“The odd thing about people who
had many books was how they always wanted more.”
― Patricia A. McKillip
Vacations are brilliant for
lots of reasons, but most especially because they are so perfectly compatible
with books. Having more time to read (and write) makes me very happy ☺.
We’re in the middle of summer
here in the UK, and I was lucky enough to escape to the south coast last week. Thanks
to my Kindle and my laptop, I brought a lot of fictional worlds and characters
with me, and I had the best time discovering their stories. By the time I came
back to the reality of work, chores, and rush hour traffic, I felt like I’d had
multiple vacations and met lots of new people.
These were my three reading
goals:
Something new
Something from my TBR
Something written by an author
attending YALC 2023
Something new
OK, so this was supposed to be one
book, but it turned into five, and I have no regrets. Also, the book that
started it all isn’t even published until October, so technically, it’s six
books…
I was browsing the top fifty
new releases on Amazon, and I clicked on A Curse For True Love, by
Stephanie Garber, because of the title and the beautiful cover. Then I read the
tagline: Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever
after. By the time I’d finished the description, I was invested.
Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, sounds like an interesting character, I
thought. (I had no idea.)
A little research revealed that
A Curse For True Love is part of a spin-off from Caraval, a
trilogy I’ve always been curious about. It seemed only logical to read that
too. And now I’m counting the weeks until A Curse For True Love is
released.
The Caraval Trilogy, by Stephanie Garber
Tagline: Welcome to
Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems…
“Legend brought people back to
life. Legend stole kingdoms with lies. Legend wrangled the stars.”
“If I told you the truth it
would spoil all the fun.”
“Would you have
preferred me to make the kiss kill you right away?”
Once Upon A Broken Heart and The Ballad of Never After, by Stephanie Garber
Tagline: How far would
you go for happily ever after?
“If you believe this is what
you want, then you’re lying to yourself.”
“I hurt everyone, Little Fox.”
“There is nothing of equal value
to me.”
Something from my TBR
This particular book has been
on my TBR ever since I finished reading The Folk of the Air trilogy. It
was so great to return to the dark world of Faerie as seen through the eyes of
Suren, and I’m really looking forward to Oak’s POV in the next book. To say
that things between Suren and Oak are complicated would be an understatement,
and I have no idea where the story is going to go next.
The Stolen Heir, by Holly Black
Tagline: A runaway queen.
A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.
“‘Is he your lover? Is this a ballad
we’re in?’”
‘A murder ballad, maybe,’ I
growl.
‘No doubt, by the end,’ he
says. ‘I wonder who will survive to compose it.’”
“If we were capable of putting
mistrust aside, we might be a formidable pair.”
“It can be brave to hate.
Sometimes it’s like hope.”
Something written by an author
attending YALC 2023
YALC 2023 is being held in
November, and I have tickets for Saturday 11th. I’d recommend
checking it out if you’re in the UK (or can travel here) because the lineup of
authors is amazing, and everyone is so friendly and positive. Last year was my
first time attending, and I smile whenever I think about it.
I decided to create a shortlist of three
books, but it was really difficult choosing only three. The research was
fun because my youngest daughter is going to YALC too, and she has a shortlist
of her own. Sometimes we love the same books, and sometimes we don’t!
To Kill a Kingdom, by Alexandra Christo
Tagline: The siren with a
taste for royal blood and the prince who has sworn to destroy her.
“But now my memories are cruel dreams,
twisting into merciless visions and accusing me of a past I can’t deny. The
truth of what I am has become a nightmare.”
“Love and madness are two stars
in the same sky.”
Influential, by Amara Sage
Tagline: Popularity comes
at a price.
“How am I supposed to get the
algorithm of being a girl just right when the rules keep changing?”
“Reality can be what we want it
to be, sweetie.”
The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne, by Jonathan Stroud
Tagline: Where gunfights
and monsters collide.
“‘The bank is closed.’
‘I know,’ the girl said.
‘That’s kind of the point.’ One side of her mouth rose in a half-smile that did
not reach her eyes.”
“She was angry again; it seemed
her default mode. The buzz of her thoughts beset him. But the boy, who had been
in the power of people who were never angry, yet who did terrible things to
him, was undaunted and even reassured.”
Writing update
And finally, an update on the
conclusion to Beyond Androva. Everything is on track, and it won’t be
too much longer before I have a confirmed release date for Bound in Magic.
Averine’s story is written, and in the next few weeks it will be edited,
formatted, and wrapped up in a shiny new cover! In the meantime, here is
an extract from the prologue, which is set in Phidiom during the timeline of Matched in
Magic, the first book in the
series.
“Gentus Bavois came here
looking for something,” he said. “Looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“A magician with an undamaged
force field.”
The woman’s gaze sharpened.
“And? Is it another far-fetched story, or do we think this magician actually
exists?”
He smiled. “Based on the bottle
of unfiltered lumien Gentus waved in front of my face, I believe they do.”
Thank you very much for
visiting my blog today 💕. I hope you get the chance to do some vacation reading
this summer, and if you’re going to YALC, maybe I’ll see you there ☺.
Something new
Something from my TBR
Something written by an author
attending YALC 2023
Writing update
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