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News

It looks like I haven’t read a lot this month… which isn’t true.

I have read a lot. I’ve only finished one book, though. And some of the books I’m reading are very long.

Also, the new Pokemon Scarlet/Violet came out… so I’ve also been playing video games.

I’ve also had to dedicate some outside hours to my day job, which, while it isn’t fun, is necessary, and that eats into my reading time.

To top it all off, my husband and I have had some terrible news about family members, which takes a toll mentally. Sometimes in my precious free time I just scroll social media rather than read… which is exactly what social media wants us to do.

I did read Take a Bow, Noah MItchell, but I didn’t get a chance to write a review yet.

What can I say, it’s on my to do list.

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Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews and hosted by Reading Reality.
It’s all about sharing the books we’ve picked up for the week, whether they are bought, borrowed, gifted, galleys, physical or virtual.
Share your shelves and remember to visit Reading Reality to find more great books!

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Purchased

Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden

Noah is in love with his online best friend. Which is a huge problem, for the following reasons:

1. His crush has no idea.
2. Noah only knows him as his gaming avatar.
3. There’s zero chance they’ll ever meet in real life.

So, when Noah sees an opportunity to secretly meet his crush, he takes it.

Even though he’ll have to join the cast of a local production of Chicago with his self-obsessed mother. Even though he’ll need to lie to his best (and only) friend. And even though he’ll have to sing and dance in front of actual people.

Because love is worth the risk. And, really, what could possibly go wrong?

Tobias Madden is quickly becoming one of my favourite LoveOzYa authors. As someone who doesn’t really gravitate towards male writers, Madden has nailed the teen boy voice: to add to that, Madden writes #ownvoices Australian small-town performing arts gay teen romance, which although has some elements I don’t normally read, it also has elements I absolutely adore. Since I loved Anything But Fine so much, and felt like Luca was my real-life bestie, I definitely wanted to listen to TABNM which was being narrated by the same audiobook narrator.

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The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix

I am the monster. I am the shield. I am the knife in the dark.

Ranka is tired of death. All she wants now is to be left alone, living out her days in Witchik’s wild north with the coven that raised her, attempting to forget the horrors of her past. But when she is named Bloodwinn, the next treaty bride to the human kingdom of Isodal, her coven sends her south with a single directive: kill him. Easy enough, for a blood-witch whose magic compels her to kill.

Except the prince is gentle, kind, and terrified of her. He doesn’t want to marry Ranka; he doesn’t want to be king at all. And it’s his sister – the wickedly smart, infuriatingly beautiful Princess Aramis – who seems to be real threat.

But when witches start turning up dead, murdered by a mysterious, magical plague, Aramis makes Ranka an offer: help her develop a cure, and in return, she’ll teach Ranka to contain her deadly magic. But as the coup draws nearer and the plague spreads, Ranka is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her power, her past, and who she’s meant to fight for. Soon, she will have choose between the coven that raised her – and the princess who sees beyond the monster they shaped her to be. But as the bodies pile up, a monster may be exactly what they need.

I was pretty excited to read this book since it’s about Sapphic violent witches. I first learned about this author on Twitter when she got her agent based on a different book, but with the author hitting the NYT bestseller list within a week of release, I’m still excited to read this one.

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Seasparrow (Graceling Realms #5) by Kristin Cashore

The fifth novel in the bestselling and award winning Graceling Realm series focuses on Hava, Queen Bitterblue’s spy, and her harrowing journey back to Monsea after the events of 2021’s Winterkeep.

In the immediate aftermath of the events of Winterkeep, Bitterblue and her entourage begin the journey back to Monsea with the only copies of the formulas for the zilphium weapon. Bitterblue must decide what she will do with her world-shaping power. But before they’ve even made it halfway home, storms drive their ship off course and then wrecking them in the ice far north of the Royal Continent. The survivors must make a harrowing trek across the ice in order to make it back to Monsea.

Seasparrow is told entirely from the point of view of Hava, Bitterblue’s personal spy and secret half-sister. And while Bitterblue grapples with how to carry the responsibility of a weapon of mass destruction, Hava must decide what she will do with herself in the new world Bitterblue will make.

I read and enjoyed the first three Graceling books, and I own the fourth one, so I was happy to pre-order this book as well.

Borrowed

Lightlark by Alex Aster

#BookTok phenomenon and award-winning author Alex Aster delivers listeners a masterfully written, utterly gripping YA fantasy novel.

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.

Filled with secrets, deception, romance, and twists worthy of the darkest thrillers, Lightlark is a must-hear for fans of legendary fantasy writers Marie Lu, Marissa Meyer, and Leigh Bardugo.

I was curious to read this book because of all of its pre-publication hype.

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