Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 57
July 19, 2022
I Can't Wait for... Lightlark!
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.I read about this one a couple weeks ago (yes, late to the game, as usual) and it sounds fantastic.
LightlarkLightlark, Book 1by Alex AstereBook, Hardcover, 416 Pages
August 23, 2022 by Amulet Books
Blurb:
Welcome to the Centennial.
Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.
Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.
To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything.
Add to Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop.org
Why I Want To Read LEDGE:I'm loving the trope of deadly games lately. Not to mention that Isla sounds like a character I'll absolutely love. Just everything about the blurb, and the cover, sounds so good!***Will you be checking this book out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?
July 18, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Most Anticipated Books Releasing In the Second Half of 2022
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2022This week’s TTT is a freebie but I’ve been away from book blogging since last September so to dive back in I’m going to do the prompt from July 5: my 10 most anticipated books releasing in the second half of 2022!
1. Lightlark by Alex Aster (August 23, 2022)
2. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (August 30, 2022)
3. Their Vicious Darling by Nikki St. Crowe (September 1, 2022)
4. Green Monsters by Nicky Shearsby (September 6, 2022)
5. Ledge by Stacey McEwan (September 13, 2022)
6. The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber (September 13, 2022)
7. The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling (September 20, 2022)
8. Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston (November 1, 2022)
9. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger (November 8, 2022)
10. To Free the Rising Storm by C.N. Maxwell (November 22, 2022)
***What books did you pick for your most anticipated for the rest of the year? Were any of these on your list? What freebie topic did you use this week?Let me know in the comments or drop a link to your TTT!Happy Reading Bookdragons!-Taylor
July 17, 2022
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? - 18 July 2022
#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.
Hey Bookdragons! After 10 months away from book blogging I'm slowly getting back into things. July has been a stressful month for me so far so I'm not reading as much as I'd like but here are a few books I've read this month, what I'm currently reading, and what I'd like to read next. What I Read Last Week: Never Coming Home by Kate Williams
Mini Review:I will forever read any retelling of “And Then There Were None!” This one was one of my favorite takes on it and impossible to put down. Ten influencers are lured to an island, which really connects the story to today’s world. I found myself rooting for certain characters although I knew they had done awful things. Others I was happy to see go 😆 I will definitely reread this one in the future. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Boogeyman Booty Call by Harpie Alexa
This book was recommended to me on KU based on other books I have read. And I'm left wondering what, oh what, did I read that I deserved to plod through this book. It was 117 pages, a fast-read for sure, but a lot weirder than what I usually go for in smut reads. Currently Reading:City of Dusk by Tara Sim
I started reading this one before I went on vacation last month and set it aside because I didn't want to drag this massive doorstopper all the way to Deadwood with me. I'm about 100 pages in and I have to get back into it one of these days. Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan
My library loan for this one finally came in. I've been wanting to read Surviving Savannah for a couple months now. So far the storytelling is fantastic. It follows dual timelines with Lilly Forsyth, a passenger aboard the steamboat Pulaski in 1838 and Everly Winthrop in 2018 Savannah as she curates an exhibit of the Pulaski not long after the wreckage was found. I'm loving it so far, but I'm also kind of savoring the story and reading slow.
Next ReadMy Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey
I was going to start My Killer Vacation last weekend but then my hold on Surviving Savannah came in so this one is just sitting on my bedside table until I finish Surviving Savannah. I'm hoping to start it soon. ***
What are you reading this week? Have you read any of my recent reads?
July 16, 2022
The Sunday Post - 17 July, 2022
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme
Hey Bookdragons! After 10 months away from book blogging, I’m back! I missed interacting with people and discussing books I love. What have I been up to? Well, I took my first solo trip last September, I’ve logged a lot of hours working as a police dispatcher, I finished writing the horror novel I was working on, and my mom and I took a trip to Deadwood in June. What have you been up to? Tell me all the things!
🥀 {Book Review} Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne
🥀 {Book Review} Meet Me In the Middle by Alex Light
🥀 I Can’t Wait for… Ledge!
🍀 It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 18 July, 2022 🍀 Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2022 🍀 I Can't Wait For... Lightlark! 🍀 {Release Day Blitz} Chaos & Carnage by Stacey Rourke
Learn More:Big Bad by Lily Anderson
💀 This Week I Bookmarked: The Hallowed Wilds by Amanda Cessor Bride of the Forest by Taylor Grothe
July 12, 2022
I Can't Wait For... Ledge!
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.This one sounds fantastic, I hope it's as good as I'm anticipating...
LedgeThe Glacial Trilogy Book 1by Stacey McEwaneBook, Hardcover, 400 Pages
September 13, 2022 by Angry Robot
Blurb:
After being randomly selected as a human sacrifice, instead of death, Dawsyn finds herself on a quest to save her people from their icy prison...
---
In a place known as The Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where The Glacians reside – mystical winged creatures who bring them meagre rations to survive, in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice. Dawsyn, axe wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?Thankfully, the fates align and Dawsyn manages to escape their clutches with the help of a half-Glacian called Ryon. But trust does not come easily, and she keeps a trained axe to his throat while they journey together down the slopes. But who’s to say that the life below will be any better than the one she has run from?
Add to Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop.org
Why I Want To Read LEDGE:Aside from the gorgeous cover drawing my immediate attention when I saw it online, the book just sounds so interesting. Whenever I hear “isolated communities” and “sacrifices” I get reminded of The Village and lately A History of Wild Places. I love journeying with the main characters to uncover what lays beyond the tiny part of world they know and hopefully finding out they’ve been lied to. The fantasy elements also sound really intriguing! ***Will you be checking this book out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?
{Book Review} MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE by Alex Light
Meet Me In The Middle by Alex Light
About the Book:Release Date: July 12, 2022
Publisher: Harperteen
Genre: YA Contemporary
Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook
Pages: 384
A romance interrupted by tragedy sets two people on different paths in Wattpad superstar Alex Light’s latest YA romance.Eden had her best friend Katie—she didn’t need anyone else. But then there was Truman.
Katie’s older brother, the artist. The recluse. The boy with the innocent smile and the dangerous eyes.
Eden had never really known Truman—not until the night of Katie’s accident. That was the night they’d finally let each other into their orbits—only to have the sky come crashing down on them.
With Katie in the hospital and Truman fleeing from his grief without a word, Eden is left alone to grapple with her own pain. But when Truman returns to the city, can Eden let him back into her life knowing that their first kiss is what tore their world apart?
Wattpad superstar Alex Light is back with another poignant romance perfect for fans of Jennifer Dugan and Laura Taylor Namey.
Buy the Book:Amazon | Add to Goodreads | Bookshop.org
My Review:I really enjoyed this book! It’s fast paced, well written, and grabs you right from the start. It also really handles grief in a beautiful way. I don't read Contemporary YA very often but something about this book just spoke to me from the first time I read about it. It gave me all the feels and I couldn't put it down.
My only drawbacks were that I didn't really care much for Eden as a character in the beginning. She definitely needed time to grow on me. Truman however I loved right away. I would have liked to see more depth to the side characters as well. And it would be great to see what happened to the characters a little bit down the line.
Overall, this is a really nice read that I think teen and adult readers alike are going to love.
My Rating:🌟🌟🌟.75
{Book Review} Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne
Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne
About the Book:Release Date: July 12, 2022
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: YA Horror
Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook
Pages: 320
The sleepy little farm that Laurel Early grew up on has awakened. The woods are shifting, the soil is dead under her hands, and her bone pile just stood up and walked away.
After dropping out of college, all she wanted was to resume her life as a tobacco hand and taxidermist and try not to think about the boy she can’t help but love. Instead, a devil from her past has returned to court her, as he did her late mother years earlier. Now, Laurel must unravel her mother’s terrifying legacy and tap into her own innate magic before her future and the fate of everyone she loves is doomed.
Buy the Book:Amazon | Add to Goodreads | Bookshop.org
My Review:What an intriguing multi-faceted debut! This book is more than just a horror novel, it spreads itself into other genres as well. The pace is slow but it builds up the tension and anticipation of what is to come nicely. I love the atmosphere of the book and it was so easy to paint the picture in my head as I followed the story. The characters are well-developed and three dimensional. At first I wasn’t sure if I would like Laurel, (an issue I struggle with a lot and often end up dropping a book because of), she’s definitely an odd character but I grew to like her oddities. Overall, I really enjoyed the way the book was written. I think there were a few things that were a bit vague that maybe I just didn’t understand as the reader, but I’m so glad I stuck with this book! I can’t wait to read more by this author!
My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟
January 18, 2022
{Book Review} Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
About the Book:Release Date: January 18, 2022
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook
Pages: 338
Blurb:
Edinburgh, 1817. Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.
Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.
When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect.
Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then.
But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.
A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.
Buy the Book:Amazon | Add to Goodreads | Bookshop.org
My Review:I was drawn to check this book out because it reminded me of the Stalking Jack the Ripper books, which I love. In Anatomy we meet Hazel, who has a passion for medicine and wishes to become a surgeon. The problem? It's Edinburgh in 1817 and women, especially noble-born women, are supposed to be meek, pretty, and have no life or opinions outside of marrying well and producing children.
Then there's Jack, a resurrection man (a person who robs graves and sells bodies to the medical college). He's just trying to survive but his friends are disappearing and a strange illness is spreading through Edinburgh.
When Hazel is discovered to be a female by the professor whose surgical classes she's been sneaking into and is thrown out, she's more determined than ever to continue her studies. All she needs is access to dead bodies. Luckily, a chance encounter introduces her to Jack and they form a tentative agreement. What starts out as a business exchange soon turns into something much more.
I really loved this book. It was definitely one of my favorite reads at the end of 2021, early 2022. While it is similar when compared to other books (Stalking Jack the Ripper, The Corpse Queen, etc.) it was those similarities that originally drew me to the book. It is unique from at lease SJTR in the difference in social class between Hazel and Jack.
My only drawback was the ambiguity of Hazel and Jack's relationship at the end of the book. Will they ever get to be together? For a "love story" as the title specifically states, I wanted more of a tied up ending.My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
October 26, 2021
Saying Goodbye���
You may have noticed over the past few days that I have taken ���Book Blogger��� out of the bio and headers of all of my social media. For some time now I���ve been stressed and unhappy with book blogging. The deadlines, the rush to read books at the last minute over books I���ve had on my shelves for years, constantly picking books apart for reviews. I���m bored and honestly a little tired of the book community as a whole. What does that mean?
It���s been a long, great run and I���ve met a lot of amazing bloggers over the years but for now it���s time to say goodbye.
~xo
Taylor
Saying Goodbye…
You may have noticed over the past few days that I have taken “Book Blogger” out of the bio and headers of all of my social media. For some time now I’ve been stressed and unhappy with book blogging. The deadlines, the rush to read books at the last minute over books I’ve had on my shelves for years, constantly picking books apart for reviews. I’m bored and honestly a little tired of the book community as a whole. What does that mean?
It’s been a long, great run and I’ve met a lot of amazing bloggers over the years but for now it’s time to say goodbye.
~xo
Taylor
