Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #123

Title: Grown
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Expected Publication: September 15th 2020
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

When Enchanted Jones wakes with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night, no one—the police and Korey’s fans included—has more questions than she does. All she really knows is that this isn't how things are supposed to be. Korey was Enchanted’s ticket to stardom.

Before there was a dead body, Enchanted was an aspiring singer, struggling with her tight knit family’s recent move to the suburbs while trying to find her place as the lone Black girl in high school. But then legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition. And suddenly her dream of being a professional singer takes flight.

Enchanted is dazzled by Korey’s luxurious life but soon her dream turns into a nightmare. Behind Korey’s charm and star power hides a dark side, one that wants to control her every move, with rage and consequences. Except now he’s dead and the police are at the door. Who killed Korey Fields?

All signs point to Enchanted. 

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comment section below.

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Manic Monday #18: Series I’ve Been Meaning to Start!

Happy Monday Bookworms!   I hope you’re well & safe!  I am sharing series I’ve been meaning to start but haven’t!   I am only doing completed series though because if I did uncompleted ones the list would be never ending!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Yes, I want to see what all the fuss is about this series! I hear so many good things about it (and some bad).

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
This is just another great fantasy series that I've heard great things about and I would really like to start.

The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare

I think that at some point I will have to give this series a chance. I mean, everybody seems to love it.

The Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
I'm almost ashamed to admit that I haven't started this series. I've honestly been meaning to for years now, but for some reason I just haven't.

The Gold Seer Trilogy by Rae Carson

I must have read the first two or three chapters of the first book but just wasn’t very appealing to me at the time.

The Queen of the Tearling Series by Erika Johans

One day I will start this series, I'm 99.99% sure I have all of the books in the series.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The sad part is I own five of the books.

The Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix
Another one that I'm embarrassed to say I've never started on.

I know, some of you are probably reeling over the fact that I haven’t already started some of these series.  The older series have mostly all been on my TBR for years, but I somehow just haven’t gotten around to them. I'm sure there are other series but these are the ones that first jumped to mind when I started working on the post.

Have you read any of these or do you want to read any of these?

xoxo,
Shon

Shon Review: The Babysitters Coven

The Babysitters Coven
Website | Instagram | Goodreads 
Publication Date: September 17th 2019
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 368
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Paranormal
Source: Own
Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Synopsis

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria cooking. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom."

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

My Thoughts:

This was a very slow build up.  It took about 25% into the book for the story to begin.  I felt most of the back story could have been eliminated.

So about halfway into the book I had to stop and look at the reviews on Goodreads to see if I was the only one who was having problems with this book.  I was so happy to see that I was not alone.  

The author is not a bad writer, the story flow very well. It's to bad that the story is just so painful boring.  There where part of the story, where you felt the author building up to something then there was no payoff.

For example, let's take a look the 'villain' (for a lack of a better word), who shows up and drop this big bombshell and then literally vanish. I'm thinking to myself that the author is setting up the next book. Where are two protagonist will track him down in the next book. Spoiler warning! I was wrong.

I like how one the last pager said: THE BABYSITTERS ARE BACK FALL 2020. I'm like they might be back, but I will not.  I do not see myself continuing on in this series.

xoxo,
Shon

Series Review | The Rot & Ruin series by Jonathan Maberry

Have you heard of humane peaceful killing? What about respecting a life by making a kill that is noble so it will protect your heart and soul?

The Rot & Ruin series show a completely different take on zombies. The depth, the warmth, the humanizing of zoms, I've never read such a fresh perspective of seeing the zombies as loved ones instead of the living dead.  

The story is told through the eyes of a naïve sheltered teenage boy, born into a zombie infested world, and knows nothing of the world prior to First Night.

Benny, Nix, Chong, Morgie, Lilah, and Riot faces tough decisions during their growth and training. They quickly lose their innocence as their soul is chipped away little by little.

What a compelling journey. An epic story of growth, apprenticeship, human heart, and love. By far, my new favorite series of the year. If the world ever end up like the Rot & Ruin, I hope there will be people like these six who will defend it and breathe life to it. 

Warrior smart.

First Read of the Year! | Wicked King by Holly Black

The Wicked King by Holly Black
Published January 8th 2019 by Little, Brown Books
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic, Fairies
Page: 336
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina

Synopsis

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. She bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.
 
Review

Holly Black is cruel. There's a level of frustration to being mortal: helpless, weak, powerless. By that I mean, without an army backing you are helpless, without the strength of the land you are weak, without the fae abilities of protection you are powerless.

Jude changed the game. She is now in a level of power, however, her power in the monarch still has its limitations. She has control of the game but for how long? The heavy weight of kingship is taking a toll on her body and spirit. 

I hate how she continues to be mistreated, disrespected, and not taken seriously. She bites her tongue and supresses all her hardships and those around her are too blind to take notice. I rejoice at her winning a small victory, I am shaken at her being outmaneuvered. Holly Black plays with my heartstrings time and time again. Just when I see the light at the end of the tunnel, she drops something and I'm left with my mouth hanging wide open.  

Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) review can be found here.

Friday 56! January 4, 2019

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice. Grab a book, any book. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader. Find any sentence, or few, just don't spoil it. Post it.

"A year later they found the remains of Kristal Davis, nineteen, a stripper and a drug addict who'd gone missing a month earlier. Someone leaked to the media that Fayette County was dealing with a serial killer. But no one was really worried. The killer was targeting the types of girls who didn't have anyone to worry about them."

The Darkest Corners by KaraThomas 

 

Happy Reading

Xo,

Wendy

The Empress by S.J. Kincaid

The Empress by S.J. Kincaid (The Diabolic #2)
Published October 31st 2017 by Simon & Schuster Books
Genres: Sci-Fic, Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Dystopia
Page: 378
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina

Synopsis

It’s a new day in the Empire. Tyrus has ascended to the throne with Nemesis by his side and now they can find a new way forward. The ruling class, the Grandiloquy, has held control over planets and systems for centuries - and they are plotting to stop this teenage Emperor and Nemesis, who is considered nothing more than a creature and certainly not worthy of being Empress.

Nemesis will protect Tyrus at any cost. He is the love of her life. But she cannot protect him by being the killing machine she once was. She will have to prove the humanity that she’s found inside herself to the whole Empire - or she and Tyrus may lose more than just the throne. But if proving her humanity means that she and Tyrus must do inhuman things, is the fight worth the cost of winning it?

Thoughts

 

My heart is breaking. What an emotional journey.

 

The scheming, the manipulating, the agony. I was going through a rush of emotions chapters after chapters.

 

Frustration at the hopelessness, heartbreak at Tyrus and Nemesis' torn love. I wanted to grieve with them, scream at the indignity, wish for things to ultimately set right. But this isn't that kind of story.

 

S.J. Kincaid is a mastermind at breaking into the complex human psyche. What drives us, rages us, makes us break. This brutal story won't give me a satisfying happy conclusion. I'm left feeling raw and quaking.

Full review can be found on goodreads (Here)

April Reviews: The Belles and To Kill a Kingdom

 

 

Hello lovelies~ I want to share some YA fantasy novels

I read in the month of April.

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Published February 6th 2018 by Disney-Hyperion
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Page: 440 pages

Synopsis

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful. 
 
Review

The story thrust you into an intriguing mysterious world of color and beauty. The story opens with the Belles' placement in society. And the society's constant need for beauty and perfection. The concept of beauty varies in colors, shapes, and sizes. No one truly look like how they were born. People are modified so much that they do not resemble their family members. However, those with money, can modify and color themselves, within limits, as much as they desire. The cases vary in extremes but there is a dark side to this world.

This story has such a fresh take on the need for perfection. In many cases, the body modifications are plain unnecessary but society calls for newness, and the families of wealth full into the trends. The constant need to be unique takes away the qualities and values of being human.
Have you read this fantasy novel? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

 

 

 

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Published March 6th 2018 by Feiwel Friends
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Page: 342 pages

Synopsis

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

Review

It had me at the intro of mermaids depicted as brainless wannabe humans whereas the sirens are much more deadly, mysterious, and superior.

This superior race has been at war with the humans since their ocean goddess Keto died many generations ago. They live to eliminate the humans and to find the missing stone of Keto to restore the Siren's full powers to dominate the world. The desirable qualities of sirens are emotionless, obedience, deadly, and merciless. When the princess of the Sea Queen was forced to live among the humans, she learned to feel and she admired the desires of humans to be more than their nature. She saw their ability to make their own choices.

I enjoy the different view of the two races. I haven't read stories about the sirens so the world is just fascinating. A great team of supporting characters and the mystery surrounding their world makes a perfect story.  

 

  

Monday Reviews: Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Highly anticipated January release from a popular YA fantasy author.
I have to say despite desperately wanting this book for its cover alone, the story is even better! It is unlike any plot I could ever imagine.
It is that good!

Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Published January 2nd 2018 by Little, Brown Books
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Fairies, Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult
Page: 384 pages
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina



Synopsis

I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
 And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy the odds and work at being better than all the fey.

Review

To start off, I wasn't prepared for how quickly the story transitioned from childhood to young adult. All the events that played in Jude's young life unraveled beautifully.

Stolen out of the human world to be raised by a Fae general, Jude is forced to adapt and find her place in the Fae world. Humans are lowly mistreated creatures and Jude will never be one of them but she can always best them, be better than them.

One after another, Jude's dreams are crushed but she continues to hold her head high. Somehow she finds herself playing in a game of political war. From her daily battles with her school bullies to outwitting her foster father, Jude never has a moment of peace. She must prevail, she must outsmart all; she must grow up fast. 

Thoughts

The fae world is indeed a land of misleads and betrayals. Loved the masterful way of blossoming this story into a complicated world of intrigue and mistrusts; oh the scheming. The last page has me gasping for more. And I combed through Holly Black's pages searching for signs of the next book. Sigh, I need more... 

  

Monday Reviews: Everless by Sara Holland

 

 

Good morning readers~ it's been a while since we've last posted.

How is everyone's New Years? Excited to get back into fantasy. I want to share a January release that caught our radar~ hope you will find it as thrilling as we do.

 

Everless by Sara Holland
Published January 2nd 2018 by HarperTeen 
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Page: 368 pages
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina


Synopsis

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

Review

In a land where the commodity is blood, people work for, pay, and use blood mixed with iron as trade.

Jules is someone special and has been on the run since she was a small child. Her father warns her never to bleed and to stay away from the Queen at all cost. Despite her father's warning, she was desperate to find work and went back into the castle.  


She discovers her blood acts differently from those around her and uncovers a mystery her father has been hiding from her since birth, something bigger than the crown, the origin of blood iron and magic of time. 

Thoughts

Well thought out fantasy novel from debut author Sara Holland. I have high hopes for her to develop this into a complicated world of the rich vs the poor and Jules who seem to defy all odds, will unite the two worlds.