Goodreads Monday – Page 10 – The Bookish Mutant

Goodreads Monday (12/2/19)–Perfectly Preventable Deaths

Posted on December 3, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles, and happy December as well!

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Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

Another addition to Goodreads’ merciless onslaught of recommendations, Perfectly Preventable Deaths seemed like an intriguing, witchy read; not very fitting for the oncoming holiday season, but who’s paying attention to that?

So, without further ado, here’s this week’s Goodreads Monday!

GOODREADS MONDAY (12/2/19)–PERFECTLY PREVENTABLE DEATHS by Deidre Sullivan

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Blurb from Goodreads:

Everyone in Ballyfran has a secret, and that is what binds them together…

Fifteen-year-old twins Madeline and Catlin move to a new life in Ballyfran, a strange isolated town, a place where, for the last sixty years, teenage girls have gone missing in the surrounding mountains.

As distance grows between the twins – as Catlin falls in love, and Madeline begins to understand her own nascent witchcraft – Madeline discovers that Ballyfrann is a place full of predators. Not only foxes, owls and crows, but also supernatural beings who for many generations have congregated here to escape persecution. When Catlin falls into the gravest danger of all, Madeline must ask herself who she really is, and who she wants to be – or rather, who she might have to become to save her sister.

Dark and otherworldly, this is an enthralling story about the bond between sisters and the sacrifices we make for those we care about the most. For fans of Frances Hardinge and Laure Eve.

So why do I want to read this?

First and foremost…this is rather petty, but it’s always kind of fun to find a character that shares a name with you (that, in my case, isn’t a certain children’s book character). 😜

Secondly, the description is vague enough that I’ll either a) I won’t see the plot twist coming (👍) or b) there’ll be no sense of story (👎). The concept of these “supernatural beings” flocking to the island to escape persecution does sound fascinating, and I’m interested to see how they come into play. All in all, I’ll hoping that it’ll at least be a decent tale of sisterhood, witchcraft, and the supernatural. Though…oh man, the “for fans of Frances Hardinge” worries me a bit. I’ve often found her literature to have incredible concepts, but executed in a drawn-out and boring manner. Fingers crossed that Perfectly Preventable Deaths won’t be the same.

Have a lovely rest of your day, and stay tuned for more content later in the week!

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Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (11/25/19)–The Space Between

Posted on November 25, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

Whew…Goodreads has been piling on the recommendations lately, so I’ve got lots of content for many Goodreads Mondays to come. Among them were an influx of LGBTQ+ books, which I am SO glad to see pop up in my recommendations! The Space Between happens to be one of them, so here goes nothing…

Alright, let’s start the week off right…

GOODREADS MONDAY (11/25/19)–THE SPACE BETWEEN by Michelle L. Teichman

Blurb from Goodreads:

Everything’s great for Harper Isabelle, the most popular girl in grade nine. That is, until she meets Sarah Jamieson.

Sarah is a reclusive artist, a loner who wears black makeup and doesn’t have any friends, but for some reason, Harper can’t stop thinking about her.
Sarah isn’t used to people looking her way, especially popular girls like Harper Isabelle. Scared, religious, and unsure of herself, when Sarah begins to realize that her feelings for Harper might go beyond friendship, she is afraid to take the plunge and tell Harper how she feels.

Emotions build between these young women until they both reach their breaking points, and they need to make a choice about coming to terms with who they really are, and what they can and cannot live without.

So why do I want to read this?

Not only does The Space Between explore the complications of relationships in high school, it seems like it also explores the pressures put on some of the more popular kids to be “perfect” (and by perfect, I mean a “good, straight girl”). Additionally, there’s the initial fear of going into a sapphic relationship, knowing that everyone is watching.

I’m so excited to see a lesbian relationship, and my fingers are tightly crossed that it’s executed well. It’s beautiful to see how far we’ve come in terms of LGBTQ+ representation in literature in the last decade; we still have a long way to go, but it’s certainly the best that it’s ever been. What a time to be alive, folks.

I hope you’re having a wonderful day, and stay tuned for more content later this week!

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Books, Geeky Stuff, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (11/18/19)–Breakfast Served Anytime

Posted on November 19, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

This one’s been on my TBR for exactly two years, and I forgot it until about last week, when I started riffling through said TBR for ideas for this post. I now have it on hold at the library; it seems like a quirky, contemporary, coming-of-age novel!

Let’s start this week off on a positive note…without further ado, this week’s Goodreads Monday!

GOODREADS MONDAY (11/18/19)–BREAKFAST SERVED ANYTIME by Sarah Combs

Blurb from Goodreads:

A coming-of-age debut evokes the bittersweet joys and pangs of finding independence in one unforgettable summer away at “geek camp.”

When Gloria sets out to spend the summer before her senior year at a camp for gifted and talented students, she doesn’t know quite what to expect. Fresh from the heartache of losing her grandmother and missing her best friend, Gloria resolves to make the best of her new circumstances. But some things are proving to be more challenging than she expected. Like the series of mysterious clues left by a certain Professor X before he even shows up to teach his class, Secrets of the Written Word. Or the very sweet, but very conservative, roommate whose coal-industry family champions mountaintop removal. Not to mention the obnoxious Mason, who dresses like the Mad Hatter and immediately gets on Gloria’s nerves — but somehow won’t escape her thoughts.

Beautifully told by debut author Sarah Combs, this honest and touching story of growing up is imbued with the serene atmosphere of Kentucky’s natural landscape.

So why do I want to read this?

First off, I’m glad that Breakfast Served Anytime seems to be a novel about self-discovery, but without the romance aspect at the forefront. I’m not opposed to romance, but as I said in Goodreads Monday (9/9/19)-Loveless: WOMEN 👏 CAN 👏 DISCOVER 👏 THEMSELVES 👏 WITHOUT 👏 A 👏 MAN 👏

Other than that, most of the concepts and plot points in here seem to be pretty intriguing, what with Gloria trying to find her way amongst fellow outsiders, and navigating her own loss and heartache. Plus, you know I’m here for these X-Men references…

I’ve got it on hold at the library at the moment, and it should be arriving in the next week or so. Fingers crossed that it’ll be worth it, and that, again, 2017 Madeline won’t fail me. [locks eyes with self from two years ago]

Have a wonderful rest of your day, and stay tuned for more content later this week!

Oh, and just so you know, I won’t be able to write a Book Review Tuesday, because I’ll be going to another concert (Wilco!), and will be arriving home at a pretty late hour. I’ll try to compensate with more tags later this week. 😉

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Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (11/11/19)–The Orphan Queen

Posted on November 12, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, fellow bibliophiles!

I’d like to take a moment before we begin on this Veteran’s Day just to honor those who served. Thank you for putting your lives on the line for the greater good of your country. ❤️

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

Whew, I just checked, and I’ve had this one on my Goodreads TBR for two years…man, I really do need to clean out my TBR…

Let’s ignore that for now, though. Though I feel as though I may have enjoyed it more at a time sooner to when I put it on my TBR, The Orphan Queen sounds like a halfway-decent fantasy, at best.

Here goes nothing…let’s get this week started, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (11/11/19)–THE ORPHAN QUEEN by Jodi Meadows

Blurb from Goodreads:

Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

So why do I want to read this?

Hmm. I could go with this.

I have almost all of Jodi Meadows’ works on my TBR (The Newsoul Trilogy and the Fallen Isles series), so it seems that she isn’t producing so much work for nothing–she has to be a pretty talented writer. And I’m willing to bet that she is. Fingers crossed, anyway. Could be garbage, for all I know. Oh, the bookworm’s gambit…

Anyway, I’m intrigued by the concept of the Ospreys; if done well, it could create some amazing character chemistry. And though I’ve seen ideas/creatures similar to what the Wraith seems to be in what both fantasy and science fiction, I’m willing to jump in and see how Meadows executes it.

Either way, fingers crossed that this won’t be a waste of my time. Again, bookworm’s gambit. I hope you weren’t too wrong about this one, 2017 self. [opens an ambiguous time portal and fist bumps 2017 Madeline]

I hope you enjoyed this post! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and stay tuned for more content this week!

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Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (11/4/19)–Glitch

Posted on November 5, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy November, fellow bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

As with most of the novels beyond the first five or so pages of my TBR (it’s piled into the hundreds over the past few years…whoops…), I’d completely forgotten about the existence of Glitch. The reviews seem semi-polarizing, and it’s from the era where everybody hung off the back of Suzanne Collins’ massive bandwagon (thank God those days are over…mostly…), so I’m not sure if I’ll keep this one.

Whether or not that’s going to happen, I’ll go ahead and give you all the rundown. Let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (11/4/19)–GLITCH by Heather Anastasiu

Blurb from Goodreads:

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

So why do I want to read this?

I put this on my TBR over a year ago, definitely at a stage where I hadn’t become quite so jaded with all of the “dystopia devoid of all independent thought” trope that has plagued the YA genre for almost a decade. The cover’s gorgeous and beautifully designed, no doubt, but judging from some of the reviews, this seems to be the bait that ultimately hooked several readers into eating a fish that gave them food poisoning the following night.

Glitch seems to have been written earlier in the Dystopian YA era, so perhaps there’s a glimmer of hope for some originality. At the same time, though, we’ve got the classic, overdone tropes all laid out: a “special girl” with INDEPENDENT THOUGHT (gasp) and POWERS (another gasp), who has to fight against a UNIFORM SOCIETY and CONTROL SAID SPECIAL POWERS.

Now where have I heard that before? Oh, that’s right, everywhere.

Okay, maybe I’m being a little harsh, but I’m kind of sick of this kind of book. If done well, as people like Suzanne Collins and Marie Lu have done, it could be amazing. If not, well…it’s almost guranteed that it’ll be a steaming pile of unoriginality. I might have to oust this bad boy from my TBR. Sigh. I need to clean it out, anyway.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this meme, bibliophiles! Stay tuned tomorrow for a Book Review Tuesday, and more content later in the week!

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Book Tags, Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (10/28/19)-Forest of Souls

Posted on October 28, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey again, fellow bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

I’d completely forgotten about this one (which goes for most of the books on my TBR at the moment, but hey), but…MAN, THAT COVER…and most everything else about it…

Alright, let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (10/28/19)–FOREST OF SOULS by Lori M. Lee

Blurb from Goodreads:

Danger lurks within the roots of Forest of Souls, an epic, unrelenting tale of destiny and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Susan Dennard.

Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

Unveiled as the first lightwender in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a lightwender can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

So why do I want to read this?

Weeeeeell…I won’t be able to read it for a while, as it doesn’t come out until summer of 2020, but anyway.

Other than the absolutely stunning cover, I’m pretty interested to see how Forest of Souls handles the necromantic elements of the plot. If done well (as in Reign of the Fallen), I think it would be an absolutely enchanting read. Also, I’m really intrigued to see how this Spider King character is executed. I’m kind of hoping that he’s actually some sort of vaguely arachnid creature (as opposed to the “Spider” part just being a moniker); It always disappoints me when villains have ominous and promising names, but then just turn out to be…I dunno, skinny dudes in fur coats, or something. (coughcoughFOXHEARTcoughcoughcough)

Anyway, if all goes right, I’m really excited to see how this turns out!

Stay tuned for a fittingly spooky Book Review Tuesday tomorrow!

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Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (10/21/19)–The Devil’s Revolver

Posted on October 21, 2019November 8, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hi again, fellow bibliophiles! 😀

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

Without further ado, let’s begin?

GOODREADS MONDAY (10/21/19)–THE DEVIL’S REVOLVER by V.S. Grath

Blurb from Goodreads:

She is Hettie Alabama — unlikely, scarred, single-minded, and blood bound to a revolver forged by a demon.

The first book in an epic, magic-clad series featuring the Wild West reimagined as a crosscultural stereoscope of interdimensional magic and hardship, The Devil’s Revolver opens with a shooting competition and takes off across the landscape after a brutal double murder and kidnapping — to which revenge is the only answer. Hettie Alabama, only seventeen years old, leads her crew of underdogs with her father’s cursed revolver, magicked to take a year off her life each time she fires it. It’s no way for a ranch girl to grow up, but grow up she does, her scars and determination to rescue her vulnerable younger sister deepening with every year of life she loses.

A sweeping and high-stakes saga that gilds familiar Western adventure with powerful magic and panoramic fantasy, The Devil’s Revolver is the last word and the blackest hat in the Weird West.

So why do I want to read this?

I forget exactly what book it was that I read that made Goodreads recommend this one. I’m usually not one for historical fiction (I Capture the Castle and Like a Love Story are some of the rare exceptions), but the twist of magic hooked me in. I’m really interested to see how McGrath executes the concept of this cursed revolver; if done right, I’ll be head-over-heels in love with this concept. And if you’ve gotten to know my taste in books, you know I’m all for a scrappy crew of misfits and underdogs.

It looks like The Devil’s Revolver is only available on Kindle and in paperback (more of an indie publisher, I think), so hopefully I can get it on my Kindle one of these days. If all goes as planned, this one looks like it’ll be a wild ride.

Thank you so much for reading this post! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (10/14/19)–The Cerulean

Posted on October 14, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hi again, fellow bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. It’s simple: all you have to do is pick a book off of your Goodreads TBR list, and explain why you want to read it.

This one seems to have been getting a lot of hype, and the premise seems pretty interesting. I’m hoping it doesn’t disappoint, but only time will tell…

Without further ado, let’s begin this week with Goodreads Monday!

GOODREADS MONDAY (10/14/19)-THE CERULEAN by Amy Ewing

Blurb from Goodreads:

Sera has always felt as if she didn’t belong among her people, the Cerulean. She is curious about everything and can’t stop questioning her three mothers, her best friend, Leela, and even the High Priestess. Sera has longed for the day when the tether that connects her City Above the Sky to the earthly world below finally severs and sends the Cerulean to a new planet.

But when Sera is chosen as the sacrifice to break the tether, she doesn’t know what to feel. To save her City, Sera must throw herself from its edge and end her own life. But something goes wrong and she survives the fall, landing in a place called Kaolin. She has heard tales about the humans there, and soon learns that the dangers her mothers warned her of are real. If Sera has any hope to return to her City, she’ll have to find the magic within herself to survive.

So why do I want to read this?

If anything, I’m hoping that The Cerulean will be an interesting blend of sci-f9fantasy, at best. It seems like it could easily swerve into tropey, chosen-one territory, but I have faith that, at least, this will be a story of a young woman’s perserverance. The cover looks…okay, not going to lie here, it’s gorgeous. And Goodreads has it shelved as LGBT, soooo…🤞

To be honest, I’d forgotten that I’d shelved The Cerulean on my TBR, so I’ll have to see if it’s available at the library. Again…🤞

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful day, and stay tuned for Book Review Tuesday tomorrow, and some book tags later in the week!

Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (10/7/19)-Under the Dusty Moon

Posted on October 7, 2019October 7, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. If you want to participate, it’s simple: just pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

I’ve started to do a (safe and bookish) version of Russian Roulette when it comes to these TBR picks. My list grows longer every day, and as a result, I often forget hundreds (yes, hundreds) of books that pile up on my TBR. This was one of them…hopefully it’ll be good!

Without further ado, let’s begin!

GOODREADS MONDAY (10/7/19)–UNDER THE DUSTY MOON by Suzanne Sutherland

Blurb from Goodreads:

She’s with the band, whether she likes it or not.

Victoria Mahler is the sixteen-year-old only daughter of rocker Micky Wayne, whose band, Dusty Moon, took the world by storm when Micky was just a teenager. The band broke up under mysterious circumstances, but, after years spent off the road being a mom, Micky’s solo career is finally starting to take off.

When an offer to tour Japan falls into her mom’s lap, Vic is left to spend the summer under the care of her distant grandmother, and without her built-in best friend. Fortunately, a boy with a secret geek side and a group of feminist game-makers save the season, and Vic starts to see herself as her own person, out from under her mother’s shadow.

But when Micky finally comes home — with a poorly chosen boyfriend in tow — all bets are off. Will Vic be able to maintain her newfound sense of self amidst the building thunder of Micky’s second chance at stardom? And through it all, will Micky still really be her best friend?

So why do I want to read this?

If done well enough, I thoroughly enjoy contemporary novels involving music. As some of you have gathered, I’m almost as big of a music nerd as I am a book nerd, so when a well-done, music-centric novel comes along, I’m sure to be engaged.

From what I’ve gathered, it seems similar to Sarah Nicole Smetana’s The Midnights, which I found to be fairly well-written and executed. The lowish rating on Goodreads worries me slightly (3.07/5), but hey, don’t judge a book by it’s rating. I mean, Spare and Found Parts has a 3.53, and I’d give it all the stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Anyway, that was a little off-topic. Essentially, what I’m hoping for in Under the Dusty Moon is a solid and emotional novel, with as many highs and lows as your favorite rock song.

Thank you so much for reading! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourselves! Stay tuned for a Book Review Tuesday tomorrow, and some more book tags to come! 😉

Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (9/30/19)–Sawkill Girls

Posted on September 30, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, everyone! September’s almost over…but SPOOKY TIME COMMENCES TOMORROW! REJOICE!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme started by Lauren’s Page Turners ; all you need to do to participate is to pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and tell everyone why you want to read it. 🙂

Without further ado, let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (9/30/19)–SAWKILL GIRLS by Clare Legrand

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Blurb from Goodreads:

Beware of the woods and the dark, dank deep.

He’ll follow you home, and he won’t let you sleep.

Who are the Sawkill Girls?

Marion: the new girl. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.

Zoey: the pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.

Val: the queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives, a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.

Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires.

Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now.

So why do I want to read this?

I’ve been an on-and-off fan of Clare Legrand’s for a while; I loved Some Kind of Happiness (read my review here) and The Year of Shadows, though I wasn’t crazy about Foxheart. I figured that Clare Legrand’s creepy prose would be absolutely haunting in a YA format, so naturally, I’ve been wanting to read this for a while. It’s had the dreaded ‘All Copies in Use’ marker on my library’s website for months [single tear slides down cheek], so I haven’t been able to read it. Hopefully my luck will change soon.

I’ve also heard Sawkill Girls compared to Stranger Things, which is one of my FAVORITE SHOWS, so I’m really hoping this one won’t disappoint.

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Thank you so much for reading this! Have a great rest of your Monday, and I’ll see you tomorrow for Book Review Tuesday…and S P O O K Y T I M E 🎃