Spring is really confusing me this year, people!
I mean, yeah, we have sunshine galore around here but it’s also about minus 4 degrees outside? What does that mean? Is it so we have at least a little bit of niceness while we are all stuck at home? Is it to make it even harder to go outside, even if you have to? Who knows? Certainly not me!
Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, it’s spring! Yay! Flowers, birds and bugs en masse. Also blooming trees, the herbs that I planted (yes, I know, you want to know all about it), bees and pretty blue sky. I love it. (Even though I love the winter too. I still wish for some snow.) And spring also means that I get to make a new seasonal tbr. Which is what I’m trying to do today. Let’s see.
Technically I should have done this two weeks ago, when it was a topic for the TTT. But I am – as always – late to the party.
The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts
It’s not easy being a teenage witch. Seventh grader Abby Shepherd is just getting the hang of it when weird stuff starts happening all around her hometown of Willow Cove. Green slime bubbling to life in science class. Giant snakes slithering around the middle school gym. Her best friend suddenly keeping secrets and telling lies. Things only begin to make sense when a stranger named Miss Winters reveals that Abby isn’t the only young witch in town—and that Willow Cove is home to a secret past that connects them all. Miss Winters, herself a witch, even offers to teach Abby and the others everything she knows about witchcraft. But as Abby learns more about Miss Winters’ past, she begins to suspect her new mentor is keeping secrets of her own. Can Abby trust her, or does Miss Winters have something wicked planned for the young witches of Willow Cove?
Did I tell you that I started a Netgalley Account!? I’m so excited. This is the first book I received – well, okay, it was a Read Now book, so of course I got approved, but I. am. so. excited! It’s Middlegrade and it has witches and friendship and look at this gorgeous cover! I can’t wait to read it and tell you all about it…. as soon as I have figured out when I am allowed to review it. Help?
Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza–but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion? Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys–an old flame from Asha’s past–reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heros will fall, and hearts will be broken.
Do I want to admit for how long I’ve had this book? No. No, I don’t. But looooong. And it’s been so long that I have read Gemina that I’m actually not sure if I still know who all those people are and what exactly happened? Huh.
Well, I have decided to do a buddy read with a friend and we will start as soon as she has finished her cr. Which might still take a while.
Eleven-year-old Casper Tock hates risks, is allergic to adventures and shudders at the thought of unpredictable events. So, it comes as a nasty shock to him when he accidentally stumbles into Rumblestar, an Unmapped Kingdom full of magical beasts.
All Casper wants is to find a way home, but Rumblestar is in trouble. An evil harpy called Morg is sending her followers, the Midnights, into the kingdom to wreak havoc and pave the way for her to steal the Unmapped magic for herself. But Casper cannot turn a blind eye because the future of his own world, he discovers, is bound up with that of the Unmapped Kingdoms. And so, together with Utterly Thankless, a girl who hates rules and is allergic to behaving, and her miniature dragon, Arlo, Casper embarks upon an adventure full of cloud giants, storm ogres and drizzle hags. Can he, Utterly and Arlo, the unlikeliest of heroes, save the Unmapped Kingdoms and our world from the clutches of Morg and her Midnights?
Have I told you yet how much I loved Everdark by Abi Elphinstone? Have I? It’s the most wonderful, magical book. And Rumblestar is the next in line. I would really like to finish it before the next, Jungledrop, is coming out. Also, I would like to meet a drizzle hag. Just because.
Murder on the Orientexpress by Agatha Christie
Travelling on the Orient Express, Poirot is approached by a desperate American named Ratchett. Afraid that someone plans to kill him, Ratchett asks Poirot for help. Sadly the very next day Ratchett’s worst fears become reality, when he is found dead in his cabin, a victim of multiple stab wounds. With nothing but a scrap of paper to go on, Poirot must piece together Ratchett’s identity before he can establish which of his fellow passengers murdered him.
I don’t think I can express (haha) how much I love Agatha Christie’s books. I know, I have said it before and I will say it again. I love her writing. And no, indeed I haven’t read one of her most famous Hercule Poirot stories, even if I know what it’s about. Can’t wait to dive into that one, though.
Shadows of Winterspell by Amy Wilson
Stella has been living behind the magic of the forest for most of her life. Lonely, she enrolls at the local school, and as she begins to make friends, she discovers that she is even more different than she thought. But as autumn turns to magical winter, Stella realizes that uncovering her own family secret is the only way to release the forest from the grip of a dark and old magic.
In a few short books Amy Wilson has written herself into my heart. I don’t think I love any other Middlegrade books as much as hers. They always have some kind of coming of age in them, even if the protagonists are only as old as eleven. I love the quiet magic that seeps from the pages and I can’t wait to be under this one’s spell.
The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is challenging. He’d much rather hang out there with his dog, Rosie, than go to middle school, where kids call him Sir Limps a Lot, McGimpster, or Uno — for his one good leg. What Zane doesn’t know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world and he is at the center of a powerful prophecy. A new girl at school, Brooks, informs him that he’s destined to release an evil god from the ancient Maya relic he is imprisoned in — unless she can find and remove it first. Together they return to the volcano, where all kinds of crazy happens. Brooks turns into a hawk, a demon attacks them in a cave, and Rosie gives her all while trying to protect Zane. When Zane decides to save his dog no matter the cost, he is thrust into an adventure full of surprising discoveries, dangerous secrets, and an all-out war between the gods, one of whom happens to be his father. To survive, Zane will have to become the Storm Runner. But how can he run when he can’t even walk well without a cane?
I’m quite obsessed with the Rick Riordan Presents label for some reason. I will read all of those books at some point, starting with this one which has not only a gorgeous cover but promises to be a real storm of excitement. (Last one, I promise.)
Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are returning to boarding school when they are summoned from the dreary train station (by Susan’s own magic horn) to return to the land of Narnia—the land where they had ruled as kings and queens and where their help is desperately needed.
I feel like I should finish this series. I haven’t yet and Prince Caspian is the next on the list. From the three books that got turned into a movie, this one is the one that I didn’t see, so I have no idea what’s actually happens in that book. Time to find out, huh?
Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
I feel like I have an obligation to this book. I don’t know, I bought the whole box because I used to own the first book way back when the first book came out and then I gifted it to our young apprentice. I didn’t pay attention to what the book was really about back then. And later I felt stupid. Could it really be that those books blew up years after they came out. Or is my sense of time just so screwed?
A 217-year-old-dog is searching for his lost master.
So begins the journey of Tomorrow, a dog who must travel through the gilded courts of kings and the brutal battlefields of Europe in search of the man who granted him immortality. But Tomorrow’s journey is also a race against time. Danger stalks his path, and in the shadows lurks an old enemy. Before his pursuer can reach him, he must find his master – or lose him forever.
Another Netgalley addition! Yay! I know the author and am really curious about this book. I know it’s already a few years old but still, I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing it.
The Legend of Greg by Chris Rylander
Risk-averse Greg Belmont is content with being ordinary. He’s got a friend–that’s right, just one–at his fancy prep school, and a pretty cool dad (even if he is obsessed with organic soaps that smell like a mix of salted pork and Icelandic bog). The problem is, Greg isn’t ordinary . . . he’s actually an honest-to-goodness, fantastical Dwarf! He discovers the truth the day his dad brings home a gross new tea–one that awakens bizarre abilities in Greg. Then a murderous Bro-Troll kidnaps his dad and Greg is whisked away to the Underground, where Dwarves have lived for centuries right beneath the subways of Chicago. With the help of some awesome new friends and a talking ax, Greg learns all about the history of the Dwarves, which has been marked with tales of epic failure since the dawn of time. However, the return of the magic they once wielded means big changes are afoot, escalating tensions with the Dwarves’ sworn enemy: the Elves.
So, I feel like this is cheating a bit since it’s actually one of my current reads? Then again, it’s already spring. I can already tell you that it is a little different from what I expected but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Do you have any idea how long I just sat at this post? Too long. One and a half hours? And it’s not even as long as I thought as it might be. Anyway. I gotta get up and water my herbs now. No, that is not an euphemism. Have a great day!
Have you read any of those books? Are you interested in knowing more about them?
Holy cold, Batman! That’s really cold for spring. We seem to have skipped spring altogether here. Went from 30-degree days with rain for three weeks straight to 70-degree sunshine. I have whiplash now. xD And allergies.
I hope you love Obsidio! It introduces new characters, and the old characters come in towards the end, but I think it’ll be easy to pick up. You just might miss the smaller nuances and things that the writers add to each story, since it’s been awhile. This is one of my favorite series, though. :3
Funny, I actually just added Rumblestar to my TBR because of Jungledrop, too. Except in the US, it has … longer, more complicated titles that I can’t remember because we Americans are silly and ruin everything.
Oh! Tomorrow! I keep meaning to read that and keep forgetting to put in a hold through my library. I’m going to do that right now so I don’t have a chance to forget again. I hope you enjoy all these reads! They look fabulous. :3
Oh, that’s good to know actually. I have started it now but I have to admit I kinda forgot what the ships’ names have been and which ones belongs to the good and which one to the bad guys.
I highly recommend to read Everdark as well. It’s a shot prequel but really lovely. I guess they just call it The Unmapped chronicles in the US?
I’m really psyched to read so many books at the moment, I hope I get to read some of them.
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