I seem to have niched myself into certain genres by accident! Children’s books, historical fiction, philosophy. Who’d’ve guessed? 😛 Any perceptive person, I hope. Except for the children’s books. That… that was unexpected.
Books read, reviewed, and posted/scheduled this past week:
Wind and Oyster Jack by Marcia G. Moore, 5* (releases Nov 28)
I Love a Book by Joe Rhatigan, July 24, 5* (releases Nov 1st)
Lucia Zarate by Cecilia Velastegui, 5*
Henry and the Hidden Treasure by BCR Fegan, 5* (releases Aug 3rd)
Ghostly Tales by Various, illustrated by Bill Bragg, 5*
Favourite read of the week:
Ghostly Tales by Various, illustrated by Bill Bragg
“A vengeful phantom lurks in a country graveyard.
A whaling crew becomes trapped on a haunted ship.
A human skull is kept locked in a cupboard, but
sometimes at night, it screams. . . .
This collection of tales transports the reader to a time when staircases creaked in old manor houses, and a candle could be blown out by a gust of wind, or by a passing ghost. Penned by some of the greatest Victorian novelists and masters of the ghost story genre, each story is illustrated with exquisitely eerie artwork in this special ebook.”
Current Read:
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
“A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Freaky pleasure…it scratches a nostalgic itch for those who grew up on Saturday morning Scooby-Doo cartoons and sugar-bombed breakfast cereal”
–USA Today
“Deliriously wild, funny and imaginative. Cantero is an original voice.”
–Charles Yu, author of How to Live in a Science Fictional Universe
With raucous humor and brilliantly orchestrated mayhem, Meddling Kids subverts teen detective archetypes like the Hardy Boys, the Famous Five, and Scooby-Doo, and delivers an exuberant and wickedly entertaining celebration of horror, love, friendship, and many-tentacled, interdimensional demon spawn.
SUMMER 1977. The Blyton Summer Detective Club (of Blyton Hills, a small mining town in Oregon’s Zoinx River Valley) solved their final mystery and unmasked the elusive Sleepy Lake monster—another low-life fortune hunter trying to get his dirty hands on the legendary riches hidden in Deboën Mansion. And he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for those meddling kids.
1990. The former detectives have grown up and apart, each haunted by disturbing memories of their final night in the old haunted house. There are too many strange, half-remembered encounters and events that cannot be dismissed or explained away by a guy in a mask. And Andy, the once intrepid tomboy now wanted in two states, is tired of running from her demons. She needs answers. To find them she will need Kerri, the one-time kid genius and budding biologist, now drinking her ghosts away in New York with Tim, an excitable Weimaraner descended from the original canine member of the club. They will also have to get Nate, the horror nerd currently residing in an asylum in Arkham, Massachusetts. Luckily Nate has not lost contact with Peter, the handsome jock turned movie star who was once their team leader . . . which is remarkable, considering Peter has been dead for years.
The time has come to get the team back together, face their fears, and find out what actually happened all those years ago at Sleepy Lake. It’s their only chance to end the nightmares and, perhaps, save the world.
A nostalgic and subversive trip rife with sly nods to H. P. Lovecraft and pop culture, Edgar Cantero’s Meddling Kids is a strikingly original and dazzling reminder of the fun and adventure we can discover at the heart of our favorite stories, no matter how old we get.”
Next Up
I decided not to overwhelm myself here, and started a longer list, with these my most immediate concerns.
The List by Patricia Forde, release Aug, NG/Sourcebooks- Jabberwocky
Forgotten Reflections by Young-Im Lee, requested June 12, Independent
The Way It Hurts by Patricia Blount due Aug 3, NG/ Sourcebooks- Fire
The Ice Queen by Rebecca Bauer Aug 5
Crash Land on Kurai by SJ Pajonas due Aug 7, Lola’s
Misadventures of Lady Ophelia by Christina McKnight Aug. 9, Barclay
Remember, Remember by Anne Elliot (Sherlock) NG
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Legends by Lydia Sherrer ASAP
Education of a Coroner by John Bateson. CBR. NG
Book Haul:
I received my YA Quarterly box!! squee. The main book is Library of Fates!
No other hardcopies, but several egalleys, as always. Ones I’m most looking forward to are:
Plague Land by Alex Scarrow, releasing Dec 1, 2017
“In this thrilling young adult horror novel from the author of the TimeRiders series the only thing worse than a virus that can kill is a virus that can think.
The reports start slowly at first: an outbreak in Africa at the end of the evening news, as a headline at the bottom of a website. They’re easy to ignore, and most people do just that. Except for Leon. His mom shakes off the concerns , sure that they shouldn’t be worried about some illness on a distant continent. Until one week later, the virus hits England and chaos ensues, dotting the English countryside with the haunting remains of liquefied victims.
But what scares Leon the most is the way the virus moves- like it’s adapting. Like it has an agenda. If Leon’s going to fight back, he’ll need a plan. But first, he needs to stay alive.”
Fierce Winds Rising by RF Dinoso, released Sept 1, 2015
“Dark skies loom over the horizon
An alliance of unprecedented magnitude is on the brink. The continent of Ersellis braces for the coming shift in the balance of power. At the center of it all, a young prince and princess orchestrate a war of conquest that will forever shape their destiny.
In the neighboring state, a group of elite mercenaries–the White Feather Company–prepare for the inevitable conflict. Through the leadership of their commander, the fiery Rosamund Red, they tackle formidable tasks to secure the future of their company and safeguard the Republic of Isoldien, their employer.
As the fierce winds of the coming storm rise, those who are wise enough scheme and maneuver to advance their personal interests. Steel and magic will collide in a deadly game of wits. Who will prevail, and who will be forgotten? In the midst of chaos, strength and resolve will be tested, nameless heroes will fulfill their duties, and the commoners will endure. For some, it is business as usual.”
Crash Land on Kurai by SJ Pajonas, released Jul 18, 2017
“Yumi Minamoto has the shortest fuse on the ship. She’s just whipped a bully and been confined to quarters, but she’s not staying there. A disgraced journalist trying to clear her name, her job is to document the mission to the Hikoboshi system, and she’s determined to get it right, despite all the trouble she causes. But when unknown vessels fire on their ship, and Yumi’s life pod crash lands on a dying moon, she’s separated from her family and friends, and her mission falls to pieces. Now she must navigate the unfamiliar and deadly terrain, deal with a society she doesn’t understand, and try to stay alive until rescue comes… if it ever does.
Crash Land on Kurai is the first book in the Hikoboshi Series, an action adventure, space opera series that explores the worlds settled by the Japanese who fled Earth a century ago. Culture, history, technology, and swords clash in a fast-paced future society on the brink of war.”
New events added!
Book Blitz: Sink by ME Rhines, July 31- Aug 6
Cover Reveal: Black & White by Nick Wilford, July 31st
Cover Reveal: Moonburner by Claire Luana, July 31st
Book Blitz: Storm of Hope by Leila Tualla, Aug 1st-7th
Cover Reveal: Ugly Beautiful Girl by Tracy Kimmer Aug 2nd
Book Tour: Nefarious by Lucille Moncrief July 28- Aug 28
Blog Tour: A Particular Darkness by Robert E Dunn July 28- Aug 28
