Friday, August 30, 2019

Anticipated September 2019 Releases!



September tends to be one of the biggest months for pubishing, and, well, this year it's no exception. This list might be extensive, but please bear in mind that this was done after I cut it down immensely--and it's still huge. But I can't complain about an abundance of new books!
 I am, hands down, most excited for Darkdawn and I can't believe that it's almost here! (!!!) I've had a chance to read The Ten Thousand Doors of January, A Hero Born, Sword and Pen, The Magnolia Sword, and This Tender Land already and honestly, I've enjoyed them all (and reviews will be up within the next month or so)! It's shaping up to be a fantastic month and I hope to read some more on this list if I can. What books on this list are you most looking forward to? What books are you looking forward to that I didn't get to add to this list!? Let me know!

Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle, #3)The Ten Thousand Doors of JanuaryA Little Hatred (The Age of Madness, #1)A Hero Born (Legends of the Condor Heroes, #1)The NightjarThe Monster of ElendhavenThe Tenth GirlSword and Pen (The Great Library, #5)Rules For VanishingThe Bone HousesKingdom of SoulsCold StorageThis Tender LandThe Widow of Pale HarborAfter the FloodMonster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative FictionThe Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of MulanA Treason of ThornsGideon the Ninth (The Ninth House, #1)Out of Darkness, Shining LightThe Future of Another TimelineThe Harp of Kings (Warrior Bards #1)Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove, #1)The Orchid Throne (Forgotten Empires, #1)Steel Crow Saga (Steel Crow Saga, #1)At the Mountains of Madness: A Graphic NovelThe Glass WomanThere Will Come a Darkness (The Age of Darkness, #1)The Lady Rogue


Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff || September 3rd -- Amazon Book Depository | IndieBound

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow || September 10th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie || September 17th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

A Hero Born by Jin Yong, trans. Anna Holmwood || September 17th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht || September 24th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring || September 24th -- Amazon | Book Depository

Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall || September 24th -- Amazon | Book Depository
 | IndieBound

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones || September 24th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Cold Storage by David Koepp || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox || September 17th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

After the Flood by Kassandra Montag || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kroger, Melanie R. Anderson || September 17th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas || September 10th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth || September 10th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir || September 10th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Out of Darkness, Shining Light by Petina Gappah || September 10th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Future of Another TImeline by Annalee Newitz || September 24th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy || September 24th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Steel Crow Saga by Paul Krueger || September 24th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

At the Mountains of Madness: A Graphic Novel by I.N.J. Culbar, H.P. Lovecraft || September 3rd -- Amazon Book Depository

The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett || September 3rd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound



What are your anticipated September releases?


Thursday, August 29, 2019

Review: After the Flood by Kassandra Montag


After the Flood
After the Flood by Kassandra Montag
William Morrow
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Hardcover. 432 pages

About After the Flood:

"A little more than a century from now, our world has been utterly transformed. After years of slowly overtaking the continent, rising floodwaters have obliterated America’s great coastal cities and then its heartland, leaving nothing but an archipelago of mountaintop colonies surrounded by a deep expanse of open water. 

Stubbornly independent Myra and her precocious seven-year-old daughter, Pearl, fish from their small boat, the Bird, visiting dry land only to trade for supplies and information in the few remaining outposts of civilization. For seven years, Myra has grieved the loss of her oldest daughter, Row, who was stolen by her father after a monstrous deluge overtook their home in Nebraska. Then, in a violent confrontation with a stranger, Myra suddenly discovers that Row was last seen in a far-off encampment near the Artic Circle. Throwing aside her usual caution, Myra and Pearl embark on a perilous voyage into the icy northern seas, hoping against hope that Row will still be there. 

On their journey, Myra and Pearl join forces with a larger ship and Myra finds herself bonding with her fellow seekers who hope to build a safe haven together in this dangerous new world. But secrets, lust, and betrayals threaten their dream, and after their fortunes take a shocking—and bloody—turn, Myra can no longer ignore the question of whether saving Row is worth endangering Pearl and her fellow travelers."

After the Flood is a post-apocalyptic novel that felt very different from others that I've read lately. In this one, the sea level around the world has risen and a majority of land that was once above sea level is now below it, hence this taking place 'after the flood'. This is where we find our main protagonist, Myra, and her daughter, Pearl, as they continue their life sailing around to various trading ports in order to maintain enough supplies--and to keep searching for Myra's other daughter who was taken from her several years prior.

I found After the Flood to be an oddly compelling story, both thoughtful and adventurous at the same time and full of interesting ideas about humanity in this post-apocalyptic world. In the end, I'd say this is more a story about a mother's love, grief, and the will for family survival than it is solely about how to stay alive, though it combines these ideas in a cohesive and thought-provoking manner.

Myra is a determined women who has learned how to be tough after growing in such a constantly changing and dangerous world. Myra's daughter, Pearl, starts out the book as a seven year old who is simply along for the journey with her mother to find a sister that she's never met. Since Pearl has known nothing but this sparse and treacherous world for her entire life, she appears much more hardened and up for anything than her mother is and is easily a force to be reckoned, which isn't always a good thing in this world.. She's truly a rather peculiar child and although I understand that this is a world in which kids probably grow up a lot quicker than their age reflects, Pearl seemed far too mature to be only seven years old. That is something that I thought about a lot throughout this book and that threw me off, but perhaps I'm just out of touch with how mature a seven year old can be.

Myra's desperation to find her child is one that I think most parents would feel. Her struggle to track her down has taken over her life and driven her to take unnecessary risks and maintain a fairly one-track mind. A common sentiment that both myself and Myra seemed to have throughout the story was whether or not this endless search was beneficial or detrimental to the daughter she still had with her--not, of course, suggesting that she stop searching for her daughter, but that perhaps she take less risks in finding her? Her endless moralizing about her choices did reach a bit of an excess at times, which did hinder my enjoy somewhat of her character. Nonetheless, this is very much a story about family and love and soldiering on no matter the circumstances as much as it is another post-apocalyptic story.

Other characters that we meet include a stranded man that Myra and Pear rescue, as well as a bit of a misfit group that becomes a vital component to the story. None of the other characters really grabbed my attention much and it felt as though they weren't quite a fleshed out or developed as they could have been, which also made it hard for me to care much for them at all. I enjoyed seeing the interactions between everyone, as everyone has lost something and/or had a traumatizing past that has led them to where they are, for better or for worse. There's a lot of tragedy and heartbreak in this book, but there's a lot of hope that creeps in at the seams.

This world is one that truly fascinated me. I thought it was interesting to see how humans separated themselves amidst the rising sea levels, how ships became the prime method of transport, and how 'pirate'-like gangs took hold of various territories around the world. Whether it's being used for good or for bad, t's an impressive system of coded flags and other unique methods of communications--including old-fashioned word-of-mouth!-- and so much more that I couldn't seem to get enough of learning about.

Overall, I've given After the Flood four stars!



*I received an ARC of After the Flood in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the novel.*


Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow & The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring

 
Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.


This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Publication: September 10th, 2019
Redhook
Hardcover. 384 pages.


"In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut. 

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. 

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own."
So...I planned out this CWW before I knew I'd be getting an early copy of it and now I've already finished, but I am still so excited to see it published and out in the wild where everyone can read it! It's a truly beautiful story.

and...
The Tenth Girl
The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
Publication: September 24th, 2019
Imprint
Hardcover. 464 pages.


"Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist. 

At the very southern tip of South America looms an isolated finishing school. Legend has it that the land will curse those who settle there. But for Mavi—a bold Buenos Aires native fleeing the military regime that took her mother—it offers an escape to a new life as a young teacher to Argentina’s elite girls. 

Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the imposing house—despite warnings not to roam at night, threats from an enigmatic young man, and rumors of mysterious Others. But one of Mavi’s ten students is missing, and when students and teachers alike begin to behave as if possessed, the forces haunting this unholy cliff will no longer be ignored. 

One of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi's existence. In order to survive she must solve a cosmic mystery—and then fight for her life."
Apparently 'tens' are the theme of September this year! I am so entranced by how spooky this sounds--an "isolated finishing school" at the tip of South American!? Patagonian myth? Others? I can't wait to read this!

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Read That I Wish I Owned

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book blog meme now hosted by Jana over at The Artsy Reader Girl!

This week's topic is: Books I've Read That I Would Like in My Personal Library

I really like this week's topic because it gives me a chance to look over books I've read either as a digital ARC, on Kindle, or that I checked out from my library, loved, and still want to own physically! A lot of these are ones I read via NetGalley, which I'm endlessly thankful for, and I still need to actually buy them! Here's a random selection/amalgamation of those books. :)


The Luminous DeadThe Girl in RedThe Dragon Republic (The Poppy War, #2)Kings of Paradise (Ash and Sand #1)

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Sterling: I checked this book out from my library as soon as they got it in and I loved it so much! I really need to pick this up to own still because it's definitely one I'll want to revisit.

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry: I read this from NetGalley and still haven't managed to pick up the paperback! Hopefully soon.

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang: I read this from NetGalley also and I loved it as much as I loved The Poppy War, but I didn't pre-order it at the time because it was still a bit too costly for me, but hopefully the price might adjust at some point and I can pick it up!

Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell: I feel so bad that I haven't purchased a copy of this one yet, but I'm hoping to before the end of the year. I read this one as a review request for the author and it was absolutely incredible--highly recommended fantasy!

WanderersA Face Like GlassThe Witches of New YorkLord of the Silver Bow (Troy, #1)

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig: Another NetGalley read! This behemoth of a book was incredible and completely blew me away. I desperately need to add this to my physical collection soon!

A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge: I loved this magical, quirky, highly imaginative tale by Frances Hardinge and I'd love to have my own physical copy.

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay: This was such a delight and I would really love to be able to have it on my shelves some time!

Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell: This was a book I checked out from my library years ago, but I sill remember enjoying it and wanting to check out more from David Gemmell because of it. It definitel deserves a spot on my shelves.

Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game, #1)This House is HauntedThis House is HauntedIn the Forest

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody (and King of Fools!): I enjoyed Ace of Shades enough when I read it to where I wanted to read the sequel...and the sequel was more amazing! I would really love to start keeping this trilogy physically.

This House is Haunted by John Boyne: I think I got this for a free deal on Amazon years back and it was such a fun ghost story! It has a classic setup that I love and I foudn it perfectly spooky and entertaining--definitely something I'd enjoy re-reading around Halloween. (I included both covers because I can't decide which one I'd rather own!--what do you think of them!?)

In the Forest by Edna O'Brien: This was a weird, rather creepy book and I stil don't entirely know how I feel about it, but I do know that I'd like to own a copy so that I can pick it up anytime!


Have you reading any of these? What books do you still want to add to your library?