Hey y’all! I’m planning out my reads for July, and most of them are already started or at least in hand and ready to be started shortly. I’m so excited for these ones!
I’m always up for traveling somewhere in a book. Plus royalty and court life is my weakness that I just can’t resist 🥰 My library hold just came in, so I’ll be starting this one shortly for sure!
I love a good retelling with a twist, and this one had all the elements that promised to be just that! It didn’t hurt that my friend Abby recently finished this and highly recommended it!
Hey y’all! In contrast to Throwback Thursday, I like to use Fridays to look forward to an upcoming release that I’m excited about! Today’s is The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix. Expected Release: July 13, 2021
Why wait on this one?
Even though I’m not a fan of horror, even I am intrigued by the premise for this one! A group of women who have survived horrific scenes of murder meet regularly to help each other cope with what they’ve lived through. Unfortunately, now someone is targeting their group, seeming determined to bring an end to each of these women who survived the first time.
Although I haven’t read anything by Hendrix yet, I had an eye out of The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires when it came out. Whether that one or this one, I’m certainly going to be reading something by Hendrix this year!
Judging by some of the author’s personal blog posts and shared items, I think he’ll have a dark sense of humor that, if brought to the story, will be a wicked delight (and potentially make me cackle).
Summary
In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?
Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she’s not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other actual final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette’s worst fears are realized–someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.
But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.
It’s 20 days late and barely done at all because I already wrote it but this is what that post now looks like:
😭😭😭
So forgive me for giving up a little bit on it this time. 😅
The List
Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian: got it from BOTM, apparently it’s an ARC, and it’s actually holding my attention pretty well so far (when I can put the time towards reading)
The Complete List of Jericho by Chris Jericho: this publishes tomorrow, and hopefully I’ll have my pre-ordered copy then!!! It’s a list of every match for all of Jericho’s 30 year career with his notes on who & where he was fighting, a rating for the match, and how much he got paid. Absolutely fascinating. ♥
Replenishing the Sea of Galilee by Wagih Abu-Rish: won this from Goodreads (also an ARC) and planning to at least start it this month, but I’m reading pretty slowly right now so we shall see!
Descendants of the Crane by Joan He: in reality I probably won’t start this in June because it’s late and I’m slow right now, but it’s on the list for sure. I had never heard of it, but I’m hoping it’ll be fab.
Hey y’all! In contrast to Throwback Thursday, I like to use Fridays to look forward to an upcoming release that I’m excited about! Today’s is For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten! Expected Release: June 1, 2021
Why wait on this one?
A dark twist on an already dark tale, this is definitely inspired by Little Red Riding Hood. Since that story is so weird and messed up as it is, there is so much potential to play with it and bring even more depth and interest to it!
Whitten has done just that by adding magic and prophecy to it. Red is the determined sacrifice for the wolf, and she’s grateful her death will mean not having to deal with her growing powers. But when the wolf shows her that her powers may be a path to salvation instead of a curse, she starts to change her tune.
And when the villain is none other than GOD THEMSELVES? Oh singing praises, this is going to be good!
Summary
As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose-to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return the world’s captured gods.
Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.
But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood-and her world-whole.
I was just perusing Barnes and Noble’s website for my friends’ registry when I saw their recommended beach reads list. I had to laugh, because several of them are ones I have read (though not necessarily at the beach) and definitely agreed with!
One of the few on this list that I haven’t already heard of! Judging 100% by the title and cover this might be a little too saccharine sweet for me right now, but does have a quick read beach book feel to it. ^.^
Well, I definitely read this one! I think I was actually a little late to the party when it came out, but daaaang did I love it! This is a slightly chunky read but it goes by super fast because of how much you love the characters. Just be aware that it does get, ah, somewhat steamy at points, so if you do read it on the beach be warned! xD
I just read this from BOTM and it was WAY better than I expected. It had a lot more character depth than I anticipated, and the main conflict is one that’s a true problem and says a lot about the insight and aspects of the characters as they navigate it.
It should be no surprise to avid chick-lit or beach-book readers to see Emily Henry on here twice! And it should be no surprise to ANYONE to see that a book titled “Beach Read” is on a list about books to read at the beach. No brainer. This one definitely fits the mold though, and I quite enjoyed it when I read it. I preferred People We Meet on Vacation, but maybe just because I’ve read it more recently. 😅
My only qualm with calling this a beach read is that it starts out with a bang. A literal one. Of the bedroom variety. You can probably guess that it doesn’t lighten up from there, so be prepared for some steam if you’re reading this on a hot beach!
The only other title on this list I haven’t already heard of! Judging this one as well by it’s title and cover, I’m probably going to be adding it to my tbr. If it’s anything to do with locations far from home, I’ll all about it!
Are any of these books in your bag to pack for the beach this summer? ⛱
Hey y’all! I have a very clear theme for my reading this month. If last month was recommendations, then this month is books I’ve bought recently. I haven’t been buying books for a while in part to save money and in part because my bookshelf is full and I don’t have the library set up yet. Last week though, I went on a bit of a splurge for independent bookstore day and got 8 new books from my favorite local store(s). And then yesterday I also happened to order 3 books from Book of the Month. AND, I have one or two from last month that I’m in the middle of. You see where I’m going with this? 😅
I have a lot of books on my shelves that I should read!!! Especially all the newly purchased ones; especially all of the ones I purchased a while ago and haven’t got around to reading yet. So, here I go for the month!
Whoops, they’re done already by the time I’m posting this
I have a plan again this month, for the first time in what feels like a long time. ^.^ And it’s mostly thanks to all of y’all! I got so many great recommendations from people when I was asking where all the good books have gone, since I’ve mostly okay reads this year… but nothing outstanding.
BUT THAT’S ALL ABOUT TO CHANGE.
Because now I have a list of books to read through that are promised by at least some people to be great! (Plus they’re mostly books already on my shelves, so even better 🤣)
Thanks for the suggestions ^.^
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay: recommended by Jyvur Entropy (in all honesty I already finished this one because yeah it was that good)
We Have Always Lived in the Castleby Shirley Jackson: recommended by Sam (this one has been on my shelf for years and I just never got far enough into it!!)
Duneby Frank Herbert: recommended by Kevin Hall (maybe it’s time I finally commit to this classic!)
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn: recommended by Mei-Mei (a book I was excited for but still haven’t read yet)
Hey y’all! In contrast to Throwback Thursday, I like to use Fridays to look forward to an upcoming release that I’m excited about! Today’s is Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan. Expected Release: April 6, 2021
Why wait on this one?
As always, I’m about cultures besides my own, although Zara Hossain is dealing with racism and hate from those in her new home in Texas. I super hope Tyler Benson, the ringleader of it all, learns his lesson and maybe even switches sides — or at least gets what he’s given. -_-
Strong women are the best. Allowing Zara to fight and be brave, even though it’s bullshit that anyone still has to, is a relief. If they’re in a bad situation, at least they have some ways to stand up. And I hope this book shows the hope that others WILL stand with them, with the oppressed and mistreated.
Zara’s family has been waiting on their green card for almost a decade, and the craziest part about that is how common that actually is. A friend of mine went through the process with her husband, and even that took YEARS for them to get when he’s from New Zealand, a country with good relations with pretty much every other country. I love the insight to the process, as it’s something most Americans will never go through, and understanding the many barriers to moving to the US legally will help breed empathy and understanding, which in turn reduces hate and fear.
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Pakistani immigrant, Zara Hossain, has been leading a fairly typical life in Corpus Christi, Texas, since her family moved there for her father to work as a pediatrician. While dealing with the Islamophobia that she faces at school, Zara has to lay low, trying not to stir up any trouble and jeopardize their family’s dependent visa status while they await their green card approval, which has been in process for almost nine years.
But one day her tormentor, star football player Tyler Benson, takes things too far, leaving a threatening note in her locker, and gets suspended. As an act of revenge against her for speaking out, Tyler and his friends vandalize Zara’s house with racist graffiti, leading to a violent crime that puts Zara’s entire future at risk. Now she must pay the ultimate price and choose between fighting to stay in the only place she’s ever called home or losing the life she loves and everyone in it.
Sup y’all! It’s the start of a new month, and here’s my currently planned TBR:
It’s, uh, not looking great. 🤣 Monthly read lists are still pretty new for me, so this doesn’t actually feel that weird. But I really don’t have a plan at all for the next month. Frankly, that’s probably a good thing, because we’re (HOPEFULLY, OMG) wrapping up the work at the house in February. So anything I plan will probably be totally derailed anyway.
January’s basically went off track as well. I read a bunch of books I just picked up randomly, and didn’t touch several of the books I had been planning to read. Didn’t even think about them. Just wrote them down and then breezed on by to get something else from the library to read. 🤣
So who knows what February will bring, really. Besides, hopefully, this new house.
Hey y’all! I do recognize that it’s already almost halfway through the month, but nonetheless here is my TBR! In reality I probably wouldn’t have stuck to it anyway, so it doesn’t matter if I post it early in the month or not. 😂 Here are some of the books I’d had in mind to start off the year. 🙂
BOTM Delayed
Well in December I got two books from Book of the Month, Memorial and The Office of Historical Corrections.I didn’t read either of them in December because I was going all-in on challenge books and newer releases, so they’re on the list for January! Which works out, actually, because I’m not interested in any of this month’s BOTM selections.
