Can’t Wait Wednesday – WE ARE NOT FREE by Traci Chee

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is WE ARE NOT FREE by Traci Chee.  I love historical fiction, especially that set in World War II.  Because there’s so much WWII historical fiction available, I find myself on the lookout for stories that present a different perspective from what I’m used to reading about.  When I saw this book, which is based on the interment camps where the U.S. imprisoned over 100,000 Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, I knew I had to read it.  I follow actor George Takei on twitter and I’ve seen him occasionally talk about how life in those camps has shaped his life and I have a feeling this book is going to bring that life-changing experience even more poignant.

WE ARE NOT FREE by Traci Chee

Publication Date:  June 9, 2020

 

From Goodreads:

“All around me, my friends are talking, joking, laughing. Outside is the camp, the barbed wire, the guard towers, the city, the country that hates us.

We are not free.

But we are not alone.”

From New York Times best-selling and acclaimed author Traci Chee comes We Are Not Free, the collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II.

Fourteen teens who have grown up together in Japantown, San Francisco.

Fourteen teens who form a community and a family, as interconnected as they are conflicted.

Fourteen teens whose lives are turned upside down when over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry are removed from their homes and forced into desolate incarceration camps.

In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart.

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday – Books from My Winter TBR I’m Most Excited For

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is Winter TBR.  My Winter TBR is sure to be way more than ten books so I’ve decided to narrow down what I’m sharing this week to the ten reads I’m most looking forward to. Well, at the time I’m writing this post anyway.  Such is the life of a mood reader, haha.  You can click on each book cover to learn more about what kind of reads I’m excited about this fall. I’ve also actually included 12 entries, 10 ARCS but then 2 from my backlist that I really wanted to read this year but ran out of time.  Those are backlist priorities for me.

 

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Books from My Winter TBR I’m Most Excited For

 

1. BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN by Diane Chamberlain

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2. THE VANISHED BIRDS by Simon Jimenez

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3.  THE DARK CORNERS OF THE NIGHT by Meg Gardiner

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4. UNDERCOVER BROMANCE by Lyssa Kay Adams

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5. SCAVENGE THE STARS by Tara Sim

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6. THE OTHER PEOPLE by C.J. Tudor

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7. FOUL IS FAIR by Hannah Capin

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8. OF CURSES AND KISSES by Sandhya Menon

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9 THE SUN DOWN MOTEL by Simone St. James

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10 YOU WERE THERE TOO by Colleen Oakley

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11. THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers

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12. ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells

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Question:  Are you planning to read any of these books this winter?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – UNDERCOVER BROMANCE by Lyssa Kay Adams

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is UNDERCOVER BROMANCE by Lyssa Kay Adams.  I absolutely loved The Bromance Book Club when I read it but had no idea at the time that it was actually going to be a series.  When I heard about Undercover Bromance and saw that great cover, I think I actually squealed, haha!

UNDERCOVER BROMANCE by Lyssa Kay Adams

Publication Date:  March 10, 2020

 

From Goodreads:

Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he’ll soon discover that real life is better than fiction.

Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a sous chef at Nashville’s hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she’ll need assistance to take on the powerful chef.

Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv’s blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He’ll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club.

Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they’re reading, the book club assist Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they’re just as eager to help Mack figure out the way to Liv’s heart… even while she’s determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned.

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday – Reading Fails: 10 Books I Totally Planned to Read This Year But Probably Won’t

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is another Freebie.  Since we’re fast approaching the end of the year, I’ve been reflecting on the books I’ve read this year, and even more so, on the books I had every intention of reading this year but somehow still didn’t get to.  I know I still have a few weeks left to try to make this list happen but with the holidays and the January 2020 ARCs I’m starting to work my way through, I just don’t think these reads are going to happen before the end of 2019.  I definitely still plan to read all of them though so I’m sure these titles will end up as part of my backlist challenge next year.  While I was compiling this list, I also did a little “spring” cleaning and purged about 40 titles from my Goodreads “Want to Read” Shelf because I’ve just completely lost interest in them.  I’m sure it won’t be long before I find 40 more to add in their places, but it felt good to finally get rid of some titles that I’ve been scrolling past for 4-5 years.

 

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10 Books I Totally Planned to Read This Year But Probably Won’t

 

1. AURORA RISING by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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2. SORCERY OF THORNS by Margaret Rogerson

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3.  CIRCE by Madeline Miller

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4. A DANCE WITH DRAGONS by George R.R. Martin

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5. UPROOTED by Naomi Novik

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6. NINTH HOUSE by Leigh Bardugo

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7. DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor

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8. THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers

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9. ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells

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10. GODS OF JADE AND SHADOW by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Question:  Do you have any books you were determined to read this year but somehow still haven’t?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS by Mackenzi Lee

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS by Mackenzi Lee.  Okay, I know this one doesn’t come out for months and months, but I stumbled across it while shopping online this weekend and was just so excited since I had no idea that Lee was planning to continue one of my all-time favorite YA series.  I’m especially intrigued by this third book since it focuses on Adrian,the little brother of Monty and Felicity.  If it’s like the first two books, it’s sure to be filled with plenty of adventure and humor and I can’t wait!

THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS by Mackenzi Lee

Publication Date:  August 18, 2020

From Goodreads:

Return to the enchanting world of the Montague siblings in the finale to the New York Times bestselling and Stonewall Honor-winning series, featuring a teenage Adrian Montague as he desperately seeks the now adult Monty and Felicity—the older siblings he never knew he had.

The sole heir to his family’s fortune, Adrian Montague desperately wants to be free—from his father’s high expectations; the grief of losing his beloved mother; and the constant war being waged inside his mind. Adrian was diagnosed with hysteria at a young age and it’s always been kept a secret. But when he has a breakdown at his engagement party, the public learns Adrian’s worst fear: he might not be fit to run the Montague estate.

Thankfully, Adrian is given an opportunity to avoid the impending scandal: a trip to the Caribbean to claim the last of his mother’s possessions. But along the way, Adrian discovers another secret lurking in his family tree. He is actually the youngest of three children—his sister Felicity and brother “Monty” went missing over a decade ago. Now Adrian has the chance to find them and offer to pass the estate back to the rightful heirs.

Adrian expects to win his long-lost brother over with the promise of wealth and inheritance, while dreaming of a quiet life where Adrian doesn’t feel like a burden to anyone. But when Adrian finally tracks him down, Monty refuses to return home. The only thing he can convince Monty of is to accompany him across the ocean as an act of tribute to their mother, hoping that during the voyage he can persuade Monty into taking the weight of inheriting the estate off his shoulders.

When they reach their destination, Adrian and Monty find something hidden in their mother’s belongings—a clue pointing to a valuable artifact that could potentially save the Montague siblings from a curse that threatens their lives. But to retrieve it, they must chase an infamous myth through the wild sugar fields of Barbados to the haunting streets of New Orleans to mysterious uncharted islands off the edge of the map.

 

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday – My Ten Favorite Movies to Watch During the Holiday Season

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is actually Holiday Reads (Books you love reading during the holiday season.).  I really did try to do this week’s topic, but I honestly couldn’t think of ten books that I like to read during the holiday season.  I’m not a big re-reader anyway so A Christmas Carol is the only book that really came to mind aside from children’s books, which I haven’t read since my son outgrew most of my favorites.  So yeah, I ended up going rogue this week because even though I’m not a big re-reader, it has always been a tradition in my family to watch lots of Christmas movies together every year and I have a list of perennial favorites.  The holidays just aren’t complete if we haven’t watched all of these.  Some are childhood favorites that I just can’t resist watching every year and some are newer favorites, basically movies that my son loves that have been incorporated into our yearly tradition.

 

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10 Favorite Movies to Watch During the Holiday Season

 

1. NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

I’m sure there are some that find this movie tacky and appalling and completely inappropriate for Christmas, but I’m not one of them.  This is my all-time favorite Christmas movie.  I’ve watched it every year since it came out in 1989, practically have the entire movie memorized, and I still laugh at it just as much now as I did when I first watched it all those years ago.

 

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2. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

I enjoy the original version of this film too, but this one from 1994 starring Richard Attenborough, Mara Wilson, and Elizabeth Perkins is the one my family watches every year.  I’ve always loved the premise of this story, where a lawyer and a six-year old girl must prove that a man claiming to be Santa Claus is the real thing, and we all love Mara Wilson from Mrs. Doubtfire  and Matilda, so this film is a great fit for us.

 

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3. HOME ALONE

Like Christmas Vacation, Home Alone is a movie that I’ve watched every year since it first came out and it’s still just as funny now as it was the first time I saw it.  Both Home Alone and Home Alone 2 (mainly because of my obsession with NYC) are staples in my family’s holiday movie lineup.

 

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4. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Now I have to confess that until I got married, I had never watched this film.  It’s my husband’s favorite though so he introduced me to it and we have watched it together every year since.  It truly is a classic.

 

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5. A CHRISTMAS STORY

Talk about your timeless classics.  It never gets old watching poor little Ralphie trying to convince everyone that a Red Ryder BB gun is the perfect Christmas gift for him.  “I triple dog dare you” to watch it!

 

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6. THE SANTA CLAUSE

This is another of my son’s favorites that has made it into our holiday viewing every year.  He loves all three of the movies, but the first one is my favorite.

 

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7. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

This is yet another of my son’s favorites (He loves Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie) and Tim Burton’s films always fascinate me anyway, so I’m game to watch it every year, especially because the animation is so impressive.

 

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8. A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Several versions of the classic Dickens tale get a lot of play in my house every year at Christmas.  I have a soft spot for Mickey’s Christmas Carol and the Disney version pictured above, but I also really like the version where Patrick Stewart plays Scrooge.

 

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9. CHILDHOOD FAVORITES

I know these aren’t actually movies, but it’s my list so whatever.  Anyway, I don’t know about you guys, but I still love to watch all of my old childhood favorites.  Charlie Brown and the Grinch are my favorites, but I also love Rudolph and Frosty.  Sometimes I’m the only one in my house who watches these, but they just give me such nostalgia which is a huge part of the holiday season for me.

 

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10. ALL THE HALLMARK CHANNEL MOVIES!

Yeah, this one is all me too and it’s a recent obsession going back just a couple of years.  I pretty much have the Hallmark Channel on in the background every day from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. My husband just rolls his eyes at me, but I love the warm fuzzy vibe that all of the Hallmark holiday films have.  Plus it’s fun when some of my favorite actors pop up in the occasional film.  So far this season I’ve seen Liz Mitchell from Lost, Elizabeth Henstridge from Marvel: Agents of SHIELD, and Lacy Chabert from Party of Five.

 

 

Question:  Do you have any favorite holiday films that you watch every year?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE DARK CORNERS OF THE NIGHT by Meg Gardiner

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is THE DARK CORNERS OF THE NIGHT by Meg Gardiner.  This is probably a little darker read than my usual CWW picks, but I’m obsessed with Meg Gardiner’s UNSUB series and seriously cannot wait to get my hands on the next creepy installment. If you’re a fan of shows like Criminal Minds, I highly recommend this series.

 

THE DARK CORNERS OF THE NIGHT by Meg Gardiner

Publication Date:  February 18, 2020

 

From Goodreads:

I am the legion of the night …

He appears in the darkness like a ghost, made of shadows and fear—the Midnight Man. He comes for the parents but leaves the children alive, tiny witnesses to unspeakable horror. The bedroom communities of Los Angeles are gripped with dread, and the attacks are escalating.

Still reeling from her best friend’s close call in a bombing six months ago, FBI behavioral analyst Caitlin Hendrix has come to Los Angeles to assist in the Midnight Man investigation and do what she does best—hunt a serial killer. Her work is what keeps her going, but something about this UNSUB—unknown subject—doesn’t sit right. She soon realizes that this case will test not only her skills but also her dedication, for within the heart of a killer lives a secret that mirrors Caitlin’s own past. Hesitancy is not an option, but will she be able to do what must be done if the time comes?

 

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Reads to Dive into over the Thanksgiving Holiday

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is a Thankful Freebie in honor of this week’s Thanksgiving holiday.  I couldn’t really think of anything specifically ‘thankful’ to post about that I haven’t done in previous years so instead, I’m going to share some books I think would make fabulous reads to dive into over the long holiday weekend.  Had enough of your family?  Don’t want to get caught up in the madness of the Black Friday shopping ritual?  I’ve got you covered!

My list is heavy on what I consider to be fun and romantic reads, and I’m very heavy on socially awkward, introverted main characters since I’ll be reveling in my own social awkwardness the entire holiday weekend, haha.  But I’ve also included a few more serious reads, including a thriller and some science fiction. And finally, to help get you in the holiday spirit since Christmas is right around the corner, I’ve included a favorite holiday read that has a wonderful focus on sisters and family.

 

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10 Reads to Dive into over the Thanksgiving Holiday

 

1. EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER by Linda Holmes

(Find out what it’s about…)

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2. THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman

(Find out what it’s about…)

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3.  RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE by Casey McQuiston

(Find out what it’s about…)

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4. THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB by Lyssa Kay Adams

(Find out what it’s about…)

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5. THE ACCIDENTAL BEAUTY QUEEN by Teri Wilson

(Find out what it’s about…)

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6. THINGS YOU SAVE IN A FIRE by Katherine Center

(Find out what it’s about…)

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7. THE GIRL HE USED TO KNOW by Tracey Garvais Graves

(Find out what it’s about…)

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8. THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware

(Find out what it’s about…)

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9. RECURSION by Blake Crouch

(Find out what it’s about…)

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10. THE CHRISTMAS SISTERS by Sarah Morgan

(Find out what it’s about…)

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL WHO ARE CELEBRATING THIS WEEK!

Can’t Wait Wednesday – A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN by Brigid Kemmerer

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN by Brigid Kemmerer.  For those unfamiliar with this book, it’s the second book in Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker series, which is a Beauty and the Beast retelling.  Kemmerer is one of my favorite contemporary authors so I was excited to read the first book in this series and see how she does with fantasy.  Well, the first book in this series blew me away! It’s the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I’ve read and I can’t wait to get my hands on this book when it comes out in January.

A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN by Brigid Kemmerer

Publication Date:  January 7, 2020

From Goodreads:

In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.

Find the heir, win the crown.
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen–until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

 

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Can’t Wait Wednesday – INCENDIARY by Zoraida Córdova

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is INCENDIARY by Zoraida Córdova.  I’m really enjoying this author’s Brooklyn Brujas series so I was very excited to learn that she also has a new series coming out next spring and that it sounds every bit as fabulous as the Brujas series.

INCENDIARY by Zoraida Córdova

Publication Date:  April 28, 2020

From Netgalley:

Set in a lushly drawn world inspired by Inquisition Spain, Zoraida Córdova’s hotly anticipated new fantasy is an epic tale of love and revenge perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Sarah J. Maas.


I am Renata Convida. I have lived a hundred stolen lives. Now I live my own.

Renata was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King’s Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a memory thief, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata was used by the crown to carry out the King’s Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people.

Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown. The Whispers may have rescued Renata years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred-or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she drained during her time in the palace.

When Dez, the commander of her unit-and the boy she’s grown to love-is taken captive by the notorious Principe Dorado, Renata must return to Andalucia and complete Dez’s top secret mission herself. Can she keep her cover, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it.

But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the fate of the entire kingdom-and end the war that has cost her everything.

 

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂