?

(Description from Amazon)

May by Kelli Green

Marianna spent a lot of time doing her own thing on her own time, but when she turned 16, her parents gave her a surprise that would change the course of her life forever. Refusing to let her parents choose her destiny, she launched herself into the real world. Young, opinionated, naive, and strong-willed, Mariana makes friends, enemies, and quick decisions that set the stage for her life. One thing is certain. When Marianna chose to step out of her parents’ home, she stepped into her role as a woman; ready or not.

(Description from Goodreads)

The Art of Dying by Kyle McKeon

March 26th, 2023 – Cullver City, Pa. A day that went down in infamy. A day where GEHM heroes and villains set aside their differences in order to save and protect their kind. General George McCaffrey marched into the city, backed by his own personal army and the Mankind Restoration Act in hand, he singled out the GEHM population. Concentration camps, inhumane experimentations, kidnappings, it was practically a citywide genocide. All for what exactly? To protect the human race from an ill-conceived delusion of a growing mutant threat. At the end of the day, McCaffrey and his Cerberus forces were pushed out of the city but at a cost. So much senseless violence that cost innocent lives, needless blood spilled on the street. Creating a new fear within the already untrusting GEHMs. Sixteen years later, twenty-three year old surly, explosive-tempered, sharp-tongued freelancer Alex Mercer takes contracts no matter the risk. She’s spent most of her life hunting and killing just to see the next sunrise. When a lucrative contract comes her way, she doesn’t think twice about accepting it. Set up with a team of several handpicked freelancers, she returns to the criminal paradise she once called home to hunt down the illusive Billion Dollar Man – Maximillian Roivas. However… there are a lot of unanswered questions about this job and they’ll have to wait to be found. Now it’s time to lock and load, kill or be killed. Bodies are dropping, bullets are screaming, warm blood is flowing, and Alex can’t contain her bloodlust any longer.

(Description from Amazon)

A Death at Dawn by Gabrielle Grey

A feudalistic world, embedded for centuries within the continent of Mystos is falling apart. Peasant uprisings, political and religious scheming from the academia, and the highborn’s lust for power are the causes for this political downfall in Mystos. A DEATH AT DAWN is the first book of an epic fantasy series that follows various characters, each going through their own journey during a time of civil turmoil. In the middle of the chaos is the ruling family of the Mountain Realm, House Wayward; a racially mixed family, dealing with their own inner conflicts. However, when tragedy strikes House Wayward, instead of rallying together, the members split apart and strategize for their own advantage, even if that means taking each other down. This story gives the perspective of the people directly affected by these events. As some begin to experience adolescence, other older characters experience a taste of power, misery, deception, and insanity. Within the series, each character has to make decisions that not only affect their lives, but the lives around them, making many question if they are the true hero of this series. Book one sets up the journey that these characters will experience during the series.

(Description from Amazon)

Magic by Mike Russell

Does magic exist? Charlie Watson thinks it does and he wants to tell you all about it. Before he was famous, Charlie Watson decided to write a book to share with the world everything he knew about magic. This is that book. You will discover why Charlie always wears a top hat, why his house is full of rabbits, how magic wands are made, how the universe began, and much, much more. Plus, for the first time, Charlie tells of the strange events that led him from England to the Arctic, to perform the extraordinary feat that made him famous, and he finally reveals whether that extraordinary feat was magic or whether it was just a trick.

(Description from Amazon)

Watchers by Craig Priestly

“They’re listening.”

Those are the irreversible words that tear Charlie’s world apart.

Struggling through everyday life in London, Charlie loses his job, his friends, and even more than he could ever imagine. The only thing that keeps him from spiraling into a pit of uncertainty is his inexplicable infatuation with the barmaid.

While Charlie fights tooth and nail just to survive, so does the world around him – humanity deteriorates quickly, with acts of crime and terror spiking worldwide. Police find themselves stretched, the government clueless, but Charlie’s eyes are open to the truth.

(Description from Amazon)

*****

This is what you can expect from me for the next couple weeks when it comes to reviews. I hope these interest you and I hope that they all turn out to be great books. Have you heard of or read any of these? Let me know in the comments!

Audible TBR

I confess that I am extremely guilty of only listening to the books I already love on Audible, so I have a few titles that have just been sitting, waiting to be listened to. Here is my Audible TBR.

1. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

(Description from Amazon)

Last year this was a novel everyone was talking about so I decided to spend an Audible credit and check it out. I’m hoping it’s as good as everyone says.

2. The Institute by Stephen King

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”

In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.

(Description from Amazon)

I honestly don’t remember getting this audiobook, but it sounds awesome. I love Stephen King so I expect it will be a great listen.

3. The Stand by Stephen King

A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world’s population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge—Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious “Dark Man,” who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them—and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.

(Description from Amazon)

I downloaded this because I needed a long audiobook for all the driving I was doing at the time, but I never listened to it. I’ve heard that this novel is relatable more now then ever, so I really want to give it a listen.

4. Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin

Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire & Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.

(Description from Amazon)

I own the physical copy of this and the audiobook. I guess I bought both because I have both versions of the Ice & Fire series, I don’t know. But, I love listening to Ice & Fire so I’m sure Fire & Blood will be great.

April Quarantine Book Haul

I’m just about finished with the books I originally ordered for my Quarantine Review Series, so I decided I should probably order a few more. If you’ve missed it up until this point I’m doing a serious of Post-Apocalyptic book reviews and thinking about them alongside our current COVID-19 outbreak. So far it’s been a lot of fun and I have reviewed Severance by Ling Ma and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.

I’ve just ordered five new books and here they are:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

In Mary’s world there are simple truths.
The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.
Now, she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

(Description from Amazon)

This one is an old one but one I’ve always wanted to read. I love zombie apocalypse books so I have really high hopes for this one.

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd

WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE UP TO REMEMBER?

Set in a dangerous near future world, The Book of M tells the captivating story of a group of ordinary people caught in an extraordinary catastrophe who risk everything to save the ones they love. It is a sweeping debut that illuminates the power that memories have not only on the heart, but on the world itself.

One afternoon at an outdoor market in India, a man’s shadow disappears—an occurrence science cannot explain. He is only the first. The phenomenon spreads like a plague, and while those afflicted gain a strange new power, it comes at a horrible price: the loss of all their memories.

Ory and his wife Max have escaped the Forgetting so far by hiding in an abandoned hotel deep in the woods. Their new life feels almost normal, until one day Max’s shadow disappears too.

Knowing that the more she forgets, the more dangerous she will become to Ory, Max runs away. But Ory refuses to give up the time they have left together. Desperate to find Max before her memory disappears completely, he follows her trail across a perilous, unrecognizable world, braving the threat of roaming bandits, the call to a new war being waged on the ruins of the capital, and the rise of a sinister cult that worships the shadowless.

As they journey, each searches for answers: for Ory, about love, about survival, about hope; and for Max, about a new force growing in the south that may hold the cure.

(Description from Amazon)

This novel is actually compared to Station Eleven on the Amazon page so I’m thinking this will be another good one. Hopefully it holds up.

The Power by Naomi Alderman

In The Power, the world is a recognizable place: there’s a rich Nigerian boy who lounges around the family pool; a foster kid whose religious parents hide their true nature; an ambitious American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family.

But then a vital new force takes root and flourishes, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power: they can cause agonizing pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world drastically resets. From award-winning author Naomi Alderman, The Power is speculative fiction at its most ambitious and provocative, at once taking us on a thrilling journey to an alternate reality, and exposing our own world in bold and surprising ways.

(Description from Amazon)

This one isn’t really a post-apocalyptic book but it seems to me like it runs in the same vein as a ‘pandemic’ book.

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

A military space probe, sent to collect extraterrestrial organisms from the upper atmosphere, is knocked out of orbit and falls to Earth. Twelve miles from the crash site, an inexplicable and deadly phenomenon terrorizes the residents of a sleepy desert town in Arizona, leaving only two survivors: an elderly addict and a newborn infant.

The United States government is forced to mobilize Project Wildfire, a top-secret emergency response protocol. Four of the nation’s most elite biophysicists are summoned to a clandestine underground laboratory located five stories beneath the desert and fitted with an automated atomic self-destruction mechanism for cases of irremediable contamination. Under conditions of total news blackout and the utmost urgency, the scientists race to understand and contain the crisis. But the Andromeda Strain proves different from anything they’ve ever seen—and what they don’t know could not only hurt them, but lead to unprecedented worldwide catastrophe.

(Description from Amazon)

So this book is super old but it’s being recommended all over the internet as a good ‘quarantine’ novel so I’m going to give it a shot.

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her “our little genius.”
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointed at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh.

(Description from Amazon)

I’ve been curious about this book for a long time so I thought I’d pick it up and give it a go. I hope it’s a good one.

Do you know of any other post-apocalypse novels that I should buy? Let me know in the comments!

Self Quarantine TBR

My family and I have decided to self-quarantine for the sake of the elderly and compromised people around us. So to make the situation seem a little brighter I’m going to list some of my quarantine reads.

The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy

“A desperate alliance. A struggle for survival. And a marriage of convenience with an epic twist of fate come together in Jeffe Kennedy’s The Fiery Crown.

WILL THEIR LOVE STAND THE TEST OF TIME

Queen Euthalia has reigned over her island kingdom of Calanthe with determination, grace, and her magical, undying orchid ring. After she defied an empire to wed Conrí, the former Crown Prince of Oriel―a man of disgraced origins with vengeance in his heart―Lia expected the wizard’s prophecy to come true: Claim the hand that wears the ring and the empire falls. But Lia’s dangerous bid to save her realm doesn’t lead to immediate victory. Instead, destiny hurls her and Conrí towards a future neither could predict…

OR TEAR THEIR WHOLE WORLD APART?

Con has never healed after the death of his family and destruction of his kingdom―he’s been carefully plotting his revenge against his greatest enemy, Emperor Anure, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. When Lia’s spies gather intelligence suggesting that Anure is planning an attack against Calanthe, Con faces an agonizing choice: Can he sacrifice Lia and all she holds dear to destroy the empire? Or does his true loyalty exist in the arms of his beguiling, passionate wife―’til death do they part?”

(Description from Amazon)

I am currently reading this and I am enjoying it so far. I recently reviewed The Orchid Throne, the first book in the Forgotten Empires series. Jeffe Kennedy is a wonderful author that cares about their fans. So I will absolutely be promoting this series.

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

“The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, becomes the guardian of Ciri, surviving heiress of a bloody revolution and prophesied savior of the world, in the first novel of the New York Times bestselling series that inspired the Netflix series and the blockbuster video games.For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over, and now the races are fighting once again. The only good elf, it seems, is a dead elf.
Geralt of Rivia, the cunning assassin known as the Witcher, has been waiting for the birth of a prophesied child. This child has the power to change the world — for good, or for evil.
As the threat of war hangs over the land and the child is hunted for her extraordinary powers, it will become Geralt’s responsibility to protect them all. And the Witcher never accepts defeat.”

(Description from Amazon)

I finished The Last Wish a little while ago, which is an anthological style prequel novel about a few of Geralt’s adventures. I haven’t written my review yet but I’ll link it here when I do. The Blood of Elves is technically book 1, so I read it out of order. I think, the order is confusing. Anyway I started Blood of Elves and it starts off a bit slow but I am starting to get to the exciting bits.

The Gilded King by Josie Jaffrey

“In the Blue, the world’s last city, all is not well.
Julia is stuck within its walls. She serves the nobility from a distance until she meets Lucas, who believes in fairytales that her world can’t accommodate. The Blue is her prison, not her castle, and she’d escape into the trees if she didn’t know that contamination and death awaited humanity outside.
But not everyone in the Blue is human, and not everyone can be contained.
Beyond the city’s boundaries, in the wild forests of the Red, Cameron has precious little humanity left to lose. As he searches for a lost queen, he finds an enemy rising that he thought long dead. An enemy that the humans have forgotten how to fight.
One way or another, the walls of the Blue are going to come down. The only question is what side you’ll be on when they do.”

(Description from Amazon)

Josie Jaffrey is offering this book for free currently, and is sharing it with those who may be in quarantine over Twitter. She seemed really sincere and the book sounds interesting so I think I will give it a try.

Havenfall by Sara Holland

“A safe haven between four realms. The girl sworn to protect it–at any cost. New York Times bestselling author Sara Holland crafts a breathtaking new contemporary fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Holly Black.

Hidden deep in the mountains of Colorado lies the Inn at Havenfall, a sanctuary that connects ancient worlds–each with their own magic–together. For generations, the inn has protected all who seek refuge within its walls, and any who disrupt the peace can never return.

For Maddie Morrow, summers at the inn are more than a chance to experience this magic first-hand. Havenfall is an escape from reality, where her mother sits on death row accused of murdering Maddie’s brother. It’s where Maddie fell in love with handsome Fiorden soldier Brekken. And it’s where one day she hopes to inherit the role of Innkeeper from her beloved uncle.

But this summer, the impossible happens–a dead body is found, shattering everything the inn stands for. With Brekken missing, her uncle gravely injured, and a dangerous creature on the loose, Maddie suddenly finds herself responsible for the safety of everyone in Havenfall. She’ll do anything to uncover the truth, even if it means working together with an alluring new staffer Taya, who seems to know more than she’s letting on. As dark secrets are revealed about the inn itself, one thing becomes clear to Maddie–no one can be trusted, and no one is safe . . .”

(Description from Amazon)

I stumbled upon this one and it sounds really fascinating. Hoping to get my hands on this one very soon!

What’s on your quarantine TBR?

Anticipated Book Releases

I’ve seen a lot of people talking about upcoming releases they’re excited for and I thought I might jump on the trend. Here is a short list of books that I am highly looking forward to.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I Ambition will fuel him.
Competition will drive him.
But power has its price.
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes. (Description from Amazon)

I loved The Hunger Games series and I am so excited they are going to do a prequel. I am curious as to how they are going to make President Snow a likeable character. He is so easy to hate in The Hunger Games trilogy, how can Collins change that?

Release date: May 19th, 2020

The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin

While this is still speculation, it seems there is good evidence that this much anticipated sixth installment of A Game of Thrones will release this year.

The Winds of Winter will take readers farther north than any of the previous books, and the Others will appear in the book. The previous installment, A Dance with Dragons, covered less story than Martin intended, excluding at least one planned large battle sequence and leaving several character threads ending in cliffhanger. Martin intends to resolve these storylines “very early” in The Winds of Winter, saying “I’m going to open with the two big battles that I was building up to, the battle in the ice and the battle at Meereen — the battle of Slaver’s Bay. And then take it from there.” A Victarion Greyjoy chapter will begin five minutes after the end of A Dance with Dragons, taking place on the eve of the Ironborn’s arrival in Slaver’s Bay. Arianne Martell sample chapters that Martin released on his Web site showed her heading for Griffin’s Roost to see the young man who is calling himself Aegon VI Targaryen. At Guadalajara International Book Fair 2016, Martin gave some clues about the dark nature of The Winds of Winter: … “I’ve been telling you for 20 years that winter was coming. Winter is the time when things die, and cold and ice and darkness fill the world, so this is not going to be the happy feel-good that people may be hoping for. Some of the characters [are] in very dark places. …. Things get worse before they get better, so things are getting worse for a lot of people.” (Description from Wikipedia)

I am a huge fan of Game of Thrones. I have a dog named Stark and a dog named Daenerys, so naturally I’m very excited and really hoping this book actually releases this year. I’m not holding my breath but I’m definitely crossing my fingers.

Release date: No confirmed date

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

A tale of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.

Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way. (Description from Amazon)

I mean, come on, that description! As a PNW native person I am so thrilled to see a novel like this releasing. I really hope that it comes off authentic and encapsulates my traditions well. I hope that I can relate to the material and see my people within it. It literally calls him ‘The Jordan Peele of horror literature’! I’m so stoked!

Release date: Also May 19th, 2020

What books are you looking forward to? Are any of these also on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments!

NetGalley TBR July 26th

I am very excited for the line up of books I am currently reviewing through NetGalley. I wanted to post what is in my current TBR pile through NetGalley to give everyone a heads up as to what content I’ll be looking at, hopefully my picks sound interesting and you tune in for my reviews.

#1 The Weight Of A Soul by Elizabeth Tammi

The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi Cover

“When Lena’s younger sister Fressa is found dead, their whole Viking clan mourns—but it is Lena alone who never recovers. Fressa is the sister that should’ve lived, and Lena cannot rest until she knows exactly what killed Fressa and why—and how to bring her back. She strikes a dark deal with Hela, the Norse goddess of death, and begins a new double life to save her sister.

But as Lena gets closer to bringing Fressa back, she dredges up dangerous discoveries about her own family and finds herself in the middle of a devastating plan to spur Ragnarök –a deadly chain of events leading to total world destruction. Still, with her sister’s life in the balance, Lena is willing to risk it all. She’s even willing to kill. How far will she go before the darkness consumes her?”

#2 Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus by Marcus Sedgwick; Julian SedgwickBlack

Harry Black is lost between the world of war and the land of myth in this illustrated novel that transports the tale of Orpheus to World War II–era London.

Brothers Marcus and Julian Sedgwick team up to pen this haunting tale of another pair of brothers, caught between life and death in World War II. Harry Black, a conscientious objector, artist, and firefighter battling the blazes of German bombing in London in 1944, wakes in the hospital to news that his soldier brother, Ellis, has been killed. In the delirium of his wounded state, Harry’s mind begins to blur the distinctions between the reality of war-torn London, the fiction of his unpublished sci-fi novel, and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Driven by visions of Ellis still alive and a sense of poetic inevitability, Harry sets off on a search for his brother that will lead him deep into the city’s Underworld. With otherworldly paintings by Alexis Deacon depicting Harry’s surreal descent further into the depths of hell, this eerily beautiful blend of prose, verse, and illustration delves into love, loyalty, and the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood as it builds to a fierce indictment of mechanized warfare.

#3 Mythos by Stephen Fry

Rediscover the thrills, grandeur, and unabashed fun of the Greek myths—stylishly retold by beloved author and actor Stephen Fry. In this first installment of a projected trilogy, he begins with the birth of the cosmos, and leads readers on a romp through the stories of the Olympians: wise Athena, imperious Hera, fleet-footed Hermes, and impulsive Zeus. Each adventure is infused with Fry’s distinctive voice, which perfectly balances genuine love for the material and a wry, modern perspective. He draws out the humor and pathos in the gods’ quarrels and love affairs, and reveals the myths’ relevance for our own time. Illustrated throughout with classical art inspired by the myths, and wrapped up with a textured and foiled case, this collector’s edition is worthy of the intense devotion fans feel about both Stephen Fry and the Greek myths.

#4 Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card

New York Times bestselling author Orson Scott Card’s story of a boy with the power to return lost objects to their owners who is put to the test when his best friend disappears.

“Are you really a thief?”

That’s the question that has haunted fourteen-year-old Ezekiel Blast all his life. But he’s not a thief, he just has a talent for finding things. Not a superpower-a micropower. Because what good is finding lost bicycles and hair scrunchies, especially when you return them to their owners and everyone thinks you must have stolen them in the first place? If only there were some way to use Ezekiel’s micropower for good, to turn a curse into a blessing. His friend Beth thinks there must be, and so does a police detective investigating the disappearance of a little girl. When tragedy strikes, it’s up to Ezekiel to use his talent to find what matters most.

Master storyteller Orson Scott Card delivers a touching and funny, compelling and smart novel about growing up, harnessing your potential, and finding your place in the world, no matter how old you are.

#5 The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy

In the Forgotten Empires magic is forbidden, dreams are destiny, and love is the greatest power of all…

A PRISONER OF FATE
As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Lia will do anything to keep her people free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…

A PRINCE AMONG MEN
Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Lia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?

#6 The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy

In the city of Craewick, memories reign. The power-obsessed ruler of the city, Madame, has cultivated a society in which memories are currency, citizens are divided by ability, and Gifted individuals can take memories from others through touch as they please.

Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark is desperate to live outside of the corrupt culture, but grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the city’s asylum. When Madame threatens to put her mother up for Auction, a Craewick tradition in which a “worthless” person’s memories are sold to the highest bidder before she is killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. Even if it means rejoining the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier.

To prove her allegiance to the Shadows and rescue her mother, Etta must steal a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring realm. So she sets out on a journey in which she faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past in order to set things right in her world.

#7 The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters

The Dead Girls Club Damien Angelica Walters Cover

A supernatural thriller in the vein of Paul Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts about two young girls, a scary story that becomes far too real, and the tragic—and terrifying—consequences that follow one of them into adulthood.

Red Lady, Red Lady, show us your face…

In 1991, Heather Cole and her friends were members of the Dead Girls Club. Obsessed with the macabre, the girls exchanged stories about serial killers and imaginary monsters, like the Red Lady, the spirit of a vengeful witch killed centuries before. Heather knew the stories were just that, until her best friend Becca began insisting the Red Lady was real—and she could prove it.

That belief got Becca killed.

It’s been nearly thirty years, but Heather has never told anyone what really happened that night—that Becca was right and the Red Lady was real. She’s done her best to put that fateful summer, Becca, and the Red Lady, behind her. Until a familiar necklace arrives in the mail, a necklace Heather hasn’t seen since the night Becca died.

The night Heather killed her.

Now, someone else knows what she did . . . and they’re determined to make Heather pay.

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Have you read any of these titles? What did you think? Do any of them interest you? Tell me about it in the comments!