My #AsianLitBingo 2019 Reading Challenge TBR

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Titles marked with an asterisk (*) were gifted to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm signing up to take part in the #AsianLitBingo 2019 Reading Challenge, hosted by Lit Celebrasian. The aim is to read books featuring Asian main characters written by Asian authors, throughout May, which is Asian American Heritage Month in the US, and while doing so, complete a line on the bingo card.

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Review: Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman (#Ad)

I received this eProof for free from Ink Road Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Published: 4th April 2019 | Publisher: Ink Road Books | Source: Publisher
Akemi Dawn Bowman's Website

Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying. What to eat, where to go, who to love. But there's one thing she is sure of: she wants to spend her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea.

Then Lea dies in a car accident, and Rumi is sent to live with her aunt in Hawaii. Now, miles from home, Rumi struggles to navigate the loss of her sister, feeling abandoned by her mother, and the aching absence of music. With the help of the "boys next door", teenage surfer Kai, who doesn't take anything too seriously, and old George Watanabe, who succumbed to grief years ago, Rumi seeks her way back to music, and to write the song she and Lea never had the chance to finish.

With unflinching honesty, Summer Bird Blue explores big truths about insurmountable grief, unconditional love, and how to forgive even when it feels impossible. From Goodreads

Trigger Warnings: This book features death by car accident, familial death, grief, a panic attack, a heart attack, blood.

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The Tunnels Below Blog Tour - Nadine Wild-Palmer: The Books I Grew Up With

It's my stop on the blog tour for The Tunnels Below by Nadine Wild-Palmer, and I'm really excited to have debut UKMG author Nadine stopping by to share with us a guest post about the books she read when she was growing up.

The Books I Grew Up With

"It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like as long as somebody loves you." The Witches, Roald Dahl.

I still can’t read the closing chapters of Roald Dahl’s The Witches without bursting into tears. After all the thrilling, gorey adventures of in the story it’s the winding down of the closing chapters that still make my heart ache. A good book, a really good book, ends well. You can feel that it is finishing and that you have to say goodbye to characters you have spent several hours or days or, for me, in some cases years with and you are filled instantly with a feeling of nostalgia. The best writing will throw you right back to that place and the feelings you felt the first time you read it, if you were to open the book right here right now.

Continue reading The Tunnels Below Blog Tour - Nadine Wild-Palmer: The Books I Grew Up With

Once Upon a Retelling: Cassandra by Kathryn Gossow

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Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

Today, YA author Kathryn Gossow is stopping by to discuss her Greek myth retelling, Cassandra.

Can you tell us a little about Cassandra? What kind of a retelling of Greek myth of Cassandra is it?

Cassandra is inspired by the Greek myth of Cassandra, the princess of Troy who is given the gift of prophecy but is cursed to never be believed. She had a reputation for being quite mad but she saw every calamity that would fall on the Trojans, and her own violent death. It would be difficult to maintain your mental health under these circumstances.

Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: Cassandra by Kathryn Gossow

Review: Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence (#Ad)

I received this eProof for free from HarperVoyager via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence

Published: 4th April 2019 | Publisher: HarperVoyager | Source: Publisher
Mark Lawrence's Website

They came against her as a child. Now they face the woman.

The ice is advancing, the Corridor narrowing, and the empire is under siege from the Scithrowl in the east and the Durns in the west. Everywhere, the emperor’s armies are in retreat.

Nona faces the final challenges that must be overcome if she is to become a full sister in the order of her choice. But it seems unlikely that Nona and her friends will have time to earn a nun’s habit before war is on their doorstep.

Even a warrior like Nona cannot hope to turn the tide of war.

The shiphearts offer strength that she might use to protect those she loves, but it’s a power that corrupts. A final battle is coming in which she will be torn between friends, unable to save them all. A battle in which her own demons will try to unmake her.

A battle in which hearts will be broken, lovers lost, thrones burned. From Goodreads

My reviews of the Book of the Ancestory trilogy:
Red Sister | Grey Sister

WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.

Trigger Warnings: This book features war and descriptions of dead bodies.

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My #RamdadanReadathon 2019 TBR

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Titles marked with an asterisk (*) were gifted to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The #RamadanReadathon is back for the third year! Run by Nadia of Headscarves and Hardbacks, the #RamadanReadathon is a challenge to read only Muslim authors during the month of Ramadan - 6th May to 4th June! Check out the Twitter account for updates: @MuslimReadathon.

The Readathon is a little different this year, with a bingo board challenge based on the five pillars of Islam! For this challenge, I think I'll be going for the Salah/Prayer column/pillar, which means reading books that fit the following:

• Part of a Series - Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty*
• Free Space - The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah*
• Comtemporary Fiction - Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali
• Recently Bought/Released - Internment by Samira Ahmed*
• Number/Name in Title - The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

I have been really looking forward to the readathon this year, as due to prior blog commitments last year, I was only able to read one book. So I've been saving up quite a few books with the intention of reading them during the readathon - and I'm hoping to read more than five! As with other monthly reading challenges, due to my blogging schedule, the books aren't likely to be reviewed on the blog during Ramadan, but they will be reviewed on Goodreads, and I will be tweeting about them.

Here are all the books I have saved up to read! I may not get to them all, but I love that I have such a wide range of stories!

Continue reading My #RamdadanReadathon 2019 TBR

Once Upon a Retelling: The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters

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Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

Today, I'm stoked to have Cat Winters stopping by the blog to discuss her fantasy retelling of the life Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven's Tale.

Can you tell us a little about The Raven’s Tale? What kind of a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s life is it?

THE RAVEN’S TALE focuses on the events of Edgar Allan Poe’s life between February 1826 and April 1827, when he was 17 and 18 years old. The novel opens when young “Eddy” is preparing to escape his difficult home life and head to the prestigious University of Virginia. I’ve stuck closely to the historical details of Poe’s real life and populated the book with his family members, friends, and classmates. However, half of the chapters are narrated by young Poe’s burgeoning Gothic muse, so you’ll find fantasy intertwined with reality in my interpretation of the legendary author’s teen years.

Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters

Review: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (#Ad)

I was sent this proof for free by Bloomsbury for the purposes of providing an honest review.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Published: 26th February 2019 | Publisher: Bloomsbury | Source: Publisher
Samantha Shannon on Twitter

A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep. From Goodreads.

Trigger Warnings: Death by earthquake, infertility, suicide ideation, dead bodies, discussion of suicide, and miscarriage.

Continue reading Review: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (#Ad)

White Authors, Stop Writing Cultural Appropriation

Trigger Warning: Racism and cultural appropriation.

There is something that I need to address. Something I can't ignore. I've talked about it on Twitter, but I need to talk about it here, too. White authors need to stay the hell away from the stories of people of colour.

There has been another controversy in the YA world over the last few days, surrounding The Hand, the Eye and the Heart by Zoë Marriott. It's a retelling of Mulan, set in China, with a nonbinary main character. People have spoken up about this, about how this book is harmful and offensive. How a white author has taken a story belonging to people of colour for herself, again, when there are so few chances for people of colour to tell their own stories. There have been white tears and white fragility, and a fellow white author being outright racist. And it's absolutely disgusting.

Continue reading White Authors, Stop Writing Cultural Appropriation

My Aro Ace April Reading Challenge TBR

Ad: Titles marked with an asterisk (*) were gifted to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

After the success of F/F February, Ellie of Fae on the Shelf and Imi of Imi Reviews Books are back this month with another month long reading challenge - Aro Ace April. Following a similar set-up as F/F February, the aim is to read books featuring aromantic and/or asexual representation. There is a bingo card to complete, with bingo giving you an entry into their giveaway, and a photo challenge for Instagram! And you can check out Ellie's list of recommendations for the challenge, too.

I really enjoyed F/F February, so I'll be taking part again this month! Again, due to my blogging schedule, the books won't be reviewed on the blog until May, but I will be tweeting about them! But I wanted to share my TBR to help promote the reading challenge, and to maybe give you some ideas of what you can read if you take part. On to my my TBR!

Continue reading My Aro Ace April Reading Challenge TBR

Once Upon a Retelling: The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews

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Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

I am so very, very excited to have C. G. Drews (aka Cait of Paper Fury!) stopping by the blog today to discuss her Goldilocks and the Three Bears retelling, The Boy Who Steals Houses.

Can you tell us a little about The Boy Who Steal Houses? What kind of a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is it?

The Boy Who Steals Houses is a reimagining of Goldilocks in a contemporary setting and it’s by the perspective of a boy instead of a female Goldilocks. It was really fun to take the bare bones of the original tale and fit them into a modern setting.

Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews

Review: In the Vanishers' Palace by Aliette de Bodard

In the Vanishers' Palace by Aliette de Bodard

Published: 16th October 2019 | Publisher: JABberwocky Literary Agency | Source: Bought
Aliette de Bodard's Website

In a ruined, devastated world, where the earth is poisoned and beings of nightmares roam the land...

A woman, betrayed, terrified, sold into indenture to pay her village's debts and struggling to survive in a spirit world.

A dragon, among the last of her kind, cold and aloof but desperately trying to make a difference.

When failed scholar Yên is sold to Vu Côn, one of the last dragons walking the earth, she expects to be tortured or killed for Vu Côn's amusement. But Vu Côn, it turns out, has a use for Yên: she needs a scholar to tutor her two unruly children. She takes Yên back to her home, a vast, vertiginous palace-prison where every door can lead to death. Vu Côn seems stern and unbending, but as the days pass Yên comes to see her kinder and caring side. She finds herself dangerously attracted to the dragon who is her master and jailer. In the end, Yên will have to decide where her own happiness lies—and whether it will survive the revelation of Vu Côn’s dark, unspeakable secrets... From Goodreads

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A Novel Cover Up: The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews

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A Novel Cover Up is a semi-regular feature that looks at how covers are designed. I have been fortunate enough to interview cover designer Thy Bui about how she designed the cover for The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews for my stop on the blog tour!. All images in this post are copyrighted to Thy Bui and used with permission. They can be clicked to be enlarged.

Can you tell us about the cover for The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews? What do you hope it tells readers about the story?

The Boy Who Steals Houses is an emotional story about a boy and his search for a home and a place to belong. The main character is key in the book and I wanted to capture the emotion and that sense of loneliness and abandonment he feels.

Continue reading A Novel Cover Up: The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews

Once Upon a Retelling: White Rose by Kip Wilson

Welcome to Once Upon a Retelling! I'm a huge fan of retellings, and I'm really interested in hearing about authors' own love of the original stories, and what inspired them to retell those stories. And so Once Upon a Retelling was born, a feature in which I interview authors about their versions of well-loved tales.

Today, I'm really excited to have Kip Wilson stopping by the blog to talk about her retelling of the life of Sophie Scholl, White Rose.

Can you tell us a little about White Rose? What kind of a retelling of Sophie Scholl’s life is it?

Most of the books available about Sophie Scholl are either biographies that cover her entire life or non-fiction about the White Rose resistance group in general, and furthermore, most of them are in German. I personally love non-fiction and biographies, but I find both verse and first-person retellings more engaging, so that’s why I decided to focus White Rose on Sophie’s young adulthood in very close first-person verse (and in English, which is my native language).

Continue reading Once Upon a Retelling: White Rose by Kip Wilson

Review: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Published: 31st December 2018 | Publisher: Flatiron Books | Source: Bought
Melissa Bashardoust's Website

Sixteen-year-old Mina is motherless, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone--has never beat at all, in fact, but she'd always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king's heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she'll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen's image, at her father's order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do--and who to be--to win back the only mother she's ever known...or else defeat her once and for all.

Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything--unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story. From Goodreads
Trigger Warning: This book features child abuse; neglect, lack of love, manipulation, verbal abuse.

Continue reading Review: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust