Tag: Roshani Chokshi

Posted in Book Tags

Ben ‘n’ Jerry’s Book Tag 🍦

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles!

I haven’t been able to do a book tag in a bit, so I figured that it would be a good time to do it now that I’m out of school! I found this one over at Laura @ The Corner of Laura, and the tag was originally created by Aimal @ Bookshelves and Paperbacks. I am a devoted Ben ‘n’ Jerry’s lover and a lover of ice cream in general, so this looked like the perfect tag to do!

Let’s begin, shall we?

🍨 THE BEN ‘N’ JERRY’S BOOK TAG 🍨

VANILLA CARAMEL FUDGE: pick a light, fluffy contemporary

Contemporary usually isn’t my go-to, but Perfect on Paper is one of the best YA contemporary romances I’ve ever read—truly excellent bisexual rep!

MINT CHOCOLATE COOKIE: a new release that you wish everybody would read

The Isles of the Gods is my most recent 5-star read—Amie Kaufman never misses with any of her novels!

CHERRY GARCIA: an ending that was bittersweet

The Loves & Lies of Rukhsana Ali was a very emotional read, but the last part of the ending was at least hopeful.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE: a book containing your OTP of OTPs

Not to commit author double-dipping on these tags (I always do…oopsie), but my love for Kal and Auri from the Aurora Cycle knows no bounds. (I’m getting all excited about these books all over again because I got a friend of a friend to pick up a copy of Aurora Rising at the airport…WE CONVERTED HIM)

MILK & COOKIES: two authors, who, if they collaborated, would go perfectly together

I feel like Leigh Bardugo and Roshani Chokshi could do something really interesting together! They’re both excellent at YA heist fantasy novels, so I’m sure their powers combined would result in something super fun…

BOSTON CREAM PIE: a book that had you turning pages late into the night

I got House of Hollow from a Christmas gift card last year! Even though my expectations were low (I tried to keep them low so all of the hype it got wouldn’t disappoint me), Sutherland’s prose was incredible!

CHOCOLATE THERAPY: a book that makes you feel better after a long day of life

As intense as parts of it get, The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea has become something of a comfort read for me in the past few years.

COFFEE, COFFEE, BUZZBUZZBUZZ! : a book not yet released that you can’t wait to get your hands on

I was so excited to hear about A Song of Salvation! Anything by Alechia Dow automatically has to go on my TBR, and I can’t wait to have more adventures in her established universe. It comes out in about two months…

I TAG:

Today’s song:

That’s it for this book tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Books

Series I Need to Finish Soon (Somebody remind me…)

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Thursday, bibliophiles, and for those of you in the U.S., Happy Thanksgiving! I’m thankful for all of your support, and I’m so thankful to have such a welcoming community here. 💗

I think this was a topic for Top Ten Tuesday a few weeks back, but I don’t usually do those since I do my book reviews that day. But it reminded me of a problem I often have—really enjoying a book, then never getting around to finishing the rest of the series. Too often, the sequel(s) immediately go on my TBR, and then…just disappear into oblivion and stay there for a few years. So this post is to call attention to some fun series—trilogies and duologies alike—that I need to finish, and a reminder for myself to finish said series.

Let’s begin, shall we?

SERIES I NEED TO FINISH SOON

Light the Abyss – London Shah

I had so much fun with London Shah’s unique take on dystopia, The Light at the Bottom of the World, so I was eager to read the sequel! Book 2 came out last year, and the sad part is that I regularly saw it at my local library and never got around to picking it up. Someday…

For my review of The Light at the Bottom of the World, click here!

Into the Crooked Place – Alexandra Christo

A lot of people didn’t seem to be as much of a fan of Into the Crooked Place as I was; I understand the sentiment that it was too similar to Six of Crows (Wes certainly was…), but I think it had a really inventive and twisty take on the YA heist fantasy genre. City of Spells came out last year, and it’s been sitting on my Libby wishlist for far too long…

For my review of Into the Crooked Place, click here!

Skin of the Sea – Natasha Bowen

I sort of have an excuse for having not finished this series yet, since Soul of the Deep only came out about two months ago, but I can’t wait to finish Natasha Bowen’s incredible mermaid duology!

The Bright Sessions – Lauren Shippen

I haven’t even listened to the podcast that these books were based on (although I’ve heard it described as “X-Men if they got therapy,” so you’ve sold me there), but I’ve had so much fun exploring Lauren Shippen’s tender, superpowered world. Some Faraway Place came out last year, and I’ve been meaning to put it on hold for so long…

For my mini review of The Infinite Noise, click here!

The Aurelian Cycle – Rosaria Munda

One of my best friends got me hooked on these fantastic books, and they’re proof that fantasy writers just don’t do nearly as much as they should with dragons. DRAGONS!!! (Also a protagonist that I imagine looking like a fantasy Black Widow…love Annie) Furysong came out this August, and I’m patiently waiting for it to be available on Libby…

The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Chokshi

Another incredibly inventive and twisty heist fantasy, The Silvered Serpents left me on a devastating cliffhanger, and now that The Bronzed Beasts is out, I might be able to get some closure at last…

Tell me what you think! What are some series that you want to finish, but haven’t? Are the sequels I’ve listed worth the hype? Let me know in the comments!

Today’s song:

I need to listen to this album, don’t I

That’s it for this bookish post! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (12/31/19)–The Gilded Wolves

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles, and happy New Year’s Eve!

 

I have this book to thank for (partially) getting me through finals, so that’s an automatic three stars right there. Just kidding, but seriously.

Image result for thank you gif

Though I had mediocre expectations for it, The Gilded Wolves was ripe with intricate world-building, unique characters, and lavish and unforgettable writing. Unfortunately, that made for a bit of confusion and convolution, but for the most part, that was overshadowed by all of its other aspects.

Enjoy this week’s review!

91sqekdXiJL.jpg

The Gilded Wolves

In an alternate, 19th century Paris, trouble–and magic–is brewing.

Séverin has been harboring a deep grudge ever since the line of his House was deemed dead, and his power stripped away. He now ekes out a living as a hunter of artifacts, stealing from Paris’ magical elite. But his reputation hasn’t gone unnoticed: the Order of Babel, an all-seeing organization that oversees all the world’s magical elite, soon hunts Séverin down, and forces him into finding an artifact more famed than anything he’s ever hunted. His reward? The resurrection of his House, and the reclamation of his birthright. Calling on a band of unlikely misfits, he must scour all of Paris to uncover this artifact, before time runs out.

 

 

The only thing that irked me about The Gilded Wolves was that I often found myself having to second-guess myself and try to remember wait, why are they doing this? Maybe it’s more of my fault than the book’s, but the plot did feel rather convoluted at times.

Image result for it's not me it's you gif

Other than that, The Gilded Wolves was most definitely a success! The world-building was so intricate and lush, and I loved exploring the alternate, magical Paris that Chokshi dreamed up. The characters worked so well together, and the prose was flowery, but not so much that it was unenjoyable. Overall, The Gilded Wolves was a hit with me! Solid four stars.

The Gilded Wolves is the first in a trilogy; the sequel, The Silvered Serpents, is slated for 2020 (!!!), and there is currently no information about the third and final installment, other than the fact that it’s likely to be published in 2021.

 

That’s it for this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a great rest of your day, and enjoy your New Year’s Eve!

 

thank you for reading.jpg