the pioneer – Page 2 – The Bookish Mutant

Weekly Update: March 23-29, 2020

Posted on March 29, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Sunday, bibliophiles!

As always, I hope you are all safe, comfortable, and well during these crazy times. We had our “spring break” this week, which mostly consisted of me sprawled out on the couch reading, but it was quite relaxing, all things considered. Our state now has an official stay at home order, and I have online school almost through the end of April, so next month should be…interesting, to say the least.

I read a LOT this week, and I’m happy to say that I loved most of what I read! Libby (online library) has now become my savior, and I’m now stocked up on library books that I can check out on my kindle. I re-read one of my favorite books, watched The Grand Budapest Hotel and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (LOVED both of those), started learning “No Surprises” (Radiohead) on guitar, and I created an original book tag! Online school starts back up next week, so we’ll see how that works out…but overall, I’ve actually had a weirdly good week!

Rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY — all of us cooped up at home trying to amuse ourselves

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

The Survivor (The Pioneer, #2)–Bridget Tyler (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: The Survivor: A Pioneer Novel (9780062658098): Tyler ...

The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace, #1)–Erin Bow (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace) (9781481442725 ...

Even the Darkest Stars–Heather Fawcett (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to 4)

Even the Darkest Stars : Heather Fawcett : 9780062463395

One–Sarah Crossan (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Amazon.com: One (9780062118752): Crossan, Sarah: Books

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1)–Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (re-read, yet again)

(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle) (9781524720964 ...

When the Moon Was Ours–Anna-Marie McLemore (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Amazon.com: When the Moon Was Ours: A Novel (9781250058669 ...

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing–Hank Green

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: A Novel: Green, Hank ...

Today’s song:

(This one’s been stuck in my head for a good…two or three days now? Classic)

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and PLEASE take care of yourselves!

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Books, Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: March 16-22, 2020

Posted on March 22, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Sunday, bibliophiles!

Whew, what a week it’s been…

Not tiring, necessarily, but this week was the first week that my school tried out online learning. It wasn’t too bad, per se, just…a chaotic and strange transition, at times. (*coughcoughcough SPANISH coughcoughcough*) Nice to do everything from bed, at least. Our spring break is next week, and then we have a good three weeks more of online learning, almost through the end of April. I’m a very introverted person, but I still tend to get kind of stir-crazy. So I’m going to try and make this month at home into a time of creative productivity (working on my WIP, drawing, blogging, etc.), LOTS of reading, and plowing through my movie bucket list. (Once this social distancing time is over, I’ll try and dedicate a post to all of the movies that I’ve watched. So far, I’ve only crossed off 9 and RBG, but I can assure you that I will be SUBSISTING off of Netflix in the next few weeks…)

Hopefully I’ll be a *bit* more prolific blogging-wise during this time.

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WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said–Philip K. Dick (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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Crown of Coral and Pearl–Mara Rutherford (⭐️⭐️.5)

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Sisters–Raina Telgemeier (re-read) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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Cadaver and Queen–Alisa Kwitney (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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Cannery Row–John Steinbeck (finished for school) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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The Unhappening of Genesis Lee–Shallee McArthur (⭐️⭐️)

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POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Just to let you all know, in the future, this part of the weekly update might be far sparser in the next few weeks. I’ll be relying on the Kindle library and Libby for books to read, so I don’t really have anything “on hold” that I know for certain that I will read in the next week(s). But, I just bought this one yesterday, and I am ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE OF IT…

The Survivor (The Pioneer, #2)–Bridget Tyler

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Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Please stay safe out there, anyone, and don’t endanger yourself or others in these strange times. Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (3/2/20)–Do You Dream of Terra-Two?

Posted on March 2, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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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 is a more recent addition to my TBR. It hasn’t gotten a lot of hype or recognition, but if it lives up to my expectations, it seems like a fascinating of sci-fi, with a bit of horror blended in. (???)

Let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (3/2/20)–DO YOU DREAM OF TERRA-TWO? by Temi Oh

Blurb from Goodreads:

A century ago, scientists theorised that a habitable planet existed in a nearby solar system. Today, ten astronauts will leave a dying Earth to find it. Four are decorated veterans of the 20th century’s space-race. And six are teenagers, graduates of the exclusive Dalton Academy, who’ve been in training for this mission for most of their lives.

It will take the team 23 years to reach Terra-Two. Twenty-three years spent in close quarters. Twenty-three years with no one to rely on but each other. Twenty-three years with no rescue possible, should something go wrong. And something always goes wrong.

So why do I want to read this?

Other than my insatiable appetite for sci-fi, I’m interested to see how this alternate history plays out. The synopsis is reminiscent of books like Contagion, Tangled Planet, and The Pioneer, all books that have been chiefly speculative sci-fi, with a blend of survival horror within them. If anything, I’m just expecting a fun, sci-fi thriller that’ll keep me on the edge of my seat. Also, the title is pretty fun, not gonna lie.

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Today’s song:

That just about wraps up this week’s Goodreads Monday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Random

2019

Posted on December 31, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

December 31, 2019. The end of the year, the end of a decade. I normally do end-of-the-year recaps on this blog, but this is the first of this scope, really.

And looking back, I’m honestly baffled about how far I’ve come–not in the span of a year, no, but in the span of 10. I mean, I was toddling into elementary school for the first time when the decade began. Now I’m about halfway through high school, hopefully a bit wiser and more mature. But this decade has been one of many transitions, realizations, and so much growth. [pats self on the back] you did it, kiddo!

Now, let’s zoom in on 2019. Last year was a year of growing into a new skin, of realizing who I was and what I might want to do. This year, for me, was about becoming confident in said skin, and for the most part? I think it was a success. 2019 certainly had its ups and downs, but I’d say it’s a step up from the last…oh, three years or so. Not quite so awful as 2016, and not perfect, but certainly better.

It’s been an amazing year for books, in my opinion. I honestly don’t remember another time when I’ve stacked so many books on my Top 10 list, or given so many books of one year 5 stars (Aurora Rising, The Pioneer, King of Scars, Like a Love Story, etc.) . Of course, this was also a year of new series, so…fingers crossed that Aurora Burning and The Survivor (among others) won’t disappoint. We had a load of amazing movies, and lots of franchises coming to an end along with the decade. (Avengers: Endgame, Dark Phoenix, The Rise of Skywalker), and several other movies that certainly need mentioning (Captain Marvel, Jojo Rabbit, Spiderman: Far From Home, Joker, Knives Out, etc.) I’ve discovered an onslaught of great artists, thanks to Apple Music, and I went to Canada for the first time. I started a WIP that I’ve been neglecting to write for a good three years, and I completed another year of NaNoWriMo. Oh, and Trump got impeached. THANK. GOD. I mean, there’s no way he’s getting removed from office [ahem], but hey, it’s a start. Blegh. Again, 2016. What a dumpster fire.

But one thing that I find fairly notable is that I’ve starting to take this book blogging thing semi-seriously. I’ve started participating in tags, I’ve found a bunch more lovely blogs, and gotten so much insight into this cozy little world. So I’d like to thank all of you reading this, for liking and commenting on my posts, tagging me/following along with tags, and for just sticking around.

With that said, there’s a few improvements that I think I’ll start making to this blog next year:

For my Book Review Tuesdays, I’m going to try and start going through books that aren’t in the 3-5 star range; it’s good to review stuff that’s not the best, after all. I’ll start putting my actual star ratings on there, along with some other info.
I’ll try and do weekly updates. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep up with monthly, but we’ll see how that goes.
At the end of every post, I’ll try and post a link to a song that I listened to/liked as I was writing it. I’m a very music-oriented person, and I thought it would just be a fun little addition. (Currently listening to Wilco’s “Red-Eyed and Blue”)
When NaNoWriMo/Camp NaNoWriMo season comes back around, I’ll try and put some updates on that as well.

So let’s make this next decade–and year–one of rising beyond, one of growth, improvement, and joy. [holds out lightsaber] Let’s do this.

And while I’m at it, I’ll start on one of the things I said I’d improve on. Let’s end this post with a song.

I got into girpool in August, and though this isn’t my favorite of their songs, I think it perfectly captures the New Year’s Eve state of mind, and reflecting on how things used to be.

So thank you for spending this year with me. Have a great rest of your day…SEE YOU IN 2020

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Books

My 5-Star Reads of 2019

Posted on December 28, 2019January 2, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hi there, everyone!

As 2019 (and this decade) draws to a close, I’ve decided to make a comprehensive lists of all of my 5-star reads for this year, and, by proxy, my favorite books that I’ve read this year. Most of these are what’d you’d expect, if you’ve scoured my book tags and reviews, but I know there’s a few that I haven’t talked much about. These are in chronological order of when I read them, though their actual rankings vary a fair bit.

Now, without further ado…this year’s 5-star lineup!

KING OF SCARS–LEIGH BARDUGO

Bardugo’s veritable masterpiece, all at once a rollicking adventure and an exploration of internal conflict, was my first 5-star rating of this year. And…Nikolai. ‘Nuff said.

Read my review here!

THE ILLUMINAE FILES TRILOGY–AMIE KAUFMAN and JAY KRISTOFF

I mean, I read all of these in the span of a few months, and I gave all three books five stars…

For good reason, I think. I doubt that we’ll ever come across a trilogy quite like this in a very long time.

Read my review (Illuminae) here!

NEVERWHERE–NEIL GAIMAN

I’ve been a fan of Gaiman’s work for some time, but I chose this one for an English project, and I fell so in love with the fantastic world-building, as well as each and every character.

Find it on Goodreads here!

ONCE & FUTURE–AMY ROSE CAPETTA and CORI MCCARTHY

A feminist, LGBTQ+ retelling of the legends of King Arthur…need we say more? A wonderfully fast-paced space adventure, reminiscent of Captain Marvel.

Find it on Goodreads here!

HONOR BOUND–ANN AGUIRRE and RACHEL CAINE

Even more daring than its predecessor, Honor Bound is a complex space opera to die for.

Find it on Goodreads here!

TENNYSON: POEMS–ALFRED TENNYSON

Yes, I was/still am that kid who sits in the corner reading depressing, 19th century poetry. Do I regret it? Absolutely not.

Find it on Goodreads here!

AURORA RISING–AMIE KAUFMAN and JAY KRISTOFF

You’ve already sing praise of this one innumerable times, so I’ll just leave it at this: I FOUND MY DREAM BOOK, PEOPLE. THIS IS EVERYTHING.

Read my review here!

THE PIONEER--BRIDGET TYLER

An inventive, heart-pounding sci-fi adventure, The Pioneer was very nearly flawless, and I’m itching to get my hands on the sequel next spring! 😀

Read my review here!

AN ANATOMY OF BEASTS–OLIVIA A. COLE

Delving deeper and growing even twistier than its predecessor, A Conspiracy of Stars, this novel is dazzlingly well-thought out, the prime example of what speculative sci-fi should be.

Find it on Goodreads here!

THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES–RAY BRADBURY

Did I mention how much I love sci-fi? No?

Ray Bradbury is a talent to be reckoned with, able to deftly weave together a thought-provoking story in the span of under 100 pages with ease.

Also, I was today years old when I realized that the hand on the cover has six fingers.

Find it on Goodreads here!

SOUL OF STARS–ASHLEY POSTON

The epic conclusion to the Heart of Iron duology, Poston deftly wraps together a complicated universe of familial bonds and political intrigue. Love, love, love, LOVE…

Read my review here!

FAHRENHEIT 451–RAY BRADBURY

Again, Ray Bradbury. I rest my case.

Find it on Goodreads here!

SPARE AND FOUND PARTS–SARAH MARIA GRIFFIN

A futuristic Frankenstein for the modern age, this is a grossly underrated writing, atmospheric and poetic.

Read my review here!

THE DEMON WORLD–SALLY GREEN

The pulse-pounding sequel to The Smoke Thieves, Green delivers an even more potent punch of her signature world-building and fantasy action.

Read my review here!

HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X–JONATHAN HICKMAN

The newest installment in the legendary X-Men mythology, Hickman weaves a mythical and symbolic world, with a hopeful conclusion and the potential of many mutant tales to come.

Find it on Goodreads here!

LIKE A LOVE STORY–ABDI NAZEMIAN

Would you look at that…I think this is the only historical fiction in this post…

A hearstring-tearing and poignant coming-of-age LGBTQ+ novel. So many feels. INFINITE feels.

Read my review here!

THE TOLL–NEAL SHUSTERMAN

The conclusion to the unforgettable Arc of a Scythe trilogy, this novel is solid proof that Shusterman is a sci-fi author to be reckoned with.

Read my review here!

Man. What a year this has been…

Have you read any of these novels, and what did you think of them? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!

Have a lovely rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Tags, Books

End of the Year Book Tag

Posted on December 9, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, fellow bibliophiles! Sorry that I haven’t been active since Tuesday. I’ve had a kind of rough, busy, and rather emotional week (and an awful lot of homework), but hey, at least I finally finished watching Good Omens.

I saw this post on Prose and Pancakes, and I figured that I’d give it a go. (And if you can, please check out Nikita’s lovely blog!) The tag itself was created by Ariel Bisett. So, without further ado, let’s begin!

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

Well…not quite, in the sense of the question. I’d like to think that I’m pretty good about finishing books in one sitting. BUT, I did just start reading Bill Konigsberg’s The Music of What Happens, which I’m enjoying so far! 🙂

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Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I read pretty much all of the autumnal books that I wanted to read either in October or over the summer (oops), but I think Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks’ Pumpkinheads would fit the bill perfectly.

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Is there a new release that you’re still waiting for?

I think this one technically came out in November, but I haven’t yet read Marissa Meyer’s Supernova, and I am OVER THE MOON excited for that one!

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What are the three books you need to read before the end of the year?

Hmmm…

I don’t really have anything that I have planned for the end of the year, so I’ll just hash out a few books off of my TBR that I’m particularly excited about…

Hopefully I can get this one on my next comic-shop run…

I’m fascinated by the direction that Magneto was taken in during the Brian Michael Bendis run, and I’m excited to see it all from his perspective. I also loved Bunn’s work on Harrow County, so I’m sure it’ll translate well to the iconic villain.

And speaking of X-Men (references, anyway)…

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I’ve been meaning to read Lyn Miller-Lachmann’s Rogue for ages, and I haven’t been able to find it anywhere. I haven’t read much MG in a while, and it seems like this will be a very poignant coming-of-age story.

Aaaaaaand completely unrelated from the other two, here’s Marcus Sedgwick’s The Monsters We Deserve. As Frankenstein is one of my favorite (if not my favorite) book of all time, I’m intrigued to see his take on the fateful night that Mary Shelley spun the iconic story.

Is there a book that could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

I doubt it, honestly. My expectations have practically shot through the stratosphere after the combined glory of Honor Bound, Aurora Rising, Like A Love Story, The Pioneer, and The Toll. (I’ll be reviewing the latter of those next week. MY GOD…)

Have you already started making reading plans for 2020?

Reading plans? What are these ‘reading plans’ you speak of?

Not really, no. But, I’d like to up my Goodreads reading goal to…let’s say…250. I’ve already passed my goal of 200 this year, and my goal was 300 the year before, and that was veeeery stressful. Barely passed that one. So I’m hoping that 250 will be a happy medium.

And, that just about wraps it up! I tag:

Beck @ SMELLFOY CAN READ?
Kayla @ Kayla’s Wordsmithy
Megabunny Reads
And YOU, if you wish to participate! 😀

I hope you had a wonderful week! Stay tuned for more content tomorrow!

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Book Tags, Books

The Pancake Book Tag

Posted on November 27, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

I found this tag on A Little Haze Book Blog, and I figured it would be a fun tag to participate in!

Alright, here are the rules:

Link back to the original creator, Becky @Blogs-Of-A-Bookaholic.
Feel free to use any of the pancake graphics in your post, or create your own!
Tag some people!

I love pancakes, so here goes nothin’…

Hands down, I’d say Wild Beauty.

Not only is the story reminiscent of a fairy tale, the writing is as lush and decadent as the flowers it centers around.

Sidenote: pancakes with lemon drizzle? Ooh, never tried that combo…I love most anything lemon-flavored, so…

I know I add this book in with most of my tags, but Finian from Aurora Rising definitely fits the bill.

Even at the most inopportune times (edit: mostly at inopportune times), Finian always has a sassy, snappy comeback that never fails to make me laugh out loud in the most serious of scenes.

I just can’t stop re-reading Carry On…

Though it’s a bit intense at times, I always come back to love story of Simon and Baz…and end up feeling all the feels as a result.

Whew…I really want to re-read A Monster Calls again at some point, but man…[prepares myself for an intense outpour of tears]

When I first read this, around two(ish) years ago, I just had to read it twice in a row. Nothing could take my mind off of it, and…yeah, I feel like I couldn’t read anything else for a few days. Gaaaaah, this one’s a killer…

Indulgent feels…hmm…

If we’re talking about indulgent feels, I’d say Soul of Stars, the second installment in the Heart of Iron duology.

Soul of Stars was everything that I wanted in a sequel–the cast of characters retained their impeccable chemistry, the plot was just as heart-racing (and heart-wrenching), a certain in-credible plot twist (loud crying) and a perfectly satisfying ending.

Ooh…my first thought for this one is Art from Like a Love Story.

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He’s got many year’s worth of pent-up (and…sometimes not so pent-up) anger, which coats his personality for most of the book; about 3/4 of the way through the book, we definitely get to explore deeper into him, as his relationships with some of the other characters begin to strengthen.

No doubt, The Pioneer.

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This one had me constantly second-guessing what was going to happen next. The Pioneer is the kind of book where you think you have the plot figured out, but something makes the plot go topsy-turvy in seconds.

Alright, I hate to do this to you guys, but…I really…can’t…think of any…

All of the significant romances I can think of either a) worked out near-perfectly from the star or b) everybody loves, but I still kind of despise. Oops.

Hands down, This Time Will Be Different.

Not only is the main character Japanese-American, we’ve got a whole, backing cast of POC and LGBTQ+ characters, not to mention the deft tackling of several issues, almost all of them stemming from racism.

So, that just about wraps it up!

I tag:

Have a lovely rest of your day, and if I don’t post tomorrow, have a happy Thanksgiving, if you celebrate that! 🙂

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Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (6/25/19)-The Pioneer

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

Hey there, fellow bookworms, and welcome to the last Book Review Tuesday of June 2019!

(WHOOOOA, are we really already halfway through the year? Sheesh…)

Anyway, this book was one of three books that I bought on my Kindle for Canada. Let me tell you a quick tale of Madeline and the three books…

The first two were just right. The third one was absolute trash. And I wouldn’t be reviewing this book on here if it was trash.

In fact, The Pioneer is easily one of the best books that I’ve read this year! An intricate world, edge-of-your-seat action and suspense, and a twisty-turny plot that had me guessing through all 368 pages.

Enjoy the review!

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The Pioneer

Jo Watson has been preparing her entire life to colonize another planet, along with her family and a tight group of close friends and colleagues. When she and the others land on Tau Ceti E, it seems like the ideal place to settle down–a picturesque, Earthlike landscape, with an abundance of bizarre and fascinating flora and fauna. But when Jo and her friends find the abandoned camp of another scouting mission, they soon discover that their planet isn’t quite so idyllic as it seems. Whoever settled here before them left in a hurry, and left behind evidence that there’s a darker side to Tau Ceti E, and it’s more dangerous than they could ever have imagined.

OH.

MY.

[censored].

GOD.

This book was an absolute sci-fi gem. The world-building is like nothing I’ve ever seen, the writing is lush and detailed, and the twists are as unpredictable as the new planet that Tyler created. Tau Ceti E is a place that I could get lost in and enjoy every minute of it…but only for about the first quarter. Then it gets pretty freaky. Even so, some of those descriptions were absolutely stunning. And no spoilers, but…THE ENDING. I’m SO excited to see what the sequel brings. 4.75 on Goodreads, a solid 9.5/10 on my personal scale, and a big A+ all around. Thank you so much, Ms. Tyler.

According to EpicReads, the sequel, The Survivor, is slated to come out on March 10, 2020-MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The cover has been revealed (gORGEOUS, AAH), but it’s still marked coverless/untitled on Goodreads (???). I am absolutely HERE FOR IT, LET’S START COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS! WOO!

Thank you so much for reading this review! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves! 🙂