This book is in a word, astounding.

I literally *just* finished reading it and don't even know where to begin reviewing it. There is so much I want to say but I have also been rendered a little speechless.

Although the book is technically YA I found it to be a very complex and thought provoking exploration of the cyclical and concentric nature of time, space and the human experience, disguised as post- apocalyptic science fiction.

I adore fairytale retellings but I may have to stop reading them bc I'm convinced there could never be a more perfect reimagining than this series. Rumpelstiltskin has long been my favorite fairytale & Gilded blew me away, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer sublimity of Cursed

The world building, characters, legend, lore. The drama, tragedy, the enormity of the story played out in winding intricacies & minute details.

Impeccable.

I got an ARC of this book from Netgalley mostly based on 2 things, the stunning cover and the fact that it is set in Trinidad and Tobago, which I needed to complete a challenge prompt.

Coincidentally that ended up being allegorical to the story itself, which is a compelling narrative that explores public persecution, personal perception and the pursuit of perfection against a backdrop of poverty, politics and predatory patriarchal behaviors.

Match Wrap Up

It was a decent month, I fell just shy of my goal with 24 books read, bringing my yearly total to 99.

Favorites:
-How We End by L.M Juniper
-The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings
-Weyward by Emilia Hart

Least Favorites:
-Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth
-One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
-The Angel Maker by Alex North

A brutally honest and personal love letter to Selma from Selma, in what reads like a reconciliation journal to her past. Her childhood was one of juxtaposed privilege and emotional neglect, with little Selma constantly vying for her mother's very conditional affection.
If you like celebrity memoirs I highly recommend giving this a listen, as Selma reads it herself. It will shock you, devastate you, and break your heart over and over again.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I don't know about you, but I'm obsessed with mythology retellings!

Told in verse, this is Arachne's story like you've never experienced but how it was always meant to be told. Fiercely feminist and an affront to the Gods themselves, Spin shines light on the misfortune and mistreatment of women often downplayed or downright ignored in mythology and modern society.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Set in a not so hard to imagine misogynistic dystopian society where magic is real and women are frequently persecuted as witches, our MC Jo is faced with the near insurmountable odds of being female, black, bisexual, unmarried AND the daughter of a suspected witch. As the marriage deadline looms Jo must come to terms with what it means to be a woman in this society, constantly toeing the line of impropriety simply by being herself.

What do you get when you take the Lost Boys, The Craft and those sirens singing in the river from Oh Brother Where Art Thou and toss 'em in a big ol' literary blender?

In Nightfall by Suzanne Young

Simultaneously nostalgic and fresh, In Nightfall is a delicious YA paranormal fiction with MAJOR 80s teen horror vibes, just with fewer mullets and ALL the girl power.

This was such a fun, campy read that actually kind of kept me guessing.

Its no secret that zombies are my not so guilty pleasure but too often the genre is dominated by an almost formulaic combination of white cishet alpha men, an improbably hot damsel in distress who doubles as a sharpshooter & maybe a token POC somewhere in the background. How We End has taken that & turned it on it's head, with an Asian trans masc MC, and a supporting cast of characters across the spectrum of ethnic diversity and neuro-divergence.

February is notoriously my busiest month of the year, but I still had a pretty good month with 23 books read!

Favorites:
*Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee
*Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
*Spin by Rebecca Caprara
*If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Least Favorites:
*The White Mosque by Sofia Samatar
*Magical Makeover by Brenda Trim
*Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood

Last minute decision to join in the fun with @andrew65 and the rest of the crew.

Goals: 10 books (physical or ebook) any audiobooks don't count toward this!

At least 2 ARCs for Netgalley

January Wrap Up

I set a new personal record with a total of 52 books read in January!

Favorites:
Gilded by Marissa Meyer
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton

Least Favorites:
Don't Move by James Murray and Darren Wearmouth
Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne

How did everyone else do? What was your favorite of the month?

TW/CW: SA, R*pe, Drug Ab*se, S*ic*de, Mental Illness, Domestic Ab*se

A surreal and frenzied fever dream, Possums Run Amok is a memoir of the manic freedom of a feral youth that could only exist during the brief window into the wild that was the late 60s & 70s. Like the rambling testimony of a midnight stranger in a desert highway truckstop diner, this book leaves you unsettled and unsure of what you've witnessed but grateful that you did.

Hey y'all!Today I'm sharing my latest library haul.I've been terrible about reading & returning my books on time lately.Thank goodness the fees are reasonable. Maybe this time will be different!

Left to Right
-Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X Kendi, Keisha N Blain
-I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
-Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
-The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder
-Gallant by Victoria Schwab
-Lore Olympus Vol. One by Rachel Smythe

March was a really good reading month for me. Titles and Ratings on bookstagram @ bookinitwithjen

Books Read: 30
Audiobooks:20
Ebooks: 7
Physical: 3
ARCS: 4

Faves:
-Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
-The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
-News of the World by Paulette Jiles
-Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Least Faves:
-Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer
-The Guide by Peter Heller
-56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

Y'all this book is SO COOL. I've never read anything quite like it. I was picking up major Katniss Everdeen vibes in the beginning, but this is no Panem. As awesome as Katniss is I don't think she would have volunteered to have sex with the LITERAL Sun, who is somehow simultaneously a celestial deity with a human form responsible for populating the night sky with stars, and a flaming ball of gas that the entire solar system revolves around.

Ooh y'all, this one took me by surprise! I expected to love it, as Historical Fiction is my jam, but the book quickly transformed into a very twisty mystery that left me both wanting more time with the characters and feeling totally satisfied with the way things turned out.

SO GOOD

#wondrouswednesday @eggs

1.Nope, other than just Instagram. I do like Chelsea Palmer on YouTube
2.250+
3.The Taking of Jemima Boone by Matthew Pearl. SO GOOD.

I've seen mixed reviews for this series, lots of people hate it, lots of people love it & lots of people compare it to ACOTAR, which makes *zero* sense.The only comparison that I'll make is this: for me From Blood and Ash is the superior read.

Controversial, I know.
But I said what I said.

Poppy is a firecracker. Hawke is the golden "bad boy" we all hate to love. Their chemistry and friendship is *chef's kiss*.

Also Vampires and Werewolves.

Admittedly this reads a bit like GBBO fanfiction if Paul Hollywood was 10 years younger/a little meaner, but I'm not complaining about it!

I did dock some ⭐s because all the characters had tragic back stories. All of them who mattered anyway. And a few who didnt. Sylvie? Tragic backstory. Dominic? Tragic backstory. Younger sister Pet? Tragic backstory. Beloved (Gothic Gamer Girl) Royal Princess? Tragic backstory. Bakery interns? You guessed it.

I really loved the way the author intertwined and used indigenous stories with Eastern European lore and Christianity as a colonialist tool to further marginalize and take advantage of native peoples. It's really quite an incredibly smart and modern commentary and interpretation of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, for where better a Wolf to hide than amongst the sheeple of organized religion in White America?

I have come to really love Hannah Capin's style of writing, fiercely feminist lyrical prose that is powerful and poetic but still easy and enjoyable to read. A story of elitism and privilege, I Am Margaret Moore is a tale as old as time. Girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, boy uses girl, boy does something terrible, girl is demonized, boy is idolized.

But this time no one will live happily ever after.

Every spooky season I see people raving about this one so I had to add it to my list this year.

I was bored out my mind.

The creepiest part of this book was the cousin trying to take over their lives & inheritance. Mary-Cat had the potential to be a really cool character, I would've loved for the story to be more about her burying her little treasures around the property & what led to the events that took place before the book begins instead.

Zombiecon has come to town & June & her besties are having the best day ever making memories & meeting the stars of their favorite show Human Wasteland.That is until the biting begins & they discover that some of the epic cosplays aren't costumes after all. This is such a fun read & was the perfect way to get my zombie fix. Human Wasteland is very obviously inspired by The Walking Dead & this book was a bit like watching Season 1 all over again!

Cute and wholesome short story, kind of like Scooby Doo without the nefarious motives. A quick and fun mid grade read for the the season!

In a word? Perfection.

When I requested a review copy of A Story of Karma, I was fully expecting a tale of an astounding physical undertaking through the Himalayas, but while it may have started that way it quickly evolved into a journey of faith, fate and finding family and community in unexpected places. Beautiful.

#two4tuesday @TheSpineView

1. Just finished Dark Fae by Caroline Peckham (ebook), Halfway done with Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty (audio), almost halfway through The Witches of New York and I have just started The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus.
2.Dark Fae is a RH and the guys are supposed to sooo tough but they're pretty much written as spoiled bros who wear their red flags on their sleeves. TBD on the rest.

I have major attachment issues with book series and never want to finish them but I finally forced myself to pick up AVSBAD. The first book will always be my favorite of the series but this was definitely a close second. A very satisfying conclusion.

Keira is being hunted. Somehow she escapes & finds refuge in a cottage surrounded by a graveyard. A graveyard filled with ghosts.Ghosts who need her help.
I'm confused by the lack of cohesion, after the 1st day Keira being HUNTED is ignored & the rest of the book is spent solving a murder. This is the start of a new series & there will prob be answers to the big questions in the future but it why would something so important would be abandoned?

Hey y'all! Long time no see! 2021 had been a *rough* reading year for me and I am way behind on my goals, so I am hoping coming back to Litsy will help me have some fun and get out of my head. These were my September reads, and while most of them are Audiobooks I am pleased with how much I consumed. How did y'all do in September? Anything fun happening around here? Halloween challenges I can still join? Let me know in the comments please!

Hey y'all! I have a weekend giveaway live on my IG! Go check it out!

My username is @ bookinitwithjen

New Bookmail from Booksparks today!! I'm super excited about these.

Matthew McConaughey is a potentially dangerous man.

I never understood why anyone would join a cult but after listening to a few minutes of the saccharine spoken word of the snake oil evangelist that is Matthew McConaughey, I'm willing to drink the kool-aid.

Alright,
Alright,
Alright.

*November Wrap-Up*
.
.
I set a super ridiculous and ambitious goal for November and failed spectacularly. 😂. But I still had a really great month of reading, and enjoyed a bunch of good books!
.
.
30 Books Read
-14 physical
-16 ebooks
-5 ARCS
.
.
Favorites:
-Love Songs for Skeptics
-Alex Six
-The Hating Game
-Kiss My Cupcake
-The Return
-How to Fail at Flirting
.
.
Least Favorites
-Lana's War
-The Beautiful
-Boy, Snow, Bird

This had me unexpectedly emotional. I related to Naya more than I care to admit, & it had me crying. We are even afraid of the same thing - butterflies!
I absolutely loved the ease of Naya & Jake's relationship/situationship. Leaving a bar with a hot stranger to get ice cream? Best idea ever. And cheese puns & dad jokes are practically my love language. Combine all that with my love of list making & you've pretty much written my perfect Rom-Com.

It's been a hot minute since I have enjoyed a thriller/horror/suspense/whatevertheheckthisis as much as I did this one. I was all in from page one. Its a quirky, eerie, gory story that manages to be creepy & campy at the same time. And the hotel! I've always wanted to stay in a themed hotel & the descriptions for the rooms had me jealous I wasn't on the trip with them. You know, before the bad & nastiness kicked in.

I received the best surprise book mail today! I won an Amazon wishlist giveaway last week and the host totally spoiled me by buying me all three books in the Shadow & Bone series! Who has read them?

I just wanted to let y'all know that I have a giveaway for two Alex Six packs happening over on my bookstagram. Winners will receive a copy of the book as well as a Yeti wine glass! Go check it out if you're interested! US only due to shipping. My handle is @ bookinitwithjen

Set in Hawaii & featuring food trucks, competition, personal tragedy, & an arrogant male w/a swoon-worthy British accent this enemies-to-lovers book checked ALL THE BOXES for me. I loved how real Nikki is. She doesn't have a perfect life, is struggling financially & doesn't know how to deal w/her grief. I adored her & Callum's low key date night tradition of drinking champagne & watching The Office bc of the relatability. I adored this one!

This book is a WILD ride of obsession, immorality, excessive wealth and devious behavior that twists and turns from the very beginning to the last very last line of the book. It is literally now one of my top three favorite psychological thrillers, not just from this year, but ever.

But I will NEVER look at a bottle of vanilla extract the same way again.

It's also available free on KU! I would love to hear your thoughts!

That moment when your brand new book tries to make you cry! I'm not sure this is what they mean by "take a page from my book". ?

#bluestackforbiden

Vote 💙

No need to adjust your screens, you ARE seeing double.
.
.
However beyond the eerily similar covers and titles these books have nothing in common! They may look like they belong to the same series but they couldn't be more different.
Set somewhere in the Middle East this modern fairytale borrows from Persian mythology and feels both familiar and fresh.

*October Wrap Up*
.
.
24 Books Read
-18 ebooks
-6 physical
-4 ARCS
.
.
Favorites:
-Dark River Series
-Crave
-Love, Life & Lucille
.
.
Least Favorites
-The Year of the Witching (😭)
-This Coven Won't Break
-They Wish They Were Us
.
.
All in all it was a decent month. I didn't get as many read as I planned but that seems to be par for the course these days. How did you do in October? Did we have any books in common?

#AllHallowsReadSwap @HappilyEverKrafter

Thank you so much Anna! You got my absolute favorite candy and a super cool zombie bookmark? I feel spoiled! And I haven't read the book either! This was such a fun little package to open :)

Thanks also to our host @MaleficentBookDragon it was a fun time!

Now I'm off to brag about my goodies on bookstagram and enjoy some spicy chocolate!

#scarathlon2020 #screamathon2020 #teamharkness @StayCurious +16pts

What I expected: A fun story about middle aged who encounter a vampire and take it upon themselves to slay the beast, making a comedy of errors along the way.
.
.
What I got: Modern social commentary disguised as campy 80s horror.

#screamathon2020 #scarathlon2020 #teamharkness #creaturefeaturethon @StayCurious +16pts

High School can be hell, especially when your best friend is possessed.

#cocoturns50 #scarathlon2020 #screamathon @StayCurious

Readathon wrap up! Ended up reading 11 books in just under 26.5 hours over the past ten days.

#teamharkness Check in: I forgot last week so combining the last two should be +1,496 points bringing my total to 2,216.

#scarathlon2020 #screamathon #teamharkness @staycurious +6pts

My now high school age niece has been begging to watch Rocky Horror since she was 11. Tonight is the night!