Julia's bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 06 Apr 2025 15:03:41 -0700 60 Julia's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies, #1)]]> 58650445
In a world where no entities exist but the Stars, cruel and merciless gods that watch over the world, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy that promises she will fall for a Star, and it will kill them both.

But when one descends to wreak havoc on Elara's Kingdom, she is forced to flee into the arms of her enemy in the neighbouring country.

As she learns more about her own magic, and the depth of the Stars' deceit, she also finds herself learning more about the country she is forced to take refuge in, and the enemy prince forced to train her into a weapon.

Something dark brews within her, a power made of night and shadows that begs to be broken free.]]> 619 Imani Erriu Julia 0 currently-reading 3.97 2022 Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies, #1)
author: Imani Erriu
name: Julia
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214331246 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 382 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 Julia 5 4.67 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Julia
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)]]> 209741142 A spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm's forbidden boundary, into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods ...

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.]]> 688 Keri Lake Julia 0 to-read 4.14 2024 Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)
author: Keri Lake
name: Julia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Split or Swallow (Split or Swallow, #1)]]> 217566410 THIS BOOK IS NOT SAFE TO READ AT WORK. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

Twenty year old Temperance Verus has never been kissed. But that's what the basilisk is for.

Along with thirteen other contestants, Tem must train with a basilisk to learn the power of seduction and win the prince's hand in marriage. When Tem is matched with Caspen, the Serpent King, she realizes she might actually stand a chance. But with tensions rising between the basilisks and the humans, Tem is suddenly torn in two directions. As her bond with Caspen deepens, so does her connection with the prince. And when she uncovers a terrible secret about the royal family, Tem finds herself caught between two neither of which she can survive without.

Guaranteed to make you blush (and then some), Split or Swallow is like if fanfic Draco Malfoy went on the Bachelor and had to compete with a snake. Sounds fun, doesn't it? That's because it is!!]]> 433 Lindsay Straube Julia 2 3.76 Split or Swallow (Split or Swallow, #1)
author: Lindsay Straube
name: Julia
average rating: 3.76
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)]]> 36692308
Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.

Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.

As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.]]> 480 Cassandra Clare 1529001447 Julia 4 4.46 2025 The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: Julia
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mirror of Beasts (Silver in the Bone, #2)]]> 198688509
Legend tells of a “Mirror of Beasts,� powerful enough to trap even Lord Death in its accursed glass, but the mirror is not all that it seems. Tamsin must confront her own darkest secrets if she hopes to tap the mirror's strength to defeat her enemies.

Arthurian legend bleeds into contemporary action, and scars of the past are torn open anew by a starcrossed love that refuses to go quietly. This riveting conclusion to the Silver in the Bone duology will hold you in its thrall until the very last page.]]> 496 Alexandra Bracken 0593481690 Julia 3 4.18 2024 The Mirror of Beasts (Silver in the Bone, #2)
author: Alexandra Bracken
name: Julia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heat of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #3)]]> 124936017
After her disastrous coronation, Diem finds herself at the center of the conflict between the Descended and the Guardians. With her newfound friends and the man she’s falling for on one side, and the mortals she has vowed to protect on the other, Diem must walk a careful line to save the people she loves� even from each other.

The mystery of her unusual heritage begins to unravel, sending Diem and Luther on an unexpected journey across the realms. The answers may hold the key to winning the war, but finding them will require her to face painful truths about her mother, her bloodline, and her fate.

Meanwhile, the Crowns have set Diem in their sights. Some could be her greatest allies—while others want her dead. To end their oppressive reign, Diem must sort friend from foe and risk it all to build an army of her own.

But a powerful figure in the north has plans that could change everything...

Heat of the Everflame is the third book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book epic fantasy romance series that follows our fiesty, bad*ss heroine Diem Bellator in her fight against injustice, her struggle to survive in a royal palace full of betrayal and intrigue, and her journey of self-discovery and finding true love. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers series is perfect for fans of unique magic systems, dragons and other mythical creatures, angst and romantic tension, and hilarious banter. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 1026 Penn Cole Julia 2 4.27 2023 Heat of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #3)
author: Penn Cole
name: Julia
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Forging Silver into Stars (Forging Silver into Stars, #1)]]> 58484077 Forbidden magic. Secret romance. Dangerous alliances. Enter the world of New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's electrifying series.

When nineteen-year-old Tycho, the King's Courier, arrives in the remote village of Briarlock, he hopes to escape the demands of his new life in the royal court, where magic reigns for the first time in ages. He doesn't expect to fall for a handsome blacksmith with a bruised heart.

After years of cruelty in his father's forge, Jax never dared to dream of a better life -- until a magic-wielding young lord shows him an enticing alternative. But when rumors of a rebellion reach Briarlock, Jax wonders who he can trust -- and if he'll even survive.

Jax's best friend, Callyn, doesn't trust anyone -- especially not a handsome stranger with magic, which killed her parents years ago. When another royal emissary arrives, seeing a co-conspirator, Callyn finds herself embroiled in a plot that could lead them all to ruin. . .

As tensions flare throughout the kingdom, it won't be long before everyone must choose a side.

War is brewing. Passions are building. And magic may doom -- or save -- them all . . .]]> 560 Brigid Kemmerer 1547609125 Julia 3 4.12 2022 Forging Silver into Stars (Forging Silver into Stars, #1)
author: Brigid Kemmerer
name: Julia
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Burn of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #4)]]> 220145036
In Lumnos, Realm of Light and Shadow, the Crowns are gathering. Caught between two deadly foes, they must form an unlikely alliance to save their people.

But the Crowns have a secret—and a heart without its mate will burn the world down to fulfill its fate.

Hatred reigns. Hope seems lost. With the future in darkness, can a flame emerge to bring the light?]]> 550 Penn Cole 3911244118 Julia 0 to-read 4.27 2026 Burn of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #4)
author: Penn Cole
name: Julia
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> This Girl (Slammed, #3) 15784909 Librarian's Note: The ISBN 9789383260195 for this book was also used by "Shekhar Kapur's Devi - Vol. 1" by Samit Basu.

There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.

Colleen Hoover’s New York Times bestselling Slammed series has brought countless readers to their knees with a whirlwind of love, passion, and heartache.

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.]]> 306 Colleen Hoover 938326019X Julia 3 young-adult 3.74 2013 This Girl (Slammed, #3)
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Julia
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: young-adult
review:

]]> Losing Hope (Hopeless, #2) 17340050 In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him�

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.]]> 321 Colleen Hoover Julia 3 4.12 2013 Losing Hope (Hopeless, #2)
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Julia
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2013/12/06
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Point of Retreat (Slammed, #2)]]> 13496084 Hardships and heartache brought them together� now it will tear them apart.

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’]]> 230 Colleen Hoover Julia 3 young-adult 4.30 2012 Point of Retreat (Slammed, #2)
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Julia
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2013/01/09
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: young-adult
review:

]]> Slammed (Slammed, #1) 13372690
Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.]]> 317 Colleen Hoover Julia 3 young-adult 4.28 2012 Slammed (Slammed, #1)
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Julia
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2013/01/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: young-adult
review:

]]> Hopeless (Hopeless, #1) 15717943
That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.]]> 410 Colleen Hoover 1301949825 Julia 3 young-adult 4.26 2012 Hopeless (Hopeless, #1)
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Julia
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2013/01/10
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: young-adult
review:

]]> November 9 25111004 Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?]]> 310 Colleen Hoover 1501110349 Julia 2 4.10 2015 November 9
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Julia
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:

]]> Ugly Love 17788401
Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.]]> 330 Colleen Hoover Julia 2 romance 4.01 2014 Ugly Love
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Julia
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)]]> 27276318 Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up � she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating� rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan � her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.]]> 367 Colleen Hoover Julia 2 4.21 2016 It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Julia
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:

]]> Confess 22609310
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?]]> 306 Colleen Hoover 1476791457 Julia 3 young-adult 4.14 2015 Confess
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Julia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: young-adult
review:

]]> Silver in the Bone 198688520
" Simmering with magic, peril, romance, and heartbreak ." —Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shadow and Bone

Born without a trace of magic, Tamsin Lark is no match for the sorceresses and Hollowers who populate the magical underground of Boston. But when the only parent she’s ever known disappears without so much as a goodbye, she has no choice but to join in their cutthroat pursuit of enchanted relics to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.

Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian found a powerful ring from Arthurian legend just before he vanished. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring.

As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitorsin the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipers� nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother. . . .]]> 496 Alexandra Bracken 0593481682 Julia 3 3.82 2023 Silver in the Bone
author: Alexandra Bracken
name: Julia
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash, #6)]]> 58483123 And from the blood and ash, new gods will rise.

In the thrilling penultimate chapter of the viral BLOOD AND ASH series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout, Poppy and Casteel face their most perilous challenges yet as old enemies rise and ancient powers stir from their slumber.

Bound by love but driven by destiny, they must navigate a world on the brink of
devastation—where every choice has deadly consequences. With their bond tested and their future hanging in the balance, the fate of the realm rests on the strength of their hearts and the power of the Deminyen.]]> Jennifer L. Armentrout Julia 0 to-read 4.34 2025 The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash, #6)
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Julia
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Third Gilmore Girl 207298106 “Come for the Gilmore Girls anecdotes, stay for the revealing truths about what it takes to build a lifelong career in and out of Hollywood� (The A.V. Club) in this candid and captivating memoir from award-winning and beloved actress Kelly Bishop, spanning her six decades in show business from A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, Gilmore Girls, and much more.

Kelly Bishop’s long, storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing. But it is probably her iconic role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.

Now, Bishop reflects on her remarkable life and looks towards the future with The Third Gilmore Girl. She shares some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she’s learned on her journey. From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced—among them marching for women’s rights and losing her second husband to cancer—Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.

Full of witty insights, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and spirited memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades and has no plans on slowing down.]]> 256 Kelly Bishop 1668023776 Julia 5 4.35 2024 The Third Gilmore Girl
author: Kelly Bishop
name: Julia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves:
review:

]]> Hooked (Never After, #1) 58545703 From USA Today bestselling author Emily McIntire comes a dark and delicious fractured fairy tale reimagining of Peter Pan.

He wants revenge, but he wants her more�

James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s twenty-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.

Wendy has been cloistered away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows more heated and she learns more about the world he moves in, she finds herself unsure if she’s falling for the man known as James or the monster known as Hook.

Hooked is a dark contemporary romance and the first complete standalone in the Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. It is not a literal retelling and not fantasy. Hooked features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised. For all content warnings, check the author's website. ]]> 312 Emily McIntire 173750832X Julia 0 3.78 2021 Hooked (Never After, #1)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Julia
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hidden Huntress (The Malediction Trilogy, #2)]]> 21851568 Sometimes, one must accomplish the impossible.

Beneath the mountain, the king’s reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cécile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king’s power. Or his manipulation.

Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every night. But by day she searches for the witch who has eluded the trolls for five hundred years. Whether she succeeds or fails, the costs to those she cares about will be high.

To find Anushka, she must delve into magic that is both dark and deadly. But the witch is a clever creature. And Cécile might not just be the hunter. She might also be the hunted…]]> 464 Danielle L. Jensen 0857664727 Julia 2 3.83 2015 Hidden Huntress (The Malediction Trilogy, #2)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Julia
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)]]> 208841368 Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell's long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell's murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell's magic-and Emily's knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.
]]> 368 Heather Fawcett 0356519198 Julia 3 4.17 2025 Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Julia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)]]> 127305713
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe � a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution � who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch� is falling in love.]]> 406 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866901 Julia 4 4.16 2024 Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Julia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:

]]> The Nightingale 211003854 In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says good-bye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gaëtan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.]]> 448 Kristin Hannah 1250370116 Julia 0 to-read 4.74 2015 The Nightingale
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Julia
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Glow of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #2)]]> 124935969
The threat of war has arrived at Diem’s doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by forming a devil’s bargain with the people she hates most: the royal family of House Corbois.

But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realizes good and evil aren’t as simple as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.

Meanwhile, her mother is still missing, and the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored—and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.

War is coming, and dangerous enemies wait on all sides.. but the most deadly battle Diem faces may be the one for her heart.

Glow of the Everflame is the second book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 637 Penn Cole Julia 4 4.36 2023 Glow of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #2)
author: Penn Cole
name: Julia
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves:
review:

]]> Foxy Tales 61168411
A Charity Novella for The Fox Project Containing a Collection of Bonus POV Chapters By Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

PART ONE
ZODIAC ACADEMY 2: RUTHLESS FAE
DARIUS ALTERNATE POV POWER SHARING

PART TWO
ZODIAC ACADEMY 2: RUTHLESS FAE
ORION ALTERNATE POV THE SWIMMING POOL

PART THREE
ZODIAC ACADEMY 3: THE RECKONING
ORION ALTERNATE POV SEX ED CLASS

PART FOUR
ZODIAC ACADEMY 4: SHADOW PRINCESS
DARIUS ALTERNATE POV THE SHIMMERING SPRINGS

PART FIVE
KINGS OF QUARANTINE
BONUS EPILOGUE]]> 201 Caroline Peckham Julia 4 4.23 2022 Foxy Tales
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Julia
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves:
review:

]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Julia 4 4.19 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Julia
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves:
review:

]]> A Sea of Unspoken Things 207677131 A woman investigates her brother's mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow

The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’sdeep connection with her twin brother,Johnny,has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels.So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life.

When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settleher brother’saffairs,she’sforced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved.

But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.]]> 288 Adrienne Young 0593598709 Julia 3 3.72 2025 A Sea of Unspoken Things
author: Adrienne Young
name: Julia
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)]]> 212127083
In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn't much a girl wouldn't do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares... but it turns out they're real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist's magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he's the only way Saeris is going to make it home.]]> 588 Callie Hart Julia 3 4.35 2024 Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)
author: Callie Hart
name: Julia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #1)]]> 123471760 When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 438 Penn Cole Julia 4 4.20 2023 Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #1)
author: Penn Cole
name: Julia
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/13
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)]]> 16054217 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 561 Deborah Harkness 0670025593 Julia 4 4.15 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Julia
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/09/05
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The House at Watch Hill (The Watch Hill Trilogy, #1)]]> 199531757
Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.

Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.

Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd�

What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.]]> 384 Karen Marie Moning 0063249219 Julia 4 3.73 2024 The House at Watch Hill (The Watch Hill Trilogy, #1)
author: Karen Marie Moning
name: Julia
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy, #8)]]> 59808792 All stars must fall.

Bloody, lost, broken. We live to fight another day. But with so much stolen from us, can the fates ever twist in our favour again?

My sister and I have been torn apart by shadows and despair, and now we each stand alone.

Our sorrow is spun like a web, trapping us tight, and I fear our enemies will soon come to feast upon our souls.

But if I have my way, the merciless sky will have dealt us its final fortune. It’s time for us to take back the power that’s been ripped from our grasp and turn the tide of this war.

All stars must fall, and all Phoenixes must rise.

Long live the Savage Queens.

*This will now be book 8 of 9 in the series*

***This is a dark, bully romance � don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride***]]> 1242 Caroline Peckham Julia 4 4.03 2022 Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy, #8)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Julia
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy, #9)]]> 198954263 Orphans. Changelings. Princesses. Queens.
We are all and nothing now, our fate weighed on the scales of the stars and counterbalanced by the forces that oppose us. The shadow of the false king spreads as thick as oil across the kingdom we were born to rule, and none remain untouched by its darkness. Our crowns lay within reach if only we can claim them. All souls are at risk now and when the final battle dawns, a new regime will rise. The time for the true reckoning is upon us and we have proven ourselves as savage as our father, as brutal as our mother, and as wild as the Elements which roar through our veins. We can only hope it is enough. When the last sword strikes the final death in this game of fate and fortune, only one side will be victorious. The Starfall Legion charges at first light. And our destiny rides upon our shoulders as we rush into the end. All hail the True Queens. May our rule last longer than this night.

***This is a dark fantasy romance � don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride***]]> 1153 Caroline Peckham Julia 3 4.28 2024 Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy, #9)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Julia
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Games Gods Play (The Crucible, #1)]]> 197363933
I have never been favored by the gods. Far from it, thanks to Zeus.

Living as a cursed office clerk for the Order of Thieves, I just keep my head down and hope the capricious beings who rule from Olympus won’t notice me. Not an easy feat, given San Francisco is Zeus� patron city, but I make do. I survive. Until the night I tangle with a different god.

The worst god. Hades.

For the first time ever, the ruthless, mercurial King of the Underworld has entered the Crucible—the deadly contest the gods hold to determine a new ruler to sit on the throne of Olympus. But instead of fighting their own battles, the gods name mortals to compete in their stead.

So why in the Underworld did Hades choose me—a sarcastic nobody with a curse on her shoulders—as his champion? And why does my heart trip every time he says I’m his?

I don’t know if I’m a pawn, bait, or something else entirely to this dangerously tempting god. How can I, when he has more secrets than stars in the sky?

Because Hades is playing by his own rules…and Death will win at any cost.]]> 509 Abigail Owen 1649376561 Julia 0 to-read 4.10 2024 The Games Gods Play (The Crucible, #1)
author: Abigail Owen
name: Julia
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Court of Serpents and Secrets (The Shadow Bound Queen, #4)]]> 159498443
With the balance of power tipping, both Reyna and Mazrith will be forced to make choices. Save each other, or stop the monsters from ruling Yggdrasil.
But love can turn even the sanest crazy, and if they can’t save each other, they may just become the monsters that threaten their world.

This is the fourth and final book in the Shadow Bound Queen series, which is an adult fantasy romance inspired by Norse mythology. It is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, packed with magic, mystery and above all - delicious romantic tension.
*This blurb is as spoiler-free as possible!]]> 296 Eliza Raine Julia 0 to-read 4.06 Court of Serpents and Secrets (The Shadow Bound Queen, #4)
author: Eliza Raine
name: Julia
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet]]> 55145261 A deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as 'observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy', with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.]]> 304 John Green 0525555218 Julia 4 4.37 2021 The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
author: John Green
name: Julia
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/29
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fallen City (Fallen City Duology, #1)]]> 53403588 In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate's daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.

Luca Matius has one purpose—to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city's Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.

Maris Casoeria was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel's inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.

As a secret comes to light and throws the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris are thrown onto opposite sides of a holy war. As their fates diverge, they learn they are at the center of a story the gods are writing. And even if they can find their way back to each other, there may be nothing left.]]> 400 Adrienne Young Julia 0 to-read 4.58 2025 Fallen City (Fallen City Duology, #1)
author: Adrienne Young
name: Julia
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Broken Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, #4)]]> 57849125 This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B084TV5X6R

Me and my kings have come as close to breaking as I ever could have feared.

Just as we were finding a way to get past our difficulties, the stars have torn us apart. Can I fight against the will of the heavens or does fate have something unforeseen in store for me now?

While we'e reeling from the wheel of fate and trying to find a way to move on with our lives, our enemies are only growing more powerful.

Felix Oscura is haunting Alestria with his bloodthirsy need to steal the power of the clan he was never destined to rule over. And the illusive King is growing closer to their goal of taking control of the entire city and maybe even beyond.


With challenges around every corner and the mysteries behind my brother's death slowly starting to unravel, will I be able to piece everything together and find a way to overcome the will of the stars before it’s too late?]]> 664 Caroline Peckham Julia 3 4.35 2020 Broken Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, #4)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Julia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/14
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Warrior Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, #5)]]> 57849074
But now I’m held by the King I’ve been stalking in the shadows and when I unmask him, he’ll realise he made a huge mistake in taking my brother from this world.

My Kings are coming for me, I know that in my soul. They’re on their way to rip me from my enemy’s arms and tear him apart for me.

My heart beats to the sound of their names.

But I won’t wait around to be rescued. Everything has led me to this moment and I’m ready to destroy the Fae who stole my brother from me.

Secrets will be uncovered. Destiny will be decided. Death will deliver us all in the end.

No one will escape the conclusion of this story without blood on their hands. I guess it’s a good thing I’m a Vampire then, because I just so happen to have a taste for blood.

Start with series with book one, Dark Fae.]]> 680 Caroline Peckham Julia 3 4.37 2021 Warrior Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, #5)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Julia
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/22
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> The Female (The Female, #1) 61114243
Nobody knew why women are no longer being born, but it didn’t take long for men to grow restless and aggressive, hoarding any women they could find and claiming them as their own.

Parents began to hide their daughters, stowing their females underground to keep them safe.

Charlotte, despite her desire to leave, has accepted that she will live out her adult life within the walls of her parent’s home. Tucked away and hidden from the men who would tear her family and house apart to get her.

When the Seekers show up for a surprise raid, Charlotte is one of the unlucky women who are caught. Forced out of her home and thrown into a world that she has only experienced through stories from her parents, Charlotte must learn how to stay alive and serve the three powerful demons who have purchased her.]]> 405 Invi Wright Julia 0 to-read 3.75 2023 The Female (The Female, #1)
author: Invi Wright
name: Julia
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Nightbane (Lightlark, #2) 58410355 The seductive and action-packed follow-up to Alex Aster’s instant #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and internationally bestselling novel, Lightlark

Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers.

Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself struggling to win respect as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned.

As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart.

Alex Aster’s intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla’s memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates.]]> 432 Alex Aster Julia 2 4.11 2023 Nightbane (Lightlark, #2)
author: Alex Aster
name: Julia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/19
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves:
review:

]]> Heir (Heir Duology, #1) 206780522 An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.

And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she's willing to give up.

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives―and their hearts. Literally.]]> 484 Sabaa Tahir 0593616944 Julia 4 4.25 2024 Heir (Heir Duology, #1)
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Julia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom, #5)]]> 212101795
The Maridrinians left Ithicana in ruins and its people impoverished. So when the wealthy kingdom of Harendell claims her as a bride for its crown prince, Ahnna is prepared to do whatever it takes to gain influence as the future queen. And to control the gold that comes with the throne.

Yet Ahnna swiftly discovers that beneath the beautiful surface of Harendell's court is a dark underbelly built upon schemes, duplicity, and the pursuit of power. The only individual who holds himself above the politics is not her future husband, but his infuriating half brother, James. And as she begins to question whether Harendell is the ally it claims to be, Ahnna finds herself drawn into a forbidden attraction to the wrong prince.

As deadly plots tighten around her, Ahnna must decide whether saving her people will be achieved as a bride...or as a blade.]]> Danielle L. Jensen Julia 0 to-read 4.25 2025 The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom, #5)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Julia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Goldfinch (The Plated Prisoner, #6)]]> 200246606 The seductive and thrilling dark fantasy romance series comes to an end in this powerful finale.

One king caged my body.

Another has caged my mind.

War has broken out between Annwyn and Orea, though that’s not the only battle being waged.

There’s a fight inside me, and it’s one I’m determined to win, no matter how much they try to strip me down and hollow me out.

Yet they’ve forgotten one thing. The ancient magic of the pair bond. One can never truly be lost when two souls are already bound.

Because Slade and I? We are connected by more than just fated magic, and we will always find each other.

In any life.

The fae king is trying to destroy me. My heritage. My memory. But what he hasn’t realized is this: gold bends, but stone breaks.

And a Goldfinch does not fall.

It flies.

Please note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering. Full content list will be located inside the book, but it includes violence, death, adult language, and explicit romance. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.]]> 688 Raven Kennedy Julia 5 4.17 2024 Goldfinch (The Plated Prisoner, #6)
author: Raven Kennedy
name: Julia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement]]> 203956674 America’s favorite government teacher offers thrilling, heartfelt stories of ordinary American heroes.Most pundits and historians sell a dangerously naïve version of the American story—either praising its most consequential figures uncritically or criticizing them unfairly.Sharon McMahon believes the truth is more human. In her debut book The Small and the Mighty, she tells the inpiring stories of twelve Americans--regular people with human foibles--whose extraordinary heroism in the face of mounting trials created the character of our country.With the same clarity and candor that's earned her millions of fans, McMahon follows the daughter of formerly enslaved parents who sparked a reformation in Black education, a Japanese immigrant who nearly died in combat and became a consequential Senator, and even the electrician who saved her husband’s life. Her unforgettable prose and meticulous research tell the story of America from the perspective of the unsung heroes whose devotion to their country will restore your faith in the American dream.The portraits of our nation’s most improbable champions, innovators, and rebels in this book celebrate the United States and reveal our common humanity. The Small and the Mighty is the encouragement we all need in an age of doomscrolling and division.]]> 320 Sharon McMahon 0593541677 Julia 4 4.45 2024 The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement
author: Sharon McMahon
name: Julia
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/23
date added: 2024/10/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Born of Blood and Ash (Flesh and Fire, #4)]]> 196787830 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes the thrilling conclusion to her beloved Flesh and Fire series�

The line between love and obsession has never been wider.

While Sera is finally free of Kolis and back with those she loves, not everything is calm. Memories of all she’s endured still haunt her, but Sera finally has hope for a future with the other half of her heart and soul. Nyktos desires, loves, and accepts every part of her—even the monstrous bits she still battles.

More than ever, Sera and Ash have everything under the realms to fight for, and Nyktos has no doubt Sera is fit to be the Queen of the Gods. But she must find that faith within herself if they hope to convince the other Courts to support them against Kolis and make Iliseeum and the mortal realm better, safer places for all.

But as Sera begins to piece together the importance of her bloodline and the true meaning behind the foreboding prophecy, it becomes clear that everything that has happened and is yet to come is much bigger than Kolis and his dark obsessions.

They cannot help but wonder exactly how much influence the Fates have had and what their ultimate goal is. What Sera does know for sure is that they can trust very few—including her.

A battle between the gods is brewing, and heartbreaking losses are imminent with the true Primal of Death strengthening. With a family of the heart willing to battle by their side, can Sera and Nyktos stop Kolis before he destroys the realms, or will it all disappear in a fiery inferno of blood and ash?

And the line between justice and vengeance has never been so thin. ]]> 770 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1957568763 Julia 2 4.08 2024 Born of Blood and Ash (Flesh and Fire, #4)
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Julia
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/14
date added: 2024/10/14
shelves:
review:
I wanted to love this book. The first 2 books were amazing. Over half this book could have been cut out. The dialogue was sooooo drawn out. She’s needs a better editor.
]]> <![CDATA[Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)]]> 75513900 She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites� powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.]]> 523 Lauren Roberts Julia 3 4.17 2023 Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)
author: Lauren Roberts
name: Julia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/14
date added: 2024/10/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mistborn: The Final Empire (The Mistborn Saga, #1)]]> 60784489 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the first book in the wildly successful Mistborn trilogy, now in trade paperback.
For a thousand years, ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years, the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years, the Lord Ruler reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when all hope was lost, the scarred, heartbroken half-Skaa Kelsier found in himself the powers of a Mistborn.
A brilliant thief and natural leader, Kelsier recruits the underworld's smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, who each share one of his many powers and relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream: not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers that she’s never dreamed of.


Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson

The Cosmere

The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
Oathbringer
Dawnshard (Novella)
Rhythm of War

The Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages

Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of Mourning
The Lost Metal

Collection
Arcanum Unbounded

Other Cosmere novels
Elantris
Warbreaker

The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener's Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark Talent
Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians

The Rithmatist series
 The Rithmatist

Other books by Brandon Sanderson

The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity]]> 534 Brandon Sanderson 1250868289 Julia 0 to-read 4.55 2006 Mistborn: The Final Empire (The Mistborn Saga, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Julia
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Darkest Fire (Lords of the Underworld, #0.5)]]> 3375897 New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter has enthralled thousands of readers with her Lords of the Underworld series. Enter this darkly sensual world, where the line between good and evil blurs and true love is put to the ultimate test, in the series prequel novella, The Darkest Fire.

He is the guardian of hell, more monster than man. She is the goddess of oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a dangerous horde of demon lords—and discover a passion unlike any other�.

Don't miss this sizzling prequel to Gena Showalter's breathtaking paranormal series The Lords of the Underworld! Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive—and unimaginably powerful�.

"Showalter at her finest." -New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning on The Darkest Night

Discover The Darkest Night, the first novel in the Lords of the Underworld series. And look for the latest book in the series, The Darkest Seduction, available now.

]]> 82 Gena Showalter 1426817541 Julia 3 3.90 2008 The Darkest Fire (Lords of the Underworld, #0.5)
author: Gena Showalter
name: Julia
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Spark of the Everflame (The Kindred’s Curse Saga, #1)]]> 215697737 When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 416 Penn Cole 1668085720 Julia 0 to-read 4.20 2023 Spark of the Everflame (The Kindred’s Curse Saga, #1)
author: Penn Cole
name: Julia
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Husbands 193781998 An exuberant debut, The Husbands delights in how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options?

When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.

As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actuallyliving?]]> 352 Holly Gramazio 0385550618 Julia 2 3.50 2024 The Husbands
author: Holly Gramazio
name: Julia
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/22
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4)]]> 175404085 Imprisoned on the dreaded Devil's Island, Zarrah faces two prove her loyalty to the Empress who condemned her or die a traitor. Yet as she struggles to survive among violent prisoners, Zarrah uncovers a third a rebellion to overthrow tyranny entwined with a destiny she must fight to claim.
While the Empress plots a war with devastating consequences, Keris and Zarrah must find their way back to each other. Yet their greatest adversary is the fiery passion between them. Unless they overcome the bitterness of betrayal, their love will not be the bringer of peace but rather the fuel that turns the Endless War into an inferno.]]> 496 Danielle L. Jensen Julia 4 4.15 2023 The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Julia
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/20
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies, #1)]]> 22840421 This comical, fantastical, romantical, New York Times bestselling, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey is “an uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed� (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

Like that could go wrong.]]> 474 Cynthia Hand 0062391798 Julia 4 4.00 2016 My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies, #1)
author: Cynthia Hand
name: Julia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/13
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When Among Crows (Curse Bearer, #1)]]> 195790597 When Among Crows is swift and striking, drawing from the deep well of Slavic folklore and asking if redemption and atonement can be found in embracing what we most fear.

We bear the sword, and we bear the pain of the sword.

On Kupala Night, Dymitr arrives in Chicago’s monstrous, magical underworld with a perilous mission: pick the mythical fern flower and offer it to a cursed creature in exchange for help finding the legendary witch Baba Jaga.

Ala is a fear-eating zmora afflicted with a bloodline curse that’s slowly killing her. She's just desperate enough to say yes to Dymitr, even if she doesn’t know his motives.

Over the course of one night, Ala and Dymitr risk life and limb in search of Baba Jaga, and begin to build a tentative friendship. . . but when Ala finds out what Dymitr is hiding, it could destroy them both.]]> 166 Veronica Roth 1250855489 Julia 3 3.71 2024 When Among Crows (Curse Bearer, #1)
author: Veronica Roth
name: Julia
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/09
date added: 2024/08/09
shelves:
review:

]]> Before Green Gables 1137151 Anne of Green Gables was specially authorized by L.M. Montgomery's heirs to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of the original novel.

Before Green Gables is the story of Anne Shirley's life before her arrival at Green Gables-a heartwarming tale of a precocious child whose lively imagination and relentless spirit help her to overcome difficult circumstances and of a young girl's ability to love, learn, and above all, dream.

Published in 1908, L. M. Montgomery's coming-of-age classic Anne of Green Gables has enchanted generations of readers, both children, and adults. The story of the spunky red-haired orphan from Prince Edward Island is known to millions, and copies of the eight titles in the series have never gone out of print.

But when readers first meet Anne, she is eleven and has just been sent from an orphanage to meet her new family. No one ever learned the events of Anne's life before she arrived at Green Gables.

Until now.

For the millions of readers who devoured the Green Gables series, Before Green Gables is an irresistible treat; the account of how one of literature's most beloved heroines became the girl who captivated the world.]]> 387 Budge Wilson 039915468X Julia 4 3.95 2008 Before Green Gables
author: Budge Wilson
name: Julia
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/09
date added: 2024/08/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lord of the Vampires 4-in-1: The Darkest Angel\The Amazon's Curse\The Darkest Prison (Royal House of Shadows)]]> 12140060 Nicolai the vampire was renowned for his virility, but in a twist of fate, "the Dark Seducer" had become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remained was a primal need for freedom, revenge…and Jane Parker, the only woman who could help him rediscover his destiny.

]]> 408 Gena Showalter 1459212460 Julia 3 4.16 Lord of the Vampires 4-in-1: The Darkest Angel\The Amazon's Curse\The Darkest Prison (Royal House of Shadows)
author: Gena Showalter
name: Julia
average rating: 4.16
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Inkheart / Inkspell / Inkdeath (The Inkheart Trilogy #1-3)]]> 12758717 545 Cornelia Funke Julia 2 4.16 2008 Inkheart / Inkspell / Inkdeath (The Inkheart Trilogy #1-3)
author: Cornelia Funke
name: Julia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)]]> 12983100 Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?]]> 438 Susan Ee Julia 2 4.24 2013 World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)
author: Susan Ee
name: Julia
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2014/08/08
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> Ringer (Replica, #2) 30457727
In the world outside the Haven Institute, Lyra and Caelum are finding it hard to be human—and neither of them knows where they belong or who they can trust. When Caelum leaves without warning to pursue the dream of a place he belongs, Lyra follows him, convinced that together they will hunt down a cure for the illness that’s slowly consuming her mind. But what they uncover is a shocking connection to their past—even as their future seems in danger of collapsing.

After discovering the uncomfortable truth about her connection to the Haven Institute, Gemma struggles to return to her normal life. But when she learns that her controlling and powerful father has new plans for Lyra and Caelum, Gemma and her boyfriend, Pete, leave in the middle of the night to warn them of the danger they face.When an untimely accident derails them, they are mistaken for the escaped replicas and seized by strangers hired to capture them. The Haven Institute wasn’t destroyed after all, and now Gemma is the one behind the walls.

Lyra’s and Gemma’s stories can be read separately—with either story first—or in alternating chapters, but no matter which way you turn the book, the two distinct stories combine into one breathtaking experience for both heroines and readers alike.]]> 672 Lauren Oliver 1473615038 Julia 4 3.67 2017 Ringer (Replica, #2)
author: Lauren Oliver
name: Julia
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/05
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Accomplice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #3)]]> 188563996 336 Hannah Nicole Maehrer 1529917778 Julia 0 to-read 4.48 2025 Accomplice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #3)
author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
name: Julia
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2)]]> 203147386
Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs―Kingsley’s included―point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies...including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so…so…delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?]]> 368 Hannah Nicole Maehrer 1649377177 Julia 0 to-read 4.07 2024 Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2)
author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
name: Julia
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Assistant to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #1)]]> 123257687
ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer―naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain―and his entire nefarious empire―out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.]]> 342 Hannah Nicole Maehrer 1649375808 Julia 5 3.88 2023 Assistant to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #1)
author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
name: Julia
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/01
date added: 2024/08/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Long Live Evil (Time of Iron, #1)]]> 201626991
When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series.

She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale.

So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.

This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain's shoes, for an adventure that is both 'brilliant' (Holly Black) and 'supremely satisfying' (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue's gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.]]> 435 Sarah Rees Brennan 0316568716 Julia 0 to-read 3.87 2024 Long Live Evil (Time of Iron, #1)
author: Sarah Rees Brennan
name: Julia
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Black Bird Oracle (All Souls, #5)]]> 203518955 Diana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself—and her family history—in the highly anticipated fifth novel of the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling All Souls series.

Deborah Harkness first introduced the world to Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and witch, and vampire geneticist Matthew de Clairmont in A Discovery of Witches. Drawn to each other despite long-standing taboos, these two otherworldly beings found themselves at the center of a battle for a lost, enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Since then, they have fallen in love, traveled to Elizabethan England, dissolved the Covenant between the three species, and awoken the dark powers within Diana’s family line.

Now, Diana and Matthew receive a formal demand from the Congregation: They must test the magic of their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Rebecca. Concerned with their safety and desperate to avoid the same fate that led her parents to spellbind her, Diana decides to forge a different path for her family’s future and answers a message from a great-aunt she never knew existed, Gwyneth Proctor, whose invitation simply reads: It’s time you came home, Diana.

On the hallowed ground of Ravenswood, the Proctor family home, and under the tutelage of Gwyneth, a talented witch grounded in higher magic, a new era begins for Diana: a confrontation with her family’s dark past, and a reckoning for her own desire for even greater power—if she can let go, finally, of her fear of wielding it.]]> 444 Deborah Harkness 0593724771 Julia 5 3.96 2024 The Black Bird Oracle (All Souls, #5)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Julia
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/25
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves:
review:

]]> Taste: My Life Through Food 55360284
Before Stanley Tucci became a household name with The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, and the perfect Negroni, he grew up in an Italian American family that spent every night around the table. He shared the magic of those meals with us in The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table, and now he takes us beyond the recipes and into the stories behind them.

Taste is a reflection on the intersection of food and life, filled with anecdotes about growing up in Westchester, New York, preparing for and filming the foodie films Big Night and Julie & Julia, falling in love over dinner, and teaming up with his wife to create conversation-starting meals for their children. Each morsel of this gastronomic journey through good times and bad, five-star meals and burnt dishes, is as heartfelt and delicious as the last.

Written with Stanley's signature wry humour and nostalgia, Taste is a heartwarming read that will be irresistible for anyone who knows the power of a home-cooked meal.]]> 291 Stanley Tucci 1982168013 Julia 4 4.19 2021 Taste: My Life Through Food
author: Stanley Tucci
name: Julia
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/22
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Fablehaven (Fablehaven, #1) 44652 Trespassers will be turned to stone

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary is one of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite . . .

Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, powerful forces of evil are unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives, to save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world.]]> 351 Brandon Mull 1590385810 Julia 0 4.13 2006 Fablehaven (Fablehaven, #1)
author: Brandon Mull
name: Julia
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at: 2024/07/17
date added: 2024/07/17
shelves:
review:

]]> The Wall of Winnipeg and Me 64407796 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mariana Zapata’s most beloved book, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me—now with new exclusive content!

Vanessa Mazur refuses to feel bad for quitting—she knows she’s doing the right thing. The thankless job of personal assistant to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans for her life, and none of them include washing extra-large underwear one more day for a man who could never find it in him to tell her good morning, congratulate her on a job well done, or wish her a happy birthday—even when she was spending it working for him.

The legendary “Wall of Winnipeg� may be adored by thousands, but after two years Van has had enough.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door begging her to come back, she’s beyond shocked. Mr. Walled-Off Emotions is actually letting his guard down for once. And she’s even more dumbstruck when he explains that her job description is about to become even more outrageous: something that takes the “personal� in personal assistant to a whole new level.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?]]> 475 Mariana Zapata 0063325861 Julia 0 4.07 2016 The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
author: Mariana Zapata
name: Julia
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fate Breaker (Realm Breaker, #3)]]> 166999534 A dark fate descends. A shattered alliance must rise.

The Companions are torn apart and the realm hangs in the balance, at the edge of ruin. Taristan and Queen Erida rise triumphant from the battlefield, while Corayne barely escapes with her life; her Companions left behind to uncertain fates.

But not all hope was lost: Corayne managed to steal Taristan's Spindleblade.Without it, Taristan can’t rip open any more Spindles. Without it, he can’t end the world.

Now, from every corner of the realm, the Companions race to reunite while they rally old allies and seek unexpected new ones, in one final push against darkness.

But Taristan and Erida are all but invincible. With their cruel god, What Waits, on their side, they will sacrifice anything and anyone to his hunger.

Everything has come to this. In the final clash between good and evil, a ragged alliance makes its bravest stand against a ruthless enemy . . . and the demon god who would consume the realm entire.]]> 625 Victoria Aveyard 0063116065 Julia 4 4.14 2024 Fate Breaker (Realm Breaker, #3)
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: Julia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/10
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)]]> 202507554 moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths �
They’re too poisonous to swallow.

When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages. ]]> 718 Sarah A. Parker Julia 5 3.99 2024 When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)
author: Sarah A. Parker
name: Julia
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/10
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)]]> 31076583 229 Sarah J. Maas 168119631X Julia 2 3.77 2019 A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Julia
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/07/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Forging Silver into Stars (Forging Silver into Stars, #1)]]> 62847902
When Tycho, the King's Courier, arrives in the remote village of Briarlock, he wants only to escape the demands of his new life in the royal court, where magic reigns for the first time in ages. The last thing he expects is to fall for a handsome blacksmith with a bruised heart.

After years of toil under his father's cruel hand, Jax never dared to dream of a better life. When rumors of a rebellion reach their small forge, he begins to wonder if he'll even survive--until a magic-wielding young lord offers him an enticing escape.

Jax's best friend, Callyn, doesn't trust this mysterious new friend. Magic once killed her parents, and she would do anything to protect Jax. But when another powerful man arrives from the capital, seeking her help, Callyn will be forced to question everything she thought she knew about magic--and herself.

War is brewing. Love is blooming. And magic may doom--or save--them all . . .]]> 560 Brigid Kemmerer 1547613009 Julia 0 to-read 4.04 2022 Forging Silver into Stars (Forging Silver into Stars, #1)
author: Brigid Kemmerer
name: Julia
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles, #1)]]> 20759393 #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Arcana Chronicles, post-apocalyptic tales filled with riveting action, the dark mysticism of Tarot cards, and breathtaking romance.

She could save the world--or destroy it.
Sixteen year old Evangeline"Evie" Greene leads a charmed life--until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, killing everyone she loves, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future--and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.
With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally trust Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?
As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side...

In Poison Princess, New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces a dark and intriguing world, full of unspeakable danger and irresistible romance.]]> 369 Kresley Cole 1481426664 Julia 0 to-read 4.08 2012 Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles, #1)
author: Kresley Cole
name: Julia
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fear the Flames (Fear the Flames, #1)]]> 203956681 NATIONAL BESTSELLER � An exiled princess teams up with the last man she thought she could trust in the start of a dazzling and unforgettable epic fantasy romance series.

As a child, Elowen Atarah was ripped away from her dragons and imprisoned by her father, King Garrick of Imirath. Years later, Elowen is now a woman determined to free her dragons. Having established a secret kingdom of her own called Aestilian, she’s ready to do what’s necessary to save her people and seek vengeance. Even if that means having to align herself with the Commander of Vareveth, Cayden Veles, the most feared and dangerous man in all the kingdoms of Ravaryn.

Cayden is ruthless, lethal, and secretive, promising to help Elowen if she will stand with him and all of Vareveth in the pending war against Imirath. Despite their contrasting motives, Elowen can’t ignore their undeniable attraction as they combine their efforts and plot to infiltrate the impenetrable castle of Imirath to steal back her dragons and seek revenge on their common enemy.

As the world tries to keep them apart, the pull between Elowen and Cayden becomes impossible to resist. Working together with their crew over clandestine schemes, the threat of war looms, making the imminent heist to free her dragons their most dangerous adventure yet. But for Elowen, her vengeance is a promise signed in blood, and she’ll stop at nothing to see that promise through.

An immersive fantasy filled with a sizzling reluctant-allies-to-lovers romance, a world to get lost in, dangerous quests, dragon bonds, and an entertaining band of characters to root for, Fear the Flames marks the stunning debut of Olivia Rose Darling.]]> 384 Olivia Rose Darling 0593873890 Julia 0 to-read 3.77 2022 Fear the Flames (Fear the Flames, #1)
author: Olivia Rose Darling
name: Julia
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Fragile Enchantment 127305900 In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.]]> 373 Allison Saft 125089283X Julia 3 3.49 2024 A Fragile Enchantment
author: Allison Saft
name: Julia
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/25
date added: 2024/05/25
shelves:
review:

]]> Lucky Charm 205834524 “When we’re dating, you are mine. Even if it’s fake.�

I thought my luck was about to change when my best friend found me an apartment to sublet in the heart of Nashville, TN. As an aspiring singer, this is where I need to be in order to finally get discovered. I’m ready to start my new life until I discover my new neighbor is none other than Stone Walker.

Super Bowl winning, NFL receiver.

Stone cold fox.

My high school crush.

And my brother’s ex-best friend—emphasis on the ex.

I know I should probably tuck tail and run, but I don’t. If Stone can handle this new living arrangement then so can I. Besides, neighbors don’t have to talk to each other. Until my best friend comes up with a plan. I should fake date Stone. After all, I have the talent, the drive, and the music. All I need is the visibility.

And Stone has that in spades.

I thought he would reject the plan, but he’s surprisingly on board. Now he’s showing up at my gigs with flowers and kisses me until my head spins and my knees go weak. And when he scores a touchdown and dances just for me? I want this relationship to be real. But falling in love wasn’t part of the agreement. Stone walked way from our family once and I don’t think I’m strong enough for him to do it again.

Grab this football star/ upcoming singer romance and fall in love today!]]> 263 Anne-Marie Meyer 1963633016 Julia 0 to-read 3.53 Lucky Charm
author: Anne-Marie Meyer
name: Julia
average rating: 3.53
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Wall of Winnipeg and Me 29367958
But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?]]> 475 Mariana Zapata Julia 4 4.18 2016 The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
author: Mariana Zapata
name: Julia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/11
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, #3)]]> 25944798
With war on the horizon, Lia has no choice but to assume her role as First Daughter, as soldier—as leader. While she struggles to reach Morrighan and warn them, she finds herself at cross-purposes with Rafe and suspicious of Kaden, who has hunted her down.

In this conclusion to the Remnant Chronicles trilogy, traitors must be rooted out, sacrifices must be made, and impossible odds must be overcome as the future of every kingdom hangs in the balance.]]> 684 Mary E. Pearson 0805099255 Julia 0 to-read 4.14 2016 The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, #3)
author: Mary E. Pearson
name: Julia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles, #2)]]> 21569527
Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komisar that she has a magical gift, and the Komisar's interest in Lia is greater than either Kaden or Lia foresaw.

Meanwhile, the foundations of Lia's deeply-held beliefs are crumbling beneath her. Nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to her, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom she always believed to be barbarians but whom she now realizes are people who have been terribly brutalized by the kingdoms of Dalbreck and Morrighan. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her very sense of self, Lia will have to make powerful choices that affect her country, her people . . . and her own destiny.]]> 473 Mary E. Pearson 0805099247 Julia 0 to-read 4.17 2015 The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles, #2)
author: Mary E. Pearson
name: Julia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles, #1)]]> 16429619
On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her.Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

The Kiss of Deceptionis the first audiobook inMary E. Pearson's Remnant Chronicles]]> 492 Mary E. Pearson Julia 4 3.92 2014 The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles, #1)
author: Mary E. Pearson
name: Julia
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/10
date added: 2024/05/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Duke of Sin (Maiden Lane, #10)]]> 26804433 A MAN OF SIN

Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.

A WOMAN OF HONOR

Born a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke of Montgomery's household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers something far more dangerous.

A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY THEM BOTH

Astonished by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers, Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can't resist the slyly charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse, they soon realize that they both have secrets—and neither may be as nefarious—or as innocent—as they appear . . .]]> 338 Elizabeth Hoyt 1455539090 Julia 2 3.97 2016 Duke of Sin (Maiden Lane, #10)
author: Elizabeth Hoyt
name: Julia
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2024/05/08
date added: 2024/05/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Witch Hunter (The Witch Hunter, #1)]]> 18190208 The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.

Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.]]> 362 Virginia Boecker 031632700X Julia 3 young-adult 3.79 2015 The Witch Hunter (The Witch Hunter, #1)
author: Virginia Boecker
name: Julia
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/08/01
date added: 2024/05/05
shelves: young-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blade Breaker (Realm Breaker, #2)]]> 41398739 The fate of the world rests on a blade's edge.

Fighting beside her band of unlikely companions, Corayne is learning to embrace her ancient lineage and wield her father's powerful sword.

But while she successfully closed one of the Spindles, her journey is far from over.

Queen Erida's army marches across Allward with her consort, Taristan, right beside them, opening more portals into nightmarish worlds, razing kingdoms to the ground.

Corayne has no choice but to assemble an army of her own if she's to save the realm as she knows it. But perilous lands await her and the companions, and they face assassins, otherworldly beasts, and tempestuous seas all as they rally a divided Ward to fight behind them.

But Taristan has unleashed an evil far more wicked than his corpse armies. Something deadly waits in the shadows; something that might consume the world before there's any hope for victory.]]> 578 Victoria Aveyard 0062872664 Julia 4 3.95 2022 Blade Breaker (Realm Breaker, #2)
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: Julia
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/05/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker, #1)]]> 54513688 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B08CZHZSRW.
---
Save the world or end it.

A strange darkness is growing in the Ward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea.

Fate knocks on her door, in the form of a mythical immortal and a lethal assassin, who tell Corayne that she is the last of an ancient lineage—with the power to save the world from destruction.

Because a man who would burn kingdoms to the ground is raising an army unlike any seen before, bent on uprooting the foundations of the world. With poison in his heart and a stolen sword in his hand, he'll break the realm itself to claim it. And only Corayne can stop him.

Alongside an unlikely group of reluctant allies, Corayne finds herself on a desperate journey to complete an impossible task, with untold magic singing in her blood and the fate of the world on her shoulders.]]> 576 Victoria Aveyard Julia 3 3.57 2021 Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker, #1)
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: Julia
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/05/05
shelves:
review:

]]> Manacled 52122096
Fanfiction for Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling.
Words: 370,256]]> 925 SenLinYu Julia 4 4.64 2019 Manacled
author: SenLinYu
name: Julia
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/05
date added: 2024/05/05
shelves:
review:

]]> The Rest of the Story 75364705
I keep things simple. I’m a classic one-night wonder. Relationships? Are you out of your mind? No. No way. Not interested. My heart is vulcanized rubber, puck hard, and that’s the way I like it.

Then I'm traded to the absolute worst team in the NHL, the Rocky Mountain Outlaws, and I’m hit with a one-two punch.

First: I’m asked to step up and lead the team, which is every kind of bad idea you can imagine. I'm a head-down, mind-my-business kind of guy. Mr. Uninvolved, Mr. No, Not Me, Mr. Find Someone Else. But these players have been through a mess of hell, and someone thinks I can help pull them together.

The Outlaws are made up of jaded veterans and wide-eyed rookies, and we have no business whatsoever succeeding. We are scrappy and plucky and built out of spit and duct-tape� and whatever we’re doing, it’s working.

Second: The first day I’m in Boulder, I go over the boards and come face-to-face with a pair of blue eyes and lose my heart. Boy, howdy: meet my new co-captain, Shea Darling.

He’s way, way off-limits. It's a stratospherically terrible idea to want or crave him. This crush, this infatuation, is going nowhere fast.

Yeah, right. I’m gone for Shea. I’m head over heels, and I’m all tangled up in something I can’t understand or control. This isn’t me. I don’t fall in love. And there’s nothing simple about Shea, or about the Outlaws. This team is finally putting up the wins, and we are making something of ourselves. Falling for my co-captain while we’re on a Cinderella run could jeopardize everything we’re striving for.

But then there’s this one night.
And this one kiss.
And everything changes.

Eighty-two games in a season.
Twenty men hungry for redemption.
One co-captain who could be my forever.

This is the rest of the story.



The Rest of the Story is a friends-to-lovers, hockey players/teammates MM romance, and includes themes of survivorship.

The Rest of the Story is set in the same universe as Gravity , but each novel can be read independently. You do not need to read Gravity first to enjoy The Rest of the Story.]]> 419 Tal Bauer Julia 0 to-read 4.40 2023 The Rest of the Story
author: Tal Bauer
name: Julia
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)]]> 68428 What if the whole world were a dead, blasted wasteland?

Mistborn
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale-spinner and author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the prophesied hero failed to defeat the Dark Lord? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises that begins with the book in your hands. Fantasy will never be the same again.]]> 541 Brandon Sanderson Julia 0 to-read 4.48 2006 Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Julia
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Familiar 133286777 From the New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent, and creator of the Grishaverse series comes a highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family's social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.]]> 387 Leigh Bardugo 125088425X Julia 3 3.74 2024 The Familiar
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Julia
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/26
date added: 2024/04/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)]]> 58340706
Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King’s nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder…and guilty of high treason.

Together they must gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.]]> 399 Rachel Gillig 0316312487 Julia 5 4.26 2022 One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Julia
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/27
date added: 2024/04/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King, #2)]]> 63910262 In the luscious, dark sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must face the consequences of what she's wrought - perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching.

Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders.

If they are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom.

And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth's head. The Nightmare. And he's not eager to share any longer.]]> 437 Rachel Gillig 0356519503 Julia 4 4.39 2023 Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King, #2)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Julia
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/15
date added: 2024/04/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blade Breaker (Realm Breaker, #2)]]> 63876683 592 Victoria Aveyard 0062872672 Julia 4 3.98 2022 Blade Breaker (Realm Breaker, #2)
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: Julia
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/09
date added: 2024/04/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)]]> 26032825 Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.]]> 370 Holly Black 0316310271 Julia 4 4.01 2018 The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)
author: Holly Black
name: Julia
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/02/20
date added: 2024/04/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society]]> 39832183 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE ON NETFLIX - A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb...

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.]]> 291 Mary Ann Shaffer 1984801813 Julia 4 4.27 2008 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
author: Mary Ann Shaffer
name: Julia
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/29
date added: 2024/03/29
shelves:
review:

]]> I'm Glad My Mom Died 59364173
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,� eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?� She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly , she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!�), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.]]> 320 Jennette McCurdy Julia 4 4.45 2022 I'm Glad My Mom Died
author: Jennette McCurdy
name: Julia
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/25
date added: 2024/03/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Prisoner’s Throne (The Stolen Heir Duology, #2)]]> 61250159 An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame.

Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, Oak will have to decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign—even if it means ending Wren, too.
�

With a new war looming on the horizon and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. It’s just a question of whom he will doom.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.
]]> 359 Holly Black 0316592730 Julia 4 3.89 2024 The Prisoner’s Throne (The Stolen Heir Duology, #2)
author: Holly Black
name: Julia
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/21
date added: 2024/03/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Visions of Flesh and Blood: A Blood and Ash/Flesh and Fire Compendium (Blood and Ash, #5.5)]]> 63844859
Told from the point of view of Miss Willa herself, the compendium acts like research material but reads like a journal and cache of personal notes, allowing the reader to revisit the characters and history they so love yet view things in a different way.

VISIONS OF FLESH AND BLOOD by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any Blood and Ash/Flesh and Fire fan will enjoy.]]> 580 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1957568305 Julia 0 2.96 2024 Visions of Flesh and Blood: A Blood and Ash/Flesh and Fire Compendium (Blood and Ash, #5.5)
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Julia
average rating: 2.96
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/03/15
date added: 2024/03/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)]]> 165940202
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.]]> 419 Danielle L. Jensen 0593599837 Julia 4 3.91 2024 A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Julia
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/06
date added: 2024/03/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Nectar of the Wicked (Deadly Divine, #1)]]> 63308923
To find those who discarded me at birth, I must sneak into Faerie.

But my deceased guardian left more than scars upon my heart. Debts are owed to the madam at the Lair of Lust, and I’m forced to repay them.

My first client is a faerie king who offers to give me everything I’ve always wanted. The king will take me to Faerie if I make a blood vow to marry him. A collection of sweltering meetings fool me into believing his reasons for choosing me to be his queen—a changeling without so much as a name.

For upon my arrival in his kingdom, I receive the answers I’ve craved and the truth behind his motives.

My wonder and infatuation for the king and his wintry realm are snuffed by hatred and fear. Though loathing him is futile when venomous words and spiteful games only prove to excite him. Once again, I’m trapped. This time, with an enemy I cannot hide from. One with enough heat in his eyes to melt my resolve, and enough power at his frosted fingertips to accomplish his sinister goals.

To survive all I’ve discovered, not only will I need to unearth King Florian’s dead heart—I will need to guard my own before he tricks it, too.]]> 338 Ella Fields Julia 0 to-read 3.96 2023 Nectar of the Wicked (Deadly Divine, #1)
author: Ella Fields
name: Julia
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>