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September 15, 2024

Novel Lives

Book Publicity, Book Reviews, And Author Interviews

Easter Book Tag- Because I was dared

Easter Book Tag

Ok. Look. I was dared by My Book World (go give a follow). I said, but I have like three posts to write. She said it had to be done today. I WAS dared. I’m not even going anywhere for Easter so why not? Enjoy the Goodreads summary and comments/reviews! I did omit one question because it didn’t match my reading situation. I don’t read sweet books.

Happy Easter to all. In Malta Easter is nearly as big as Christmas, and I do like Easter more. Then I saw this tag on Zezee With Books, it was created by  Theresa of the Calico Books. Let’s go collect bookish eggs!

EASTER EGG: NAME A THAT FEELS LIKE A HIDDEN GEM

The Fate of the Fallin by Kel Cade (review linked) is from a few years ago but is still one of the best-hidden gems out there. And for extra credit? The audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Nick Podehl! Fate of the Fallen doesn’t care for your prophecy tropes.

Goodreads Summary:  The Shroud of Prophecy tests fate to discover what happens when the path of good and right, the triumph of light over darkness, the only path to salvation… fails.

Everyone loves Mathias. So naturally, when he discovers it’s his destiny to save the world, he dives in head first, pulling his best friend Aaslo along for the ride.

Mathias is thrilled about the adventure! There’s nothing better than a road beneath his feet and adventure in the air. Aaslo, on the other hand, has never cared for the world beyond the borders of his sleepy village and would be much happier alone and in the woods. But, someone has to keep the Chosen One’s head on his shoulders and his feet on the ground.

It turns out that saving the world isn’t as easy, or exciting, as it sounds in the stories. Mathias is more than willing to place his life on the line, but Aaslo would love nothing more than to forget about all the talk of arcane bloodlines and magical fae creatures. When the going gets rough, folks start to believe their only chance for survival is to surrender to the forces of evil, which isn’t how the stories go. At all. To make matters worse Aaslo is beginning to fear that he may have lost his mind…

BLOOM: A DEBUT NOVEL YOU LOVED

This one is easy. I loved These Violent Delights so much that I felt it was possibly the best YA book of that year, definitely the best debut. Plus I got to interview Chloe Gong!

 

 

Goodreads Summary:

Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2020) The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.

CHEEP, CHEEP: A BOOK YOU BOUGHT FOR SUPER CHEAP

The fact that One Of Us is Already Dead by Jeneva Rose was a free audible pick, will never cease to amaze me. Fantastic book and a fantastic narrating cast (Andi Arndt, Hillary Huber, Elizabeth Evans, Brittany Pressley, and Cassandra Campbell). One of Us is Already Dead is better than anything the Bravo Housewives Franchise is putting out.

Goodreads Blurb: The highly anticipated new thriller from the bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage.

Opulence. Sex. Betrayal … Sometimes friendship can be deadly.

Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.

Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …

Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …

Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …

Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?

Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.

CHURCH: A BOOK THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE

If you don’t know that the answer is Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo? You aren’t paying attention.

Goodreads Summary: Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015)

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.

CHOCOLATE BUNNY: A BOOK SO GOOD YOU DIDN’T WANT IT TO END

On A Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass (review linked) is the psychological thriller I didn’t know I needed. You won’t either.

Goodreads Summary: The perfect neighborhood can be the perfect place to hide…

Who wouldn’t want to live in Brighton Hills? This exclusive community on the Oregon coast is the perfect mix of luxury and natural beauty. Stunning houses nestle beneath mighty Douglas firs, and lush backyards roll down to the lakefront. It’s the kind of place where neighbors look out for one another. Sometimes a little too closely…

Cora thinks her husband, Finn, is cheating—she just needs to catch him in the act. That’s where Paige comes in. Paige lost her son to a hit-and-run last year, and she’s drowning in the kind of grief that makes people do reckless things. Like spying on the locals, searching for proof that her son’s death was no accident. And agreeing to Cora’s plan to reveal what kind of man Finn really is. All the while, their reclusive new neighbor, Georgia, is acting more strangely every day. But what could such a lovely young mother possibly be hiding?

When you really start to look beyond the airy open floor plans and marble counters, Brighton Hills is filled with secrets. Some big, some little, some deadly. And one by one, they’re about to be revealed…

 

EASTER BASKET: A BOOK FILLED WITH SO MANY SURPRISES

I’m between The Split by S.J. Bolton and First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Both reviews are linked. Since I can’t choose, here are both.

Goodreads Summary:

What happens when an undercover reporter gets in too deep? And when a practiced liar has to face off with her own truth—how does she choose her true reality?

Who will be the first to lie?

I think The First To Lie deserves more than that from Goodreads. Check out my review that is linked above!
One other note about S.J. Bolton’s The Split? When I read the summary, I didn’t even know why Minotaur sent it to me. Then, I picked it up and almost died.
Goodreads Summary:

The Split by S.J. Bolton is tense, gripping, and with a twist you won’t see coming, Sharon Bolton is back in an explosive new standalone thriller about a woman on the run in The Split.

No matter how far you run, some secrets will always catch up with you…

The remote Antarctic island of South Georgia is about to send off its last boat of the summer – which signifies safety to resident glaciologist Felicity Lloyd.

Felicity lives in fear – fear that her ex-husband Freddie will find her, even out here. She took a job on this isolated island to hide from him, but now that he’s out of prison, having served a term for murder, she knows he won’t give up until he finds her.

But a doctor delving into the background of Felicity and Freddie’s relationship, back in Cambridge, learns that Felicity has been on the edge for a long time. Heading to South Georgia himself to try and get to her first is the only way he can think of to help her.

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Easter Book Tag

That is it! What do you think of my choices and what would be your choices? To everyone celebrating Easter and Ramadan, have an amazing day!

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