Victoria Moschou's Blog, page 8

🐣 BookBrewed Treat ~ Easter Sales 🐣

Hello awesome nerds and happy Thursday everyone!

I hope you guys are doing well and I hope you had a good time this past weekend, especially those of you who celebrated Easter.

Since we will be celebrating Easter this weekend here in Greece, the BookBrewed team has prepared something exciting for you all!

All the books available, as well as the majority of our exclusively made bookish merch on the Apothecary, will be on sale until Monday, April 25th.

From bookmarks’ sleeves and and tote bags, to bamboo toothbrushes (for we are eco-friendly here at BookBrewed) to body scrubs and bath salts, all of them inspired by beloved books and series, here’s your chance to save up to 20% off of your purchase.

We ship internationally and I’d be delighted to see you guys ordering from my little company!

Feel free to follow this link to find out more and, of course, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have any questions whatsoever.

Our team is always happy to assist and you can always contact us at: info@bookbrewed.com.

I cannot wait to share with you all the amazing things that will be coming up later this year at BookBrewed.

Do you guys have subscriptions to book boxes? If so, which is your favourite one?

Thank you all so very much for coming here once again. It means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Have a wonderful day, you beautiful souls! Stay safe and stay positive!

Till next time… Toodles!

BOOK REVIEW: Who Is Maud Dixon, by Alexandra Andrews *SPOILER FREE*

“You shouldn’t have to TRY to like things . . . It’s like people who force themselves to finish a book they’re not enjoying. Just close it! Go find another story!” 

~ Who Is Maud Dixon, by Alexandra Andrews

Hello awesome nerds, happy Monday everyone and welcome back to another book review.

Today I’m gonna talk to you about Who Is Maud Dixon, the debut mystery/thriller novel by Alexandra Andrews.

Attention, folks! This book is one of my favourite ones of 2022 so far. So this review is going to be, more or less, my way of explaining to you why you need to read the book ASAP!

“Florence Darrow is a small-town striver who believes that she’s destined to become a celebrated writer. When she stumbles into the opportunity to become the assistant to “Maud Dixon,” a celebrated-but anonymous-novelist (think: Elena Ferrante), she believes that the universe is finally providing her big chance. The arrangement feels idyllic; Helen can be prickly, but she is full of pointed wisdom on both writing and living. She even invites Florence along on a research trip to Morocco, where her new novel is set. Florence has never been out of the country before; maybe, she imagines, she’ll finally have something exciting to write about herself.

But when Florence wakes up in the hospital after a terrible car crash, and Helen is dead, she begins to imagine what it might be like to ‘upgrade’ into not only Helen’s life, but also that of Helen’s bestselling pseudonym, Maud Dixon…”

Naturally, since this is a mystery novel, I’m gonna keep this review SPOILER FREE, as I do believe you guys need to read this masterpiece.

Who Is Maud Dixon was a fascinating, gothic at times novel, with exceptionally well-written characters and a story that hooked me straight from the very beginning! The story flew effortlessly, the book was packed with mystery, beautiful descriptions and plot twists that simply forced me to keep turning the pages. And let me tell you guys, this hadn’t happened in a while! As for the last 150 pages… Well, they were simply… to die for!

Florence and Helen were both intriguing, shady characters that, from a certain point onwards, I wasn’t sure of whether or not I could trust. It was fascinating to discover their motives and to see that, despite the questionable decisions they were making, both of them felt as if they were right.

Then again, aren’t we all the villain in someone else’s story?

All in all, I absolutely adored this book (I basically finished it in like four days) and I highly, highly suggest people read Who Is Maud Dixon. Especially if you guys are in for a good mystery/thriller novel, then this is definitely the book for you!

Have you guys read Who Is Maud Dixon? If so, did you enjoy it? Do you have any mystery/thriller recommendations for me?

Let me know all your thoughts and feeling in the comment section down below.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted. I never will.

Have a wonderful week, beautiful creatures, stay safe and stay positive!

Till next time… Toodles!

Beacon Book Box ~ REVEL IN CHANGE ~ May 2022 Theme Reveal

Hello awesome nerds and happy Saturday everyone!

May is right around the corner, so here I am today with the May theme reveal for the one and only Beacon Book Box.

For those of you who don’t know, Beacon Book Box is a YA monthly-subscription book box, in which every month you receive a new release, as well as a bunch of bookish items, focusing on a specific theme.

I have been a rep for Beacon Book Box since January 2020 and if you guys like what you’re about to see, you can use my rep code VICTORIOUS5 for 5% off of your subscription or single purchase (both for the box, as well as anything else you wanna buy from the shop).

With all that being said, let’s get to the actual theme, which is non other than…

REVEL IN CHANGE

The book of the month is a fantastic story set seven years after the events of Disney’s BRAVE! The author even worked with Disney on the story to make sure her vision of Merida fit into the world established in the first film.

The book will come with a signed bookplate and a letter from the author themselves. It is perfect for the fans of The Raven Boys, These Violent Delights and The Fault In Our Stars.

You can also expect 5 HIGH-QUALITY items, inspired by Cinder, Kingdom of the Wicked, The Court of Miracles, Thorn and The Midnight Library.

This is the second box after the rebrand and it’s gonna blow your mind, folks. I already know what the book is going to be and, well… let me tell you just that: the cover is STUNNING!

Make sure you follow the link above to get your box and don’t forget to use VICTORIOUS5 to save some money!

Have you guys read any of the books from which the goodies will be inspired? If so, which is your favourite one?

Thank you all so very much for being here once again. It means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Have a wonderful weekend, y’all! Stay safe and stay positive!

Till next time… Toodles!

Victorious Pages: The Return

Hello awesome nerds and happy Thursday everyone!

OMG… Wait…

HAPPY 2022 Y’ALL!

You’re right. Last time I wrote here, it was back in September 2021, after informing you I wanted to take a step back, recharge, relax and come back when I felt ready again.

Truth be told, I did not relax, not even in the slightest. But I was feeling this need of coming back and writing here more and more over the past few weeks, so… here I am!

I honestly hope you guys missed our weekly chats just as much as I did.

While being absent from the blog-sphere, I focused more and more on BookBrewed, worked a lot with my inner self, chose to step away from toxic people and toxic situations, and now I feel like I’m finally finding my old self again. You know, that bubbly, goofball I used to be, until the end of 2020.

That was more or less the “personal” work I did. On the more exciting aspect, I read a few amazing and some not-that-amazing books, watched some really cool movies and shows, and started working on my writing projects again.

All will be shared in full detail in the coming weeks (I hope). In the meantime though, I wanna share some really exciting news with you guys.

You may remember that back in early 2021, I had the privilege and honour of participating in Bree Barton’s launch party, for the release of Soul of Cinder, the third and final book in the Heart of Thorns series (which if you haven’t read yet, I highly, highly suggest you do).

In less than two weeks, on April 26, I will be participating in the launch party for the release of… Zia Erases the World! This is Bree’s debut MG novel and I couldn’t feel prouder of her! I was lucky enough to read the manuscript and help a bit, being Greek myself. And I’m saying this because Zia, the protagonist of the book, is half-Greek herself.

“Luminous, empowering, and full of heart-healing truths, this is a novel that belongs on every shelf.–Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award winning author 

For fans of Crenshaw and When You Trap a Tiger comes the extraordinary tale of a headstrong girl and the magical dictionary she hopes will explain the complicated feelings she can’t find the right words for–or erase them altogether.

Zia remembers the exact night the Shadoom arrived. One moment she was laughing with her best friends, and the next a dark room of shadows had crept into her chest. Zia has always loved words, but she can’t find a real one for the fear growing inside her. How can you defeat something if you don’t know its name?

After Zia’s mom announces that her grouchy Greek yiayia is moving into their tiny apartment, the Shadoom seems here to stay. Until Zia discovers an old family heirloom: the C. Scuro Dictionary, 13th Edition.

This is no ordinary dictionary. Hidden within its magical pages is a mysterious blue eraser shaped like an evil eye. When Zia starts to erase words that remind her of the Shadoom, they disappear one by one from the world around her. She finally has the confidence to befriend Alice, the new girl in sixth grade, and to perform at the Story Jamboree. But things quickly dissolve into chaos, as the words she erases turn out to be more vital than Zia knew.

In this raw, funny, and at times heartbreaking middle grade debut, Bree Barton reveals how–with the right kind of help–our darkest moments can nudge us toward the light.”

If you haven’t pre-ordered the book yet, make sure you do! You will laugh, cry and definitely connect with the characters of this novel.

How’s your week been so far, dearies? Have you read anything good these past couple of weeks? Also, do you have any show recommendations for me on Netflix? I feel like I have watched everything that’s more or less my cup of… coffee.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Love you all to Pluto and back, wonderful creatures!

Till next time… Toodles!

September in a Nutshell: It was the best of times, it was the worst of time ~ A Wrap Up

If I had to find a title for this ninth month of 2021, this would be it.

A month with some amazing moments, but also a month I would really like to forget. Mostly because it made me really sad, especially during its last week. But that’s what makes life incredible, now, doesn’t it?

Hello awesome nerds and happy Thursday everyone!

I’m going to embrace the cliché once again, just to say that I don’t know where September went. This month seemed to fly by way faster than the previous ones, probably because I was so freaking focused on work that I didn’t really have time for anything else.

Between working at our family business, managing BookBrewed and preparing the September boxes to ship, the first couple of weeks were a total blur.

I don’t really remember doing anything else aside from working. I was getting home, having a bath and basically reading a few pages of my books before falling asleep. Don’t even get me started on my reading challenge… I only read two Greek books, both of which were essential for the BookBrewed readalongs. So, it was basically more work, combined with a little bit of reading. Still, I very much enjoyed both of them and I’m really glad I featured them in the August and September boxes.

If I want to be honest though, I miss being able to read at least six books a month. Where did these days go? I’m already three books behind schedule and if I want to complete this year’s reading challenge, I think I’m gonna turn to audiobooks for a little while, just to make some progress in October.

And that’s partly the reason why, despite having an amazing time this September, I also started feeling as if everything I’ve been doing over the past four years has become… obligatory. From reading, to blogging, to uploading pictures and videos. Things that used to bring me joy, started adding up to my stress levels.

I wanted to vlog while in Athens, but then I started stressing about how much time this vlog would need to be edited, how much more work I would have when I’d get back to my hometown and how I would be able to do everything.

I wanted to read a few more books this month, but then I started stressing about the amount of sleep I’d get, if I stayed up all night to finish these books.

I have enough stress and anxiety as it is. I really don’t want to add more to it.

Yes, I love taking pictures and posting them to my Instagram account. I love interacting with you guys, sharing thoughts, opinions and feelings about various topics. I love being part of a community that is supportive and generous (well, most of the times). I love, love reading books.

The problem though is that… this hasn’t been the case, either, lately.

So, my question is basically this one…

Do I take a step back, regroup and come back when I’m ready? Or do I keep posting as it is, possibly ending up with a burnout?

I’ve been dying to say this to everyone lately. All I want is some peace and quiet.

I do believe that my body reacts to my anxiety. It’s always been like that. So, it didn’t really come as a surprise when, last Monday, my gynaecologist told me that he needs to write a prescription to me. Yet again.

He said it’s nothing serious but I’ve been feeling even bluer than before. I guess this was the last of it… I feel like I can’t take any more.

These past few days I’ve been thinking a lot about all the things I used to love doing. All the things that started making me feel more stressed as the years pass. They were the same.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that my work schedule has become more demanding lately, maybe with the fact that I cannot combine doing things as well as I used to.

In any case, I’ve come to the decision to take a step back, at least until I feel myself again. I was already thinking of taking a break this November, but there’s a fine chance I will take some time of until the end of 2021.

I still don’t know… I just hope that you respect this decision and you will be here when I decide to come back.

How was September for you guys? Do you have any fun plans for October? Did you read any good books this month?

Let me know everything in the comment section down below.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted. I never will.

Till next time… Toodles!

🖤 BookBrewed Unboxing ~ DARK ACADEMIA ~ September 2021 🖤

Hello awesome nerds, happy Monday everyone and welcome to a different kind of unboxing!

As many of you know, last February I expanded my business and now I have my very own book-subscription box, BookBrewed.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with monthly subscription boxes, those basically offer services, specifically designed for bookworms. Each month the subscriber receives a new release, as well as a bunch of bookish items, focusing on a specific theme.

BookBrewed is a book box, based in Greece, which however ships worldwide. So far, we’ve only featured books written or translated in Greek, but we’ve recently decided to go even further than that. Which is why the October box, LOVE IS THE ONLY GOLD, is gonna have two books: one in Greek and one in English.

However, today’s post is about everything that was included in the September box. The theme was DARK ACADEMIA and it was perfect for everyone’s comeback to school and academic life.

THE GOODIES An exclusive metallic bottle, designed by @booklittledreamer, featuring some dark academia-inspired books, such as Vampire Academy , The Raven Boys , Ninth House and more.Two exclusive candles, Eliz White , smelling of almond and vanilla, and Nimphea Academy , smelling of cedar and saffron, made my @philyra.candles.An exclusive door hanger, featuring the smartest witch of her age and designed by @authorsylviamacray.Two coffee-based recipes, brought by BookBrewed team. THE BOOK

The featured book of the month was The Flame of Eleganti, by Christina M. Psylla, the first book in the Nimphea Academy series.

It is a Greek YA/NA Fantasy novel, following Eliz White, who gets transported to a parallel universe through a magical book. It is perfect for the fans of Vampire Academy and the Winx Saga.

The book was -of course- signed by the author and it also came with a letter from Christina, as well as art on the other side of it.

The feedback I’ve received was far was really good and this truly means the world to me. September was a very demanding month, with many ups and downs, and it feels like a huge reward to know that my hard work has brought joy to many people.

It also feels like a reward and it makes me really happy the fact that you keep coming back here and you keep reading my posts. I will never take your presence here for granted. I really want you to know that.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again! Have a wonderful week, awesome people, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

This Book Imitates That One: Why This Rarely Happens and How Fake Critiques Can Harm A Debut Author

It always surprises me how people can act bitchy, just for the sake of being bitchy. It’s even more surprising, at least to me, how something like that happens in a community such as the bookish one.

Over the past month, I’ve deliberated a lot of whether or not it’s worth it to keep writing here, to keep posting content on my Instagram account and to keep writing reviews on Goodreads. Especially when there are fake accounts out there, who choose to write reviews on Goodreads, simply to be bad. Most importantly, they choose to write reviews, simply to be bad, without even having read the book.

That’s exactly what happened to a friend of mine, whose book was published a few weeks ago.

Long story short, somebody made a few fake accounts on Goodreads and rated Christina’s book, The Flame of Eleganti, with 1 out of 5 stars, multiple times, just to harm this debut author. They claimed the book was a bad imitation of Vampire Academy, with nothing original whatsoever. They said the story was nothing special, the characters flat and that, basically, there was no reason for this book being published in the first place.

To me, it’s impossible to fathom the idea that somebody decided to waste so much energy on something like that, just to harm another person. A person who’s tried hard to accomplish something. You didn’t like the book. Fine. You don’t need to be an a$$. Because to come to such extremes, by creating multiple fake accounts, and to spend so much time and energy on that, well… it seems crazy to me.

Haven’t people got anything else to do with their time. Can’t they just focus on their work? Can’t they just let others be?

I’m not gonna elaborated on why Christina’s book is a 4-star-read, in my personal opinion, as I have already written a quite extended review on Goodreads.

What I’m gonna say though is that, even if there’s no parthenogenesis in art nowadays, new books rarely imitate older ones. Sure, every artist out there takes bits and pieces of the books, songs, portraits, memories they love, but at the end of the day, they create something completely new. They create something that’s entirely their own and they should be proud of it.

So, who are you to come and be a bitch about all the hard work this person has done, just because you didn’t have the talent, guts or whatever else to do the same?

The world has turned into a really toxic place and I honestly don’t know why. I choose to focus on the good stuff. People always said and will continue to do so. We just need to be determined and brave enough to go after our dreams.

What’s your opinion on this subject, dearies? Do you think there’s imitation between books? How do you feel about fake accounts and book reviews?

Let me know all your thoughts and feelings in the comment section down below.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Love you all to Pluto and back awesome nerds.

Have a wonderful weekend, dearies, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

Is there such a thing as fate anyway?

“Maybe there isn’t such a thing as fate. Maybe it’s just the opportunities we’re given, and what we do with them.

~ Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3), by Marissa Meyer

Wooden magnet, inspired by Cress and designed by the BookBrewed team. Available on the Apothecary .

I don’t know why but I’ve stared thinking a lot about fate lately. Whether or not it’s an actual thing. Whether or not some things are meant to happen while others aren’t. Whether or not we’re meant to meet certain people at a certain time in our life.

I’m saying this because there’s such uncertainty on what comes to the future that it seems kind of funny to me that fate has written down what’s gonna happen to every single one of us.

To me, it is our choices that define our future. It is the opportunities we choose to grab and the way we use them, that form on which path we’re gonna walk. It’s also the opportunities we walked away from.

If there’s one thing 2021 has taught me so far is that we must say people how we feel when we feel it. People aren’t obliged to know how we feel or what we think. It’s more honest to be face to face with someone and talk about everything, than just throw a bomb to them and just walk away, simply because… Well, in all honesty, I still cannot explain that last part.

I don’t like half-finished things. I don’t like incomplete conversations. They tend to create issues and bring unfulfilled thoughts to the surface. Plus, for a romantic like me, they also create expectations. And we all know what expectations and hope bring… Eternal misery.

It’s hard for me to believe that fate controls us. It makes me feel… powerless. I want to believe that we define our lives; that we do have a say in what happens to us. Or as it’s said in The Fault In Our Stars…

“You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world… But you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.”

~ The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

If I have learned anything over the past 28 years is that I haven’t regretted about a single choice I’ve meant. Sure, some of them were wrong. But some of them were right. And all of them taught me valuable, great lessons.

We are but dust and shadow. We should enjoy our life to the fullest while we can. We should never let opportunities past by. Most importantly, we shouldn’t believe that fate is the one that has power over us, that controls us.

We make our own future, our own fate.

I do believe that. I made a mistake in the past of believing that fate was absolute. I’m not gonna make that same mistake twice.

What do you guys think? Is there such thing as fate or are we the ones who define our future? Is it a combination of things that form what we’re gonna live in our life?

I would really like to know all your thoughts and feelings about that in the comment section down below.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. This truly means everything to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted; I never will.

Have a wonderful day, beautiful souls. Stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

Life Update: We Will Always Have Zappeion

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone.

I hope you guys had a great weekend and you recharged your batteries. I know I did, especially in terms of inner peace.

Last week I visited Athens for the 49th Book Expo of Zappeion and I had a blast! I hadn’t been on a trip for two years and it was such a breath of fresh air to me, to just have a change of scenery for a few days, see friends and create new memories!

Arriving at Athens, all I wanted to do was to relax and have a bath at the hotel. I wasn’t disappointed, not in the slightest. And not only that but, the view from my hotel was absolutely everything. You know how I am… I always need to be able to see trees and plants around me. So, to be able to have just that in a city like Athens, it was a true privilege and a blessing.

What’s more the buffet was EVERYTHING! Absolutely everything!

I tried to have a taste of everything that was offered, but I’m sure I missed something. What I had though was simply mouthwatering.

That’s one of the reasons why I had such a great time while in Athens: the food was amazing! Not only at the hotel, but also at the restaurant I went to at Kolonaki and the Chinese restaurant I went to with my friend, Jean.

Fun fact, we managed to eat pretty much everything, even if it was just the two of us. It’s also a good thing that I got lost the previous day and I walked about 12km. This way I didn’t feel guilty AT ALL for having all that food. And before you read too much into that, no, I don’t have any food disorder, I’m simply on a very specific diet and having cheat days is not really an option for me, at least most of the times, as it ends up to a very upset stomach.

Enough though with what I ate, because some of you may get hungry reading about the noodles and the biff, the chicken and the spring rolls.

The main reason of this trip was, of course, the book expo; to be able to meet with new publishing houses and authors, and I’m really glad I managed to do just that.

Due to COVID, I hadn’t been to any expos recently and to be able to walk down isles packed with books felt like magic to me. Especially since, some of the books, were written by some very dear friends of mine.

I feel honoured and blessed for having such amazing, talented friends, who also have a good heart. Because, at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters. It may take some time but eventually, we all get the wisdom to see that.

This little trip to Athens taught me valuable lessons. It taught me to appreciate the people who’ve proved to me that will be there for me. It taught me to speak with people face to face and not let other act like Eris, trying to spread rumours who aren’t actually true. It taught me to enjoy life to the fullest and do the things that make my spirit soar!

Working on BookBrewed, reading good books, drinking good coffee and being surrounded by my loved ones are the things that make my spirit soar!

Take this from me, you wonderful people. Never second-guess intuition. If something feels right in your heart, never ever let it fo away. Do the things that bring you joy! Be with people who make you smile. Be with people and do the things that bring inner peace to you.

I know Athens reminded me just that. I will try never to forget that again.

Eleana, Christina, Evans and Jean, thank you for reminding me how important inner peace and balance are.

And thank you all, beautiful creatures, for being here once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Love you all to Pluto and back, awesome nerds.

Have a great day and week everyone, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!

Witchy Vibes: Book Recommendations for the Spooky Season

Hello awesome nerds and happy Saturday everyone.

As September is coming closer to an end (Seriously though, where did this month go already?), I thought I should share with you some books that would be perfect, at least in my opinion, for the spooky season, aka October.

Even though we don’t celebrate Halloween here in Greece, I’m always in for books with magic and witches.

So, here are some of the books I hope to read in October and the ones I think you should read, too.

(Fun fact, my fall TBR has gotten completely our of control, again, but that’s not really a surprise now, is it?)

1. Witches Steeped in Gold (Witches Steeped in Gold, #1), by Ciannon Smart

“Divided by their order. United by their vengeance.

Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom – and vengeance. 

Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power. 

Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain – except the lengths they will go to win this game.

This Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut about two enemy witches who must enter into a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy has the twisted cat-and-mouse of Killing Eve with the richly imagined fantasy world of Furyborn and Ember in the Ashes.”

2. Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1), by Kendare Blake

“Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas’s life.”

3. Wicked Like A Wildfire (Hibiscus Daughter, #1), by Lana Popović

“All the women in Iris and Malina’s family have the unique magical ability or “gleam” to manipulate beauty. Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, while Malina interprets moods as music. But their mother has strict rules to keep their gifts a secret, even in their secluded sea-side town. Iris and Malina are not allowed to share their magic with anyone, and above all, they are forbidden from falling in love. 

But when their mother is mysteriously attacked, the sisters will have to unearth the truth behind the quiet lives their mother has built for them. They will discover a wicked curse that haunts their family line—but will they find that the very magic that bonds them together is destined to tear them apart forever?”

4. The Nature of Witches, by Rachel Griffin

“For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It’s wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she’s the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she’s terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves… before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.“

5. Forest of Souls (Shamanborn, #1), by Lori M. Lee

“Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

Danger lurks within the roots of Forest of Souls, an epic, unrelenting tale of destiny and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Susan Dennard.“

These are five of the books I do believe you should check out. Plus, I really wanna read them myself, especially since some of them have been on my TBR for quite some time now.

Have you guys read any of these books? If so, which ones? Did you enjoy them?

Let me know all your thoughts and feelings in the comment section down below.

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted; I never will.

Have a wonderful weekend, dearies, stay safe and stay positive.

Till next time… Toodles!