Book Birthday

Ahhhh so many amazing books released today!!! These are on my neverending TBR and I can’t wait to read them all. If only I didn’t have to adult every day and just go on a very long reading vacation… Wouldn’t that be nice?!?!

Happiest Book Birthday to these Beauties!!!!

The Language of Thorns

Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

Leigh Bardugo

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PUBLISHED BY  MACMILLAN SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, FANTASY, SHORT STORIES
PAGES: HARDCOVER 224
BUY AMAZONBARNES AND NOBLE
Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.
Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.
Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.
This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

An Enchanment of Ravens

Margaret Rogerson

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PUBLISHED BY Margaret K. McElderry Books SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, FANTASY, ROMANCE
PAGES: HARDCOVER 300
BUY AMAZONBARNES AND NOBLEBOOK DEPOSITORY
Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There’s only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.

Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

 

Starfish

Akemi Dawn Bowman

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PUBLISHED BY  SIMON PULSE SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY, MENTAL HEALTH
PAGES: HARDCOVER 320
BUY AMAZONBARNES AND NOBLEBOOK DEPOSITORY
Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.

But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

 

A Short History of the Girl Next Door

Jared Reck

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PUBLISHED BY Knopf Books for Young Readers SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY, ROMANCE
PAGES: HARDCOVER 272
BUY AMAZONBARNES AND NOBLEBOOK DEPOSITORY
The unrequited love of the girl next door is the centerpiece of this fiercely funny, yet heart-breaking debut novel.

Fifteen-year-old Matt Wainwright is in turmoil. He can’t tell his lifelong best friend, Tabby, how he really feels about her; his promising basketball skills are being overshadowed by his attitude on the court, and the only place he feels normal is in English class, where he can express his inner thoughts in quirky poems and essays. Matt is desperately hoping that Tabby will reciprocate his feelings; but then Tabby starts dating Liam Branson, senior basketball star and all-around great guy. Losing Tabby to Branson is bad enough; but, as Matt soon discovers, he’s close to losing everything that matters most to him.

Humorous and heart-wrenching, A Short History of the Girl Next Door is perfect for readers who fell in love with All the Bright Places’ Finch or Stargirl’s Leo.

Invictus

Ryan Graudin

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PUBLISHED BY Little, Brown Books for Young Readers SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, SCI-FI, TIME TRAVEL
PAGES: HARDCOVER 464
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Time flies when you’re plundering history.

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far’s birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he’s ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past.

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far’s very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.

 

The Fire Queen

(The Hundredth Queen #2)

Emily R. King

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PUBLISHED BY  SKYSCAPE SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, FANTASY, ROMANCE
PAGES: PAPERBACK 286
BUY AMAZONBARNES AND NOBLEBOOK DEPOSITORY
Though the tyrant rajah she was forced to marry is dead, Kalinda’s troubles are far from over. A warlord has invaded the imperial city, and now she’s in exile. But she isn’t alone. Kalinda has the allegiance of Captain Deven Naik, her guard and beloved, imprisoned for treason and stripped of command. With the empire at war, their best hope is to find Prince Ashwin, the rajah’s son, who has promised Deven’s freedom on one condition: that Kalinda will fight and defeat three formidable opponents.

But as Kalinda’s tournament strengths are once again challenged, so too is her relationship with Deven. While Deven fears her powers, Ashwin reveres them—as well as the courageous woman who wields them. Kalinda comes to regard Ashwin as the only man who can repair a warring world and finds herself torn between her allegiance to Deven and a newly found respect for the young prince.

With both the responsibility to protect her people and the fate of those she loves weighing heavily upon her, Kalinda is forced again to compete. She must test the limits of her fire powers and her hard-won wisdom. But will that be enough to unite the empire without sacrificing all she holds dear?

Savage

(Dragonrider Legacy #1)

Nicole Conway

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PUBLISHED BY Month9Books, LLC SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, FANTASY
PAGES: PAPERBACK 296
BUY Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
Savage begins the Dragonrider Legacy series, a thrilling companion to the international bestselling Dragonrider Chronicles.

Never send a hero to do a monster’s job.

Forty years have passed since Jaevid Broadfeather brought peace to Maldobar and Luntharda. But that fragile truce will be tested as darkness gathers on the horizon. The vicious armies of the Tibran Empire have crossed the far seas and are threatening to destroy Maldobar completely. Not even the dragonriders can match the Tibran war machines. And after an attempt to awaken Jaevid from his divine sleep fails, the fate of Maldobar is looking grim.

Reigh has never known what it means to be a normal human. Raised amongst the gray elves in the wild jungle of Luntharda, he’s tried everything to fit in. But the dark power within him is bursting at the seams—refusing to be silenced. And while his adoptive father, Kiran, insists this power must be kept secret, Reigh knows he’s running out of time.

As Maldobar burns, the world is desperate for a new hero. Destiny has called, and one boy will rise to answer.

 

Anyway, hope you’re all having a wonderful day! If you’re following me on my Instagram, then you may have read that I’m been feeling under the weather lately. I’m not that bad so I’m still working 8 hours a day. However, I haven’t had the energy to read or work on finishing some of my reviews. I’m just hoping that I can fight this cold/cough. I’ve been drinking fluids, vitamin c, and sleeping early. Being sick is definitely no fun…

Have you read any of these or plan on reading them? Leave your thoughts and comments down below. Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely Karen Jo

Blog Tour: Black Bird of the Gallows

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Hello lovelies and welcome to my stop for the Black Bird of the Gallows blog tour. I’m really excited to be part of this tour and rave about this book. If you’re new to my blog, welcome to Sincerely Karen Jo. Hope you enjoy reading my review and leave a comment down below.

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4.5 – DARK THRILLING PARANORMAL ROMANCE
PUBLISHED BY ENTANGLED PUBSLISHING SEPTEMBER 5, 2017
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, ROMANCE, PARANORMAL, FANTASY
PAGES: HARDCOVER 300 PAGES

Buy Amazon | Amazon Australia | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

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Synopsis

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.
Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.
What’s more, she knows something most don’t. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.

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Review

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel is a wonderful debut novel that reminded me of the reasons why I love paranormal romances. It’s deliciously dark, satisfyingly eerie, and absolutely enthralling.

Kassel’s writing is beautiful and utterly captivating. I really liked the premise of the story and the spooky atmosphere. This book also gave me some Twilight FEELS and I loved it! The world building is fantastic and very imaginative. I’ve never read anything about harbingers or beekeepers, so that part definitely fascinated me. The plot has plenty of action, mystery, suspense and drama that kept me on the edge and completely hooked. The characters are genuine and likable that I couldn’t help but root for them all. The romance is a bit weird at times (you’ll find out when you read the book), but I still enjoyed it. The paranormal aspects can be quite disturbing, but I didn’t mind it at all. I was completely engrossed the entire time that I didn’t want the story to end.

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I liked Angie right off the bat. Her personality is inviting and that made it easy for me to connect with her. She’s also a fantastic heroine. Despite going through something horrible and having insecurities, she’s quite resilient, determined and very brave.

Reece is enigmatic, alluring, and has that “bad boy” vibe going on. You just know there’s something more about him, but whatever he’s hiding doesn’t really matter. He’s charmed his way into your heart and you just can’t resist him. I don’t know what it is exactly, but there’s something intriguing about the brooding tortured soul that always gets to me. Not to mention Reece is sweet, caring, and really handsome.

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While there is an insta-love in this book, I thought it was quite well done. There’s a backstory (kind of creepy, but reasonable in the supernatural way) that helped explained why Angie and Reece were drawn to each other. I also thought that their relationship progressed at a really good pace. They didn’t rush into anything or immediately declared their feelings. They both kept each other at a distance to some extent. But no matter what, the spark between them was undeniable. I enjoyed seeing them interact and deal with their attraction. Their bantering was super adorable and had me smiling. Their kisses were steamy and so swoony. They’re just so cute and I absolutely loved their chemistry.

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With gorgeous writing, an engaging story line, fantastic characters and sweet romance, Black Bird of the Gallows had me enchanted all the way through. There are so many things I love about this book and I honestly can’t recommend it enough. While this book is perfect for paranormal romance lovers, I definitely think anyone looking for a fun thrilling read would enjoy this too.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Excerpt

His soft voice clashes with the intensity of his gaze. “You’re adorable when you’re trying to be mad at me. You needn’t work so hard at it, though. We aren’t meant to be adversaries.” 
“I, um…” My thoughts disband, leaving nothing for communication purposes. I’m adorable? Adorable has many definitions. I think my dog is adorable, for example. “That…wasn’t what I was going to ask you.”
He inclines his head. “Okay, then. Ask.”
But that “adorable” echoes through me, clinking around like a penny down a well. “What are we meant to be, then?”
His lips curls up at the corners. “That wasn’t your question, either.”

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meg KasselMeg Kassel is an author of paranormal and speculative books for young adults. A New Jersey native, Meg graduated from Parson’s School of Design and worked as a graphic designer before becoming a writer. She now lives in Maine with her husband and daughter and is busy at work on her next novel. She is the 2016 RWA Golden Heart© winner in YA.

Follow and Connect with Meg Kassel

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Tour Schedule

Join the Rafflecopter Giveaway

Giveway Information: Three (3) winners will receive A Black Bird of the Gallows canvas tote bag (11“x14”) which includes a custom made crow pendant and ball chain, bookmark and stickers, $10 Amazon Gift Card (INT):

Giveaway

 

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