Category: BOOK MEMES & TAGS

To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly book meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, click here.

This week’s theme is Books On My Spring TBR, but I’m putting a little spin on it, so I will be sharing my ten current library holds with you, which are technically all books I’ll be reading this spring. So… it counts, okay? (Title = Goodreads)

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf

A music-loving teen with OCD does everything she can to find her way back to her mother during the historic race riots in 1969 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in this heart-pounding literary debut.

A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy #1) by Sangu Mandanna

In a universe of capricious gods, dark moons, and kingdoms built on the backs of spaceships, a cursed queen sends her infant daughter away, a jealous uncle steals the throne of Kali from his nephew, and an exiled prince vows to take his crown back.

Girls of Paper and Fire (Girls of Paper and Fire #1) by Natasha Ngan

Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It’s the highest honor they could hope for…and the most cruel. But this year, there’s a ninth girl. And instead of paper, she’s made of fire.

Song of the Dead (Reign of the Fallen #2) by Sarah Glenn Marsh

In this enthralling, heartrending sequel to Reign of the Fallen, Odessa faces the fight of her life as the boundaries between the Dead and the living are challenged in a way more gruesome than ever before.

The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus’s favour.

For a Muse of Fire (For a Muse of Fire #1) by Heidi Heilig

A young woman with a dangerous power she barely understands. A smuggler with secrets of his own. A country torn between a merciless colonial army, a terrifying tyrant, and a feared rebel leader. Heidi Heilig creates a world inspired by Asian cultures and French colonialism.

Evermore (Everless #2) by Sara Holland

Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro—a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood—is the Sorceress.

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshani Chokshi

From New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi comes The Gilded Wolves, a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change—one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires…

No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.

The Thief (The Queen’s Thief #1) by Megan Whalen Turner

The king’s scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king’s prison. The magus is interested only in the thief’s abilities.

What Gen is interested in is anyone’s guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1) by Maureen Johnson

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham. Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym, Truly Devious. It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case.

Have you read any of these books? Or are any of them on your TBR? Let’s chat in the comments below!

To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly book meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, click here.

There are way more than ten books I meant to read in 2018 and didn’t get to, mostly because I couldn’t afford to buy books or even a library subscription. Here are ten of the most overdue books on my TBR that I’m determined to read this year.

#1 Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

#2 Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10) by Ilona Andrews

Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later, a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate’s doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows their time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try. For her child.

#3 Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson #11) by Patricia Briggs

My name is Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman, and I am a car mechanic. And a coyote shapeshifter . . . And the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack.

Even so, none of that would have gotten me into trouble if, a few months ago, I hadn’t stood upon a bridge and taken responsibility for the safety of the citizens who lived in our territory. The reality is that nothing and no one is safe. As generals and politicians face off with the Gray Lords of the fae, a storm is coming and her name is Death.

But we are pack, and we have given our word. We will die to keep it.

#4 – #5 Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

#6 The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S. A. Chakraborty

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences. After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for…

#7 Jade City (The Green Bone Saga #1) by Fonda Lee

Magical jade—mined, traded, stolen, and killed for—is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. For centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion.

Now the war is over and a new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon’s bustling capital city. They care about nothing but protecting their own, cornering the jade market, and defending the districts under their protection. Ancient tradition has little place in this rapidly changing nation.

When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone—even foreigners—wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones—from their grandest patriarch to the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets—and of Kekon itself.

#8 To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

#9 The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

#10 Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.

Have you read any of these books? Are any of them on your TBR? Let’s chat in the comments!

To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly book meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, click here.

These days, I get most all of my books at the library, which sometimes means a bit of a longer wait, but I also get to recommend pretty much any book for purchase. I have accumulated quite a list of recommendations, so for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday I’m collecting the books I’m most wishing my library will get asap!

#1 Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10) by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels is my favourite urban fantasy series, and one of my favourite book series, and I cannot wait to finally be able to read the highly anticipated conclusion. I’ve been invested in this series almost since the first installment was published, so it’s been a steady companion for many, many years. All I’m saying is, no one had better die.

#2 Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

This is a post-apocalyptic urban fantasy with a Native American protagonist, which are all things I love.

While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

Doesn’t it sound amazing?

#3 Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers #3) by Becky Chambers

The Wayfarers series is one of the most diverse series I’ve ever read with regards to sexuality and gender, and it has so many found family feelings. The author really knows how to make me feel all warm and fuzzy, so when I pick up one of their books I know it’s going to be good.

#4 We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

This is fantasy set in a world inspired by ancient Arabia, which is exactly my cup of tea. It’s the author’s debut with an expected publication date in May 2019, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it when it comes out.

#5 Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha #1) by Tasha Suri

This is another fantasy debut with a really cool setting. It’s Mughal India-inspired and the summary sounds fascinating. I just love fantasy with a non-Western backdrop, mythology, and gods! This has already been published, so hopefully my library will purchase it soon!

#6 The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

I’ve been seeing a lot of reviews of this book in the book blogging community, and it’s made me so curious to read it. It sounds like such an epic sweeping story about war and survival, and it’s apparently inspired by real historical events, which being a bit of a history nerd makes it even more appealing to me.

#7 Lies Sleeping (Rivers of London #7) by Ben Aaronovitch

This is another one of my absolute favourite series, and I’ve been yearning to read the sequel ever since it came out in November. I’m so completely hooked and in love with the characters; sitting down with a Rivers of London book feels like coming home.

#8 Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

I don’t often go for non-speculative YA, but an updated take on classic romantic comedies about queer girls with a brown girl protagonist was always going to snag my attention.

#9 Marriage of Unconvenience by Chelsea M. Cameron

I have never read a book summary that sounded more like fic or more delightful, so I’m just going to leave you with the summary:

Lauren “Lo” Bowman is in a bit of a pickle. She needs money, like ASAP. She lost her job, the rent is due, and her car needs repairs. Problem is, the inheritance left to her by her old-fashioned Granny has one stipulation before she can collect: she has to be married.

Let’s just say suitors (of any gender) are not knocking down her door. And then Cara Simms, her best friend from childhood that she’s recently reconnected with, pours her heart out and confesses that she needs money to pay for grad school. Lo has a completely brilliant idea: they should get hitched.

Not married married. Like, fake married. All they have to do is play the part for the lawyers, get the money, and then get the marriage annulled. Easy as hell.

Well, it starts out that way, but being fake married feels a lot like being real married, and Lo is flipping out. She cannot be falling for her best friend. Can she?

#10 Squee From the Margins: Fandom and Race by Rukmini Pande

As someone who has been moving in fandom spaces for over a decade now, and someone who is constantly trying to learn more about inclusivity and accessibility in online fandom (and all aspects of life), I’ve been waiting for this book to come out with much excitement. The author is a friend of mine, and I know she’s incredibly smart and insightful, so this is bound to be a very interesting read.

Have you read any of these books? Are any of them on your TBR? What’s on your book wish list? Let me know in the comments!