Tag: books

This week I am anticipating:

• 

• 

The Tyrant’s Tomb

The Trials of Apollo #4

by Rick Riordan
published on 24 September 2019

In his penultimate adventure, a devastated but determined Apollo travels to Camp Jupiter, where he must learn what it is to be a hero, or die trying.

It’s not easy being Apollo, especially when you’ve been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors. Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo’s aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperors Apollo has already faced.

I’m excited for Tyrant’s Tomb even though I never actually read the Trials of Apollo. It’s on my TBR list but it’s still pretty far down (I want to reread Heroes of Olympus before I start this series which is why I’m slightly reluctant). But of course, because this is still a Percy Jackson book, I will continue to anticipate it and the next book. In particular, this novel intrigues me and might even motivate me to start the series because I know many old characters will appear. I mean, just look at the US cover and see Reyna in all her glory, if that doesn’t inspire you (or well, me) to read the book IDK what will 😛

If you follow my blog, you’ll realize that I did not post a waiting on wednesday last week. I decided that it would be a biweekly (every 2 weeks) post instead since there are only so many books I can anticipate! I will of course post substitute these posts with others such as tags and challenges and the like!

My most anticipated book of the week is:

Capturing the Devil

Stalking Jack the Ripper #4

by Kerri Maniscalco
published on 10 September 2019

In the shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer—or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World’s Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they’ve heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him—and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device—is another.

Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end—together and in love—or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?

---

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! So I have to put out a disclaimer because I’ve only read the first book in full and browsed the 2nd and 3rd books. BUT I am still extremely excited for Book 4 because I am super invested in the main pairing aka Cressworth (the ship name for Audrey Rose and Thomas). They are such a good couple and they’ve been through so much so I can’t wait to read about their Happily Ever After (I hope they get it at least!)

When this book is out, I expect that I will try to read the series again and hopefully get to book 2 and 3. Even if I don’t, I would still read book 4 for closure. As someone who doesn’t like mystery novels much, I am hoping so desperately that I enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first one! Super excited for September already!

I’m really excited to share this book with you. I wanted to post this as my second waiting on wednesday post but the cover wasn’t released yet. I’m literally writing this review hours after it was revealed.

My most anticipated book of the week is:

House of Earth and Blood

Crescent City #1

by Sarah J. Maas
published on 28 January 2020

Half-Fae, half-human Bryce Quinlan loves her life. By day, she works for an antiquities dealer, selling barely legal magical artifacts, and by night, she parties with her friends, savouring every pleasure Lunathion—otherwise known as Crescent City— has to offer. But it all comes crumbling down when a ruthless murder shakes the very foundations of the city—and Bryce’s world.

Two years later, her job has become a dead end, and she now seeks only blissful oblivion in the city’s most notorious nightclubs. But when the murderer attacks again, Bryce finds herself dragged into the investigation and paired with an infamous Fallen angel whose own brutal past haunts his every step.

Hunt Athalar, personal assassin for the Archangels, wants nothing to do with Bryce Quinlan, despite being ordered to protect her. She stands for everything he once rebelled against and seems more interested in partying than solving the murder, no matter how close to home it might hit. But Hunt soon realizes there’s far more to Bryce than meets the eye—and that he’s going to have to find a way to work with her if they want to solve this case.

As Bryce and Hunt race to untangle the mystery, they have no way of knowing the threads they tug ripple through the underbelly of the city, across warring continents, and down to the darkest levels of Hel, where things that have been sleeping for millennia are beginning to stir…

---

I started reading Sarah’s books when she first published them in 2012 but I only truly delved into her writing in 2018 (after an extended reading slump). Having loved ACOTAR, I’m extremely excited for Crescent City. I really hope that it lives up to the hype that comes from being an SJM book!

How do I talk about a book that is this good? I actually had the fortune to read the ARC and I loved it so much that I’m still anticipating the day that I can hold a hardcopy of it!

So this week’s most anticipated read is:

Spin the Dawn

The Blood of Stars #1

by Elizabeth Lim
published on 9 July 2019

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

---

First of all, have you stared at that cover? I have – for a long long long time. It’s gorgeous and officially my favourite cover of the year. Nothing comes close.

Next, the premise of Project Runway meets Mulan, hi hello if that doesn’t interest you already what will? Fashion and female guts yes add that to be tbr pile immediately.

Lastly, Elizabeth Lim is a Chinese author and I definitely believe that diverse books matter. Read this novel to help her and the Asian book community, but also delve into a world rich with our culture and history. I promise you won’t regret it!

---

My full review of Spin the Dawn will be out when the book is officially published. Writing this blog post has convinced me that I should reread the novel all over again. I’ll let you know how it goes 🌸

I started my ‘Waiting on’ Wednesday series just a week ago. This week I decided to pick a more contemporary novel to introduce to you.

My most anticipated book of the week is:

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune

by Roselle Lim
published on 11 June 2019

Lush and visual, chock-full of delicious recipes, Roselle Lim’s magical debut novel is about food, heritage, and finding family in the most unexpected places.

At the news of her mother’s death, Natalie Tan returns home. The two women hadn’t spoken since Natalie left in anger seven years ago, when her mother refused to support her chosen career as a chef. Natalie is shocked to discover the vibrant neighborhood of San Francisco’s Chinatown that she remembers from her childhood is fading, with businesses failing and families moving out. She’s even more surprised to learn she has inherited her grandmother’s restaurant.

The neighborhood seer reads the restaurant’s fortune in the leaves: Natalie must cook three recipes from her grandmother’s cookbook to aid her struggling neighbors before the restaurant will succeed. Unfortunately, Natalie has no desire to help them try to turn things around–she resents the local shopkeepers for leaving her alone to take care of her agoraphobic mother when she was growing up. But with the support of a surprising new friend and a budding romance, Natalie starts to realize that maybe her neighbors really have been there for her all along.

---

I am particularly excited about this book because it is a diverse book that I can identify with. As someone who is Chinese, I can’t help but feel elated that a book written by a Chinese author, which explores my culture is being published. I hope everyone who reads the book learns more about Chinese food and people and its rich heritage. I will definitely pick it up as soon as it is published – just a few more days!