Month: October 2019

Recommendations

My Top 13 Spooky Reads of The Year

A Morrow

I don’t know about you, but I love a good book that scares, thrills, excites, and riles me up! If I have to throw a book in the freezer when I’m done with it, I consider that a huge success. Needless to say, October and Halloween are my favorite time of the year.

I’ve read so many good books this year, SO many, and so many of them horror or thrillers. Below are only a few of my favorite creepy reads from the year. Hope you find something spooooooooky!

~ Happy Halloween! ~

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

I recommend this book a lot. I didn’t read it for the first time this year, but I did reread it and it held up just the same. A Head Full of Ghosts follows a family in crisis, their story akin to the Exorcism only this time we are watching through a documentary crew who is there to film the entire thing. Questions are raised: how much of this is real? All the way up to a shocking end, this adult psychological horror novel consistently keeps my attention. The end of this book…I thought about it for weeks after I finished. This one is not for the faint of heart.

Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this YA horror novel from BookishFirst. I’d never read any other Marshall’s other work, but the premise caught me from chapter one. Rules for Vanishing is about Sara, who’s sister Becca disappeared one year ago following one of the town’s local legends: The Road. Once a year, a pathway opens to “The Road,” but once you step on you can’t step back off until you’ve completed the path. Sara and her friends find the road and embark on a dark and dangerous adventure, hoping to find Becca somewhere in the ambiguous mist on the other side. I was riveted by this adventure and wholly creeped out by some of its masterful twists and turns. Unlike some YA horror, Rules for Vanishing doesn’t shy away. Interspersed with interviews, video transcripts, and so much more, this book was modern, fresh, and thoroughly spooky.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

How could I make a list of spooky books from 2019 without mentioning Ninth House? A brand-new release from much beloved YA author Leigh Bardugo, Ninth House is her first foray into Adult fiction and this one is a doozy. Following Alex Stern, a young woman looking for her next opportunity in life, suddenly she is given one: a full ride to one of the most prestigious universities in the country. But what’s the catch? Featuring dark topics that would make any seasoned horror-buff squirm, Ninth House is sure to make an impression on you.

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

The second YA entry on this list, City of Ghosts is a ghost adventure story with a hero twist. Cassidy, our main character, is very familiar with the world of the dead: her parents are “The Inspectors,” a two-person ghost-hunting team that travel the globe. When she and her parents relocate to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, life becomes rough for poor Cassidy. Not all the ghosts she sees are friendly, and there’s one here especially that does not belong in our world. As Cassidy comes to terms with her powers to see the dead and what she can do about it, she has to grapple with also trying to save our world in the meantime. This book is a fun, thoughtful little romp and I enjoyed it very much.

No Exit by Taylor Adams

Even though this was published at the very tail end of 2018, I only read this recently and I was hooked from the first page. This book is intense and I loved it. I can’t say it enough. No Exit follows Darby, racing a blizzard home in her beat up car so she can say goodbye to her dying mother. When she’s forced to stop at a rest stop and wait out the storm, she finds something she never could have expected: there’s a little girl in a cage in one of the other cars in the rest stop’s parking lot. Stranded without police on the other side of the mountain, Darby has to figure out who the kidnapper is, why they took this little girl, and what to do next now that she’s seen her. The story that follows is gritty, fast, action-packed, and does not slow down for a second. This is the thriller you’ve been looking for.

Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis

There are all kinds of niches in horror, and this one falls firmly in the Survivalist Thriller category. When Ashley and her friends go out to the State Park to camp, she doesn’t expect a night of drunken fun to end up breaking her heart. After catching her boyfriend with another girl, Ashley takes off into the night– and falls, down, down, down into darkness. When she wakes up the next morning she is lost, injured, and alone, with no idea which way she ran from camp. The next eleven days are a test of Ashley’s strength, fortitude and will to survive as she encounters every set back one might have to face in the wild. I read this book in a day. I couldn’t put it down. Another win for YA horror this year. Or technically next year. Look for this one on shelves in March, 2020. (Looking for something similar in the meantime? Try I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall.)

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

If you like zombie books but are sick of the same old story, this is the book for you. I enjoy zombie stories, but sparingly. I’ve always been more interested in the human survival angle of apocalyptic stories than zombies as a supernatural creature, but sometimes they do go so well hand-in-hand. The Girl with All the Gifts is one of those instances. I’m not even sure how to describe this book without giving too much away, but this story follows a young girl named Melanie in a world that was once very much like our own. That was a long time ago, and now a pathogen has ravaged most of the planet into unsafe war zones or barricaded fortresses. Melanie lives in one of these fortresses, at least until its attacked and she and her teacher, Mrs. Caldwell, a doctor and two soldiers from the facility, are forced to flee. None of them are ready for what comes next, which ends up being a melancholy, poetic, almost beautiful examination of loss, change, and what it means for the human race to persevere. Don’t miss this one. (There’s a sequel now too!)

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

So full disclosure, I’m a big Riley Sager fan. (I’m already drooling to get my hands on the next one in 2020.) His other two books, pictured above, are also some of my favorite scary stories to pull out this time of year and- really any other time of year too. Lock Every Door is a classic locked room mystery with a haunting, gothic feel. The story follows Jules, recently single and absolutely broke, when she finds an add in the newspaper looking for an apartment sitter. When she inquires after the job, she gets it on the spot, along with a tremendously generous salary– that is if she promises to follow a set of very strict rules. Jules moves in and takes care to follow instructions, at least until some very strange things start to happen in the building. She starts to wonder, was this job too good to be true? Lock Every Door was one of the most fun books I’ve read this year, it is a blast to read, and so creepy. Please do yourself a favor and look this one up.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

This might be one of my favorite stories, and its definitely one of Atwood’s most underrated novels by far. Alias Grace follows Grace, a convicted murderess, as she speaks in a series of interviews conducted by a doctor: a new kind of doctor for this point in time called a psychologist. Equal parts a crime mystery and period piece, Alias Grace is ultimately about deciding what you believe. Is Grace guilty? Is she innocent? Did something else sinister happen when no one was watching? The beauty of this story is how much the reader must involve themselves, mentally and emotionally, to get to whatever answer they find. And, as a side note, Netflix made an absolutely amazing mini-series based on the book. Do yourself a favor and check them both out.

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

The Ghost Bride is such an underrated little gem that never gets enough buzz. I read this a few years ago and only recently reread it and was reminded how much I enjoyed it. The Ghost Bride is a horror novel and a love story, all at once. Li Lan, the daughter of a poor family in a small town that still clings to old customs, has few marriage prospects. All of a sudden, she is given a proposal by one of the wealthiest families in China: to become Ghost Wife to their only son, who died mysteriously just a few months earlier. Night after night, the lines begin to blur between reality and the dark otherworld of the dead where her husband lies, but during the day she is falling for the families’ new heir. Uncovering darker and darker family secrets the longer she stays, she realizes that she must save herself before she is lost to the darkness forever. Ghost Bride is meditative and compassionate, while still sending shivers down your spine. If you haven’t read this one, and a lot of people haven’t, add it to your TBR ASAP.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

I’ve talked about Baby Teeth so many times on this blog. I doubt I’ll stop any time soon. I even connected with the author, which floored and humbled me. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that constantly had be asking myself “what the hell am I reading and why can’t I stop?” Baby Teeth follows a normal family like any other, Suzette, Alex, and their 7-year-old daughter Hanna. Only things are not as “normal” at home as they seem from the outside. Told from alternating perspectives of mother and daughter, Baby Teeth blurs and examines the lines between real fears and imagined ones, between illness and intent, between love and hate. Baby Teeth is equal parts horrifying and empathetic and I had such a good time reading it. It is not a pretty story but I promise you it will keep you hooked until the very end.

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

I can’t believe I’m including this one, since I’ve only read three chapters as of right now, but I can’t help it. It’s ~the~ most talked about new release in Horror right now AND I am personally already fascinated. I never would have guessed that, in 2019, I’d be reading a horror novel by the same man who wrote The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a YA contemporary novel that I loved in middle school. It’s just wild. Needless to say, Chbosky’s been hiding this eerie talent of his for long enough and Imaginary Friend is looking to be one of the most notable books of the season. I’m sure enjoying it. At least when I read it with the lights on.

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding

Little Darlings is every mother’s nightmare. When Lauren first gives birth to her twin boys she is ecstatic, but that first night in the hospital something happens: she sees someone- some thing- come into her room and try to take her babies and replace them with…something. Everyone thinks she’s imagining it. Months later when she and the boys take a trip to the park they momentarily disappear…and when they are found again, something about them is different. Lauren begins to wonder: are these even her children? Determined to bring them home, she will do anything. But worst of all- what if she’s wrong? Little Darlings is a journey through the psychological stress of being a new mother and the spectre of supernatural malice over your shoulder. If this one doesn’t leave you creeped out and wondering, nothing will.

I hope you find something spooooooky that’s right up your alley!

Happy Halloween, friends! What’s your favorite spooky read??

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WWW

It’s “What are you reading?” Wednesday!

A Morrow

I’ve seen a lot of bookish memes and list ideas here on the book-blogging circuit, and I wish I could do all of them! One of my favorites has been a trend of bloggers posting their current reads on Wednesdays.

This week I’ll be taking inspiration from Taking On a World of Words, and trying out their “WWW Wednesday!”

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What I’m currently reading:

The Return by Rachel Harrison

I really should have waited to pick this one up, since its release date isn’t for quite a while, but I couldn’t help myself. The premise was just so intriguing: Julie, the main character’s best friend, goes hiking and doesn’t return. For two years. Until she’s back again, with supposedly no memory of where she was. Um. What?? Yeah, I had to read this, and its perfect for the spooky season too. I’m moving through this book so quickly and I don’t want it to end, which all bodes so well. Look for a review of this one as the release date approaches.

Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan

First, let me just say, that I was so excited and proud and surprised when I was approved to read an ARC of this book through Netgalley. Wicked Saints, the first novel in this YA fantasy trilogy, was one of the most talked about YA novels of the last year and its sequel is highly anticipated as well. I liked Wicked Saints, though it wasn’t perfect, but the world that these books take place in is utterly fascinating to me. The mix of magic and religion is so intriguing, and I for one am really looking forward to seeing where this series takes us. I just started this one, so expect me to report back soon.

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

I’ve been reading mostly horror or thrillers this month (cause duh, it’s October) but at one point I needed to take a break and this ARC fell into my lap. Taking place in the same world as Fix Her Up, Tessa Bailey’s debut novel, this Adult Contemporary novel is so many things. It’s about romance, how it starts and how it can fall to the wayside when life becomes difficult. It’s about falling back in love with yourself and with a partner you have drifted from. It feels so fresh to read a book that starts with a married couple and works through them finding a new romance together, instead of most romances that tend to end with a wedding. I am loving this so far and I’ll report back soon.

What I’ve recently finished:

No Exit by Taylor Adams

Holy hell. I will definitely be writing a full review of this book because I just loved it that much. I started it one morning and then…the whole day disappeared. I did laundry, I worked, I lived my life that day, but every single second I could grab in between all the adulting, I was sticking my nose back into this story. What. A. Book. No Exit starts off fast and intense and never, ever, once, lets up. I was tense, I was anxious, I was so attached to the characters and immersed in this world that I didn’t even notice it got dark while I was reading. If you’re looking for an adult thriller to make your day disappear, this is the book for you. Just make sure you don’t have anything else important to do that day, because all you’ll want to do is read.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

I also enjoyed this, but given I read it right after No Exit (which I just talked about how much I loved) it was a little bit of a letdown. Some of that is my comparison between the two, which is unfair, but some of it was earned by The Escape Room. Ultimately, I did enjoy this story. It was tense, mysterious, and something about it did keep pulling me back until I got to the end. I just needed to know what had happened to one of the characters. This book is told in alternating chapters of present day and the past and while I loved this format immensely, The Escape Room suffered from the unfortunate fact that- well, one of those storylines was just more interesting than the other. And I don’t think it was the one the author intended, given the title of the book refers to the present day timeline. Those chapters weren’t un-enjoyable, but I kept wanting to hurry through them just to get back to the much more intriguing story behind it all. If you like thrillers, I would still recommend this one. While it wasn’t perfect, I had a great time reading it and I felt satisfied at the end. Check it out.

What I think I’ll read next:

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

I have been hungering after this book for SO long that all I want to do is start it. It’s been a battle to really focus on the books I’m reading now (which I’m enjoying) and not just jump right into this one. Leigh Bardugo is an author I highly enjoy and this is her first Adult Fantasy novel. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, also written by Bardugo, are two of my favorite books in the world and I am so excited to read her debut into the world of Adult fiction. Looking forward to this immensely!

Imaginary Friend by Steven Chbosky

This is another spooky novel I’ve been trying to get my hands on all month. A total departure from his previous work (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is a YA contemporary) this work is pure Adult horror and I cannot wait to dive in. I’ve read the first chapter of this book through Amazon and I am already hooked. Hopefully it’ll be just as spooky, creepy, and scary as I want it to be.

The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, & Jonathan Snipes

Black mermaids!!! This has been one of the most anticipated books of the season, at least for me, but I also see it being talked about everywhere. Mermaids and other magical sea-creatures have been a big trend as of late but the diversity in these books has been seriously lacking. This book is the answer to that unmet need and I couldn’t be more excited to see what’s in store in The Deep.

What are YOU reading this week? Drop me a line in the comments! x — A

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Book Tour, Reviews

Beyond the Black Door (+ Giveaway!)

A Morrow

Kamai was warned never to open the black door, but she didn’t listen…

Everyone has a soul. Some are beautiful gardens, others are frightening dungeons.

Soulwalkers―like Kamai and her mother―can journey into other people’s souls while they sleep.

But no matter where Kamai visits, she sees the black door. It follows her into every soul, and her mother has told her to never, ever open it.

When Kamai touches the door, it is warm and beating, like it has a pulse. When she puts her ear to it, she hears her own name whispered from the other side. And when tragedy strikes, Kamai does the unthinkable: she opens the door.

A.M. Strickland’s imaginative dark fantasy features court intrigue and romance, a main character coming to terms with her asexuality, and twists and turns as a seductive mystery unfolds that endangers not just Kamai’s own soul, but the entire kingdom…

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Are you kidding? A spooky, LGBTQ+, fantasy read that just happens to fall in the spoooooky month of October? I was SO in.

Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland was a fun read. It was dark and moody, gothic and spooky, fantastic and magical, and just complex enough to keep me reading all the way until the end. More than anything about this book, I was just– interested: to see how it ended, to see what happened next, to see what would happen to Kamai in the end.

The magic in this system is completely new and original, which I loved. The concept of “soul walkers” was wild and a little esoteric, but what I found so wonderful about this book was the way that the system and the explanations of this form of magic were written so well. Her concepts are complex, but the way Strickland writes about them was accessible, relatable, and dare I say- magical.

I loved the representation in this book  most of all, I was so excited to see a book (especially a fantasy book) lean into a character who falls into the Aromantic/Asexual spectrum. Especially given that the character, internally, struggles with these feelings and perspectives, which I found wholly and utterly relatable. This book uses many metaphors to show how asexuality is a grey area where many people fall along a wide spectrum. I loved the use of moon phases, which also tied into the magic in this story, to examine gender identity and the character’s conflicts with sex and her work.

I rooted for Kamai throughout this book. I wanted her to succeed and find what she was looking for, even when things became murky and it looked like that might be unlikely. Kamai is impulsive, flawed, stubborn, and has her own internal conflicts aplenty, but all of this combines to make a immensely human character inside an already fantastical world.

I hesitate to talk too much about to romance or “romance,” depending on your POV, because I don’t want to give anything away. Needless to say, it was refreshing to see a dark, villainous love interest actually— you know, stay dark and villainous. So often in YA novels, when an author is trying to write an abusive or manipulative or dark romantic plot like, these edges can be somewhat rounded off and instead we get a villain that is sympathetic and understandable. I enjoyed the fact that this was not the point of the romance in Beyond the Black Door. The fact that this relationship in the book is unhealthy, manipulative, and dangerous is never argued, ignored, or glossed over. I am always so grateful when an author can acknowledge these dark truths, especially in a romantic plot line, because as much as we enjoy these stories, it also reminds us that this is not how romance ‘should’ be.

I will say one thing: I want more. I have so many questions left and I go back and forth over whether or not that’s a great thing or a frustrating thing. I just want to know more. So here’s hoping!

Overall, this was a strong debut for Strickland into the crowded field of YA and I will be keeping my eye out for what comes next from this author.

Check it out for yourselves and I hope you enjoy!

AdriAnne Strickland was a bibliophile who wanted to be an author before she knew what either of those words meant. She shares a home base in Alaska with her husband, her pugs, and her piles and piles of books. She loves traveling, dancing, vests, tattoos, and every shade of teal in existence, but especially the darker ones. She is the coauthor of SHADOW RUN and SHADOW CALL (Delacorte/Penguin Random House) and author of the forthcoming BEYOND THE BLACK DOOR (Imprint/Macmillan).

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Enter to win a copy of Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland!

Giveaway is open to US residents and ends 11/06/2019.

Enter through this Rafflecopter form and may the odds be ever in your favor!

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October 23rd

October 24th

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October 26th

October 27th

October 28th

October 29th

What spooky reads have you been reading this month?? x — A

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ARC Reviews, Book Tour, Reviews

Angel Mage ( + Giveaway!)

A Morrow

Hey all! I am so excited to share with you my stop on the Angel Mage Tour. I’ve got some creative content for you, a review of this awesome new book, and a giveaway down at the bottom! Hope you enjoy. x

“More than a century has passed since Liliath crept into the empty sarcophagus of Saint Marguerite, fleeing the Fall of Ystara. But she emerges from her magical sleep still beautiful, looking no more than nineteen, and once again renews her single-minded quest to be united with her lover, Palleniel, the archangel of Ystara.

A seemingly impossible quest, but Liliath is one of the greatest practitioners of angelic magic to have ever lived, summoning angels and forcing them to do her bidding.

Liliath knew that most of the inhabitants of Ystara died from the Ash Blood plague or were transformed into beastlings, and she herself led the survivors who fled into neighboring Sarance. Now she learns that angels shun the Ystaran’s descendants. If they are touched by angelic magic, their blood will turn to ash. They are known as Refusers, and can only live the most lowly lives.

But Liliath cares nothing for the descendants of her people, save how they can serve her. It is four young Sarancians who hold her interest: Simeon, a studious doctor-in-training; Henri, a dedicated fortune hunter; Agnez, an adventurous musketeer cadet; and Dorotea, an icon-maker and scholar of angelic magic. They are the key to her quest.

The four feel a strange kinship from the moment they meet, but do not know why, or suspect their importance. All become pawns in Liliath’s grand scheme to fulfill her destiny and be united with the love of her life. No matter the cost to everyone else. . .”

Goodreads | Amazon

When I heard that Garth Nix was releasing another book, I was SO excited. Then even more excited when I earned an advanced copy and a spot on this tour!

If you don’t know this about me, I used to read Nix’s Old Kingdom series when I was younger and it was one that I consistently went back to as I grew up. Starting with Sabriel, the Old Kingdom series was like quicksand for me, it sucked me in and never let me out again. But the wonderful thing about the way Nix writes is that it seemed to almost age with me: I noticed new things, I understood the relationships and complex world even better, it was a whole new experience.

Suffice to say, because of all this, I had high expectations for Angel Mage. After all, this is the same world as the Old Kingdom series…only 100 years later. If you’re familiar with the Old Kingdom series, you’ll recognize and enjoy callbacks and references to parts of the world you remember. But the real joy of the way Nix has written this book is that it can also stand alone. You don’t need any credentials to pick up and enjoy this book, aside from wanting to.

And Angel Mage starts off with a bang. Nix throws us into this insane world without warning and with plenty of action. Given that Nix has a writing style that not everyone finds easy to read, I was pleasantly surprised by how fast-paced, action-packed, and tight this book really was. The plot moves quickly and I found myself waiting, on the edge of my seat many times, just to find out what was going to happen next.

It wouldn’t be possible to talk about a Garth Nix book without pointing out what a beautiful job he does with the world-building and mythology in his work. The World of Angel Mage is so full of fascinating things to latch onto, question, and wonder about. The magical and ‘religious’ and/or angelic pantheon system that Nix has created in this story is immense and complex and so unique. I’ve yet to read anything else like it and it was one of my favorite parts of the book, figuring out how this fascinating new system of fantasy worked.

Another thing Nix always delivers well is a solid, character-driven story. Despite the plot moving full speed ahead, the characters that we travel with throughout this story have not been forgotten about in the least. I loved to hate the main character in the weirdest way: I empathized with her, felt so deeply for her, and also constantly wanted to shake her by the shoulders. Her drive and stubbornness are such a deep part of her character and mission that she felt alive.

Even Angel Mage’s side characters, of which there are four of note, are all unique and full and tangible. I felt their friendship for each other, which is another feat I appreciate so much in books, it felt so real. Their complex histories and personal drives were all so rich and woven into the story so as to dangerously intertwine at just the right moment.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Angel Mage was gripping, character-driven, quick, and wonderfully magical. Once you ease into the style of Nix’s writing, the world is immersive and beautifully written and I think anyone, adult or young adult, who enjoys fantasy might enjoy this too.

Sound interesting? I thought so! In fact I LOVE a good book that can take something so big and vast and complex as the topics of Angels and Gods and turn it into something fresh, original, and new.

Here are a few more of my favorite books that delight in showing off the most original facets of the Divine:

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

This might be my favorite take on angels today. (Yes, its also my favorite series, so I am biased, but still.) I hesitate to say too much here, for the simple fact that you might be reading this series and not have gotten to and/or realized the bigger picture of this bizarre and fascinating urban fantasy world. If not, you are in luck; there are huge, shocking, wonderful, horrible twists ahead for you. Butcher uses a myriad of references and entities to weave a bigger story into his narrative and it continues to blow me away. If you like your Angels and Demons smart, subtle, and truly old-as-time, this is the series for you. (Adult, Urban Fantasy)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Is there another book that uses gods and angels and higher beings so creatively? I’m not sure. American Gods is a big, wandering, complex book that is a wild ride to read, I’ve enjoyed it many times. What I love most about it though is how it uses America, a country that’s (ideally) known for being a ‘melting pot’ of different beliefs and cultures, to show a new side to how that might affect those gods being believed in. What happens to a god when their worshippers are driven from their homes and have to find a new way of life? What happens to a god when their people have to assimilate into a new culture? What happens to a god when they are forgotten about? There are so many questions, and so many more, that American Gods both answers and poses, but if these questions interest you then the book will too. If you like your Angels and Demons a little bit gritty, jaded, and all varieties of pissed off, this might be the book for you. (Adult, Urban Fantasy)

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Gaiman made this list twice. But given that these two list entries could not be more different from each other, I’m going to say its a fair count. Good Omens is the antithesis of American Gods in many ways, but also it’s just…its own wonderful thing. Good Omens is funny and irreverent, smart and clever, and full of Gaiman’s trademark profundity and Pratchett’s beloved sense of humor. The two of them come together to create something that is, all at once, a thriller, a coming of age story, a cosmic battle between good and evil, and also just a story of a boy and his dog. This book is hilarious, beautiful, sad, and sweet, and most of all, just a great time. If you like your Angels and Demons to be equal turns snarky and adorable, human-loving and rule-breaking, really into their organizations and maybe a little bit in love with each other too- this book is for you. (Adult, Fantasy)

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner

I didn’t expect this series to have anything at all to do with gods or angels or the like, but Megan Whalen Turner has a way of surprising me in everything she does. While these books center on political and royal intrigues for the most part, the reader can’t deny that a bigger picture starts forming early on. The main character, Eugenidies, doesn’t want the gods’ attention and didn’t ask for it, but he seems to have it. Between being sent dreams, his fate being turned at a whim, and even direct contact, Eugenidies can’t ignore the very real truth that the gods want something with him. And they want something bigger, too. As each book builds on itself and his life changes in ways he couldn’t imagine, the picture starts to become clearer and so many things hinge on his trust in his gods. If you like your Angels and Demons subtle but direct, amused, and willing to change a person’s fate to meet their own ends, this may be the series for you. (MG/YA, Fantasy)

Both the Tortall and Winding Circle series by Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce has been a beloved author of mine since I was young, and I’ve read all her books. She’s written multiple series, but all of them fall into one of two worlds: Tortall or Emelan, named after the countries these stories spend the most time in. Each of these series are different, with different protagonists, struggles, and even magical and religious systems across the two worlds. There is so much variety in the way the people in these worlds worship, which gods they worship, and especially how magic factors into it all. In one world Pierce paints her gods as distant but accessible, benevolent. They exist but on a more practical, worldly level that each character can turn over and decide how it makes them feel. It feels fresh and honest and magically fascinating, and if that sounds like something you’d like be sure to check out her books in Emelan. In Tortall, the gods may feel distant for some but they are ever so very, very present. If you like your gods and angels and spiritual entities meddling and emotional, personal and relational, and potentially able to visit, that might be the series for you instead. Pierce has so much to offer in this arena.

The Empirium Trilogy by Claire Legrand

This series is relatively new; its a trilogy but only two of the books have been published so far, Furyborn and Kingsbane. I enjoyed them both. The most fascinating part for me, in both of them, was the way that Legrand writes this world: magic and religion and angels and science all wrapped up together into one complex thread that cannot be unraveled. If you like your Angels and gods to span centuries and stories, to do whatever it takes to complete their mission, this might be the series for you.

All of the books from Tolkien’s Middle-Earth

Oh, Tolkien. How could I not include Tolkien? I don’t know about you but I am a huge fan of Middle-Earth and all of its stories. Tolkien’s work may be dense, but what makes up for it, especially when it comes to angels, demons and gods, is the immense amount of culture and world-building that he manages to fit into every story. Tolkien’s world has gods and beliefs and cultures that go back so far into the history of Middle-Earth that most people on real Earth don’t know the half of it. If you like your Angels and Demons to be distant, more mythological than personable, more story than entity, this is the right world for you. There are so many facets to explore.

I had so much fun reading Angel Mage and honestly I had so much fun making this list. I could ramble on here about more ideas for the rest of the day, but I hope I’ve at least given you some new titles to check out for your next divine read. What a wild world it is.

Garth Nix has been a full-time writer since 2001, but has also worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve.

Garth’s books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series, comprising Sabriel, Lirael; Abhorsen; Clariel and Goldenhand; SF novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes; and a Regency romance with magic, Newt’s Emerald. His novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of The Seventh Tower sequence; The Keys to the Kingdom series and others. He has co-written several books with Sean Williams, including the Troubletwisters series; Spirit Animals Book Three: Blood Ties; Have Sword, Will Travel; and the forthcoming sequel Let Sleeping Dragons Lie. A contributor to many anthologies and magazines, Garth’s selected short fiction has been collected in Across the Wall and To Hold the Bridge.

More than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world, they have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and USA Today and his work has been translated into 42 languages. His most recent book is Frogkisser! now being developed as a film by Twentieth Century Fox/Blue Sky Animation.

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Enter to win 1 of 2 copies of Angel Mage by Garth Nix!

Giveaway is open to US residents and ends 10/31/2019.

Enter through this Rafflecopter form and may the odds be ever in your favor!

October 21

  • Dazzled By Books – Book Review, Creative Content
  • Library of a Book Witch – Book Review
  • The Layaway Dragon – Book Review + Favorite Quotes

October 22

  • Moonlight Rendezvous – Book Review + Favorite Quotes
  • Books_andPoetrii – Creative Content
  • @tea.books.magic – Book Review

October 23

October 24

  • Novel Nerd Faction – Book Review, Creative Content
  • Becky’s Book Blog – Book Review
  • Story-eyed Review – Book Review, Creative Content

October 25

  • evelynreads – Book Review
  • The Book Bratz – Spotlight
  • Sometimes Leelynn Reads – Book Review, Creative Content
  • Clarissa Reads It All – Spotlight

October 26

  • The Reading Corner for All – Book Review, Creative Content
  • biblioxytocin – Book Review + Favorite Quotes, Creative Content

October 27

  • Popthebutterfly Reads – Book Review
  • Life With No Plot – Book Review

October 28

  • Book Blog London – Book Review + Favorite Quotes
  • Utopia State of Mind – Book Review + Favorite Quotes
  • Nay’s Pink Bookshelf – Book Review + Favorite Quotes

Angel Mage is out now!

What are some of YOUR favorite books that play with higher beings?? Leave me a comment, I want to know!

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Reviews

The Turn of the Key

A Morrow

When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

It was everything.

She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.

If you know me, you know that I really enjoy Ruth Ware. I’ve read all of her books but one (The Woman in Cabin 10) and have enjoyed all of them; some of them I’ve enjoyed a LOT. So I was highly anticipating this Summer release date for The Turn of the Key. After finally getting my hands on this one, I can happily report that I’m not disappointed.

The Turn of the Key is pretty much everything I wanted from Ware. It is atmospheric, thrilling, creepy, and completely sucked me in from the first chapter.

One aspect I really enjoyed in this novel was the constant wondering WHAT the threat in this book actually was: Supernatural? Mundane? Psychological? I loved bouncing back and forth between theories for the majority of this book and, though the ending still left me with a lot of questions, I genuinely had a lot of fun throughout the roller coaster that was this story.

My favorite thing about this book was how hard it was to listen to in the dark. I don’t get creeped out easily but just imagining that “creeeeeak” that she writes so well coming from the floor above her bed, I began to hear and think about it when I was laying in bed myself. This book was eerie and continually compelling because of that fact. Turn of the Key manages to keep the urgency of a thriller while still creating the slow, deeper dread that a horror novel usually produces.

One thing I’ve always appreciated about Ware’s characters is that they are not detectives or police or even “crime-solving citizens” they’re just women. Women who respond to these mysterious and scary moments with relatable fear, confusion, and just trying their damndest to figure out what they’ve gotten themselves into. I relate to that, especially in the types of mysteries that Ware tells, tangled in the further complicating factors of love and family and work. Aside from a few twists and revelations, this book was no different. Though I wanted to throw Rowan across the room for many of her choices, Ware is great at wrapping the fog of “what is right and true” tightly around her story and her character’s actions, forcing us to also ask the same of ourselves.

I also enjoyed the format and style of this book; I love a good first person narrative. Turn of the Key begins with a letter from Rowan to an unnamed attorney, and the anticipatory dread this created added to the urgency throughout the book. It reminded me a little of the book Alias Grace, where you’re left to decide so much for yourself about what’s actually happened in the story.

The only thing I might have changed is the ending. While it was a shocking and interesting twist, I still have so many burning questions now that the book is over! I feel like there were certain threads throughout the story that got lost in the final pages. I still didn’t see that twist coming, so I consider this a semi-win. I’d love to hear your opinions on this ending if you’ve read it yourself!

Overall, Turn of the Key was a creepy, pulse-pounding thriller that I sped through in a day and I would do it all again. I just had fun reading this book and continuing to find out what happened at every turn. Despite its small plot holes, I still enjoyed this new addition to Ware’s body of work. I hope that you do too!

Find this book on Amazon, here!

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WWW

It’s “What are you reading?” Wednesday!

A Morrow

I’ve seen a lot of bookish memes and list ideas here on the book-blogging circuit, and I wish I could do all of them! One of my favorites has been a trend of bloggers posting their current reads on Wednesdays.

This week I’ll be taking inspiration from Taking On a World of Words, and trying out their “WWW Wednesday!”

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What I’m currently reading:

Half Bad by Sally Green

I’m getting around to this series way behind everyone else, but I’m enjoying it a lot so far! This world is complicated and dark, fresh and original, and I’m enjoying that more than anything else. This witchy book is right on time for October!

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

This one I’ve read before, but it’s October! And since it’s a spooky favorite of mine, I’m reading it again. Tremblay is a big name in Horror and his books have either been big hits or big misses for me, but this one is my favorite. It’s eerie, scary, dark, and accomplishes my favorite thing in horror: a fascinating examination of humanity in its darkest moments.

What I’ve recently finished:

Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

I. Loved. This book. And I didn’t expect anything from it when I started it, but damn. This YA Thriller/Horror novel came to me through BookishFirst as an ARC and it was released last week! This book swept me up in the middle of a reading slump and I was lost in the spooky, ethereal happenings of this dark little story. I loved the characters, I loved the eerie legends that surrounded their story, I loved the way the author told this story and I loved the tangible, vivid descriptions of every step on The Road. Definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for a spooky, winding, tale for October! I highly recommend.

A House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

This book came in my Owlcrate last month and it was a really fun read! Set on an isolated, haunted island and starring a potentially cursed family, shenanigans abound in this story and I really liked it. I loved all the sisters’ personalities, I loved the complex relationship with their step-mother, and I really liked the spooky story hiding underneath it all. Thanks, Owlcrate!

What I think I’ll read next:

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

This book sounds so deliciously full of all the things I love: anti-heroes, complex morality, dark characters that you also want to put in your pocket, I’m so excited. So many people I know love and cherish this book and I am really looking forward to finding out more about it for myself!

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

I have loved A Handmaid’s Tale since the first time I read it in High School. It was such a formative book for me as a young woman. I didn’t even know that I wanted or needed a sequel until it was announced that she was writing one and now I cannot wait to dive into it. I have to know! What happens next? The show has been tiding me over, but I’m so eager to see what Atwood has in store for these characters in the next installment of this hard-hitting series.

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

I have heard such good things about this! And its spooky season, so its right on time! I’ve heard that its spooky, descriptive, fast-paced, and oh-so-wonderfully Queer. I am so excited! Plus, I’ve read another series by this author and loved it, so I feel like I’m in good hands. Will report back!

What are you reading this week! Drop a line in the comments and let me know! x — A

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