Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
First can we take a moment to acknowledge the miracle of me reading everything on my winter TBR? I’m shocked myself, because I don’t feel I’ve been having a great reading year so far. Let’s hope this batch of books changes things.
Review copies are marked with * and links go to Goodreads.
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston*
Eileen Merriweather loves a good love story. The fictional kind, anyway. After all, imaginary men don’t break your heart.
That’s why she’s so excited for her annual book club retreat – instead, when her car breaks down en route, Eileen finds herself in Eloraton. A town where every meet is cute, the rain always comes in the afternoon, and the bookshop is always curated with impeccable taste.
It feels too good to be true . . . because Eloraton is the setting of her favourite romance series. And Eileen is sure she must be here to bring the town its storybook ending.
But there’s one character she can’t place. The grumpy bookshop owner with mint-green eyes, and an irritatingly sexy mouth. He does not want Eileen to finish this story, but how else can she find her happily-ever-after?
The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton*
So, here’s the thing: Cleo and her friends really, truly didn’t mean to steal this spaceship.
They just wanted to know why, twenty years ago, the entire Providence crew vanished without a trace. But then the stupid dark matter engine started all on its own, and now these four twenty-somethings are en route to Proxima Centauri, unable to turn around, and being harangued by a snarky hologram that has the face and attitude of the ship’s missing captain, Billie.
Cleo has dreamt of being an astronaut all her life, and Earth is kind of a lost cause at this point, so this should be one of those blessings in disguise people talk about. But as the ship gets deeper into space, the laws of physics start twisting, old mysteries start crawling back to life, and Cleo’s initially combative relationship with Billie turns into something deeper and more desperate than either woman is prepared for.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Shesheshen has made a fatal mistake for a monster: she’s fallen in love.
Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who usually resides as an amorphous lump in the swamp of a ruined manor, unless impolite monster hunters invade intent on murdering her. Through a chance encounter, she meets a different kind of human, warm-hearted Homily, who mistakes Shesheshen for a human in turn.
Shesheshen is loath to deceive, but just as she’s about to confess her true identity, Homily reveals she’s hunting the shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Shesheshen didn’t curse anyone, but to give them both a chance at happiness, she must figure out why Homily’s twisted family thinks she did. And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with the woman she loves.
Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis
Welcome to the Grand Abeona Hotel: home of the finest food, the sweetest service, and the very best views the galaxy has to offer. Year round it moves from planet to planet, system to system, pampering guests across the furthest reaches of the milky way. The last word in sub-orbital luxury – and a magnet for intrigue. Intrigues such as:
Why are there love poems in the lobby intray?
How many Imperial spies are currently on board?
What is the true purpose of the Problem Solver’s conference?
And perhaps most pertinently – who is driving the ship?
At the centre of these mysteries stands Carl, one time stowaway, longtime manager, devoted caretaker to the hotel. It’s the love of his life and the only place he’s ever called home. But as forces beyond Carl’s comprehension converge on the Abeona, he has to face one final question: when is it time to let go?
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it – and she can’t do the job alone.
Calling on some of the city’s most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Sade Hussein is the new girl at Alfred Nobel Academy, a prestigious mixed boarding school. She’s always been home-schooled, and has no idea what to expect when she steps through the doors of her imposing new home. But she certainly didn’t imagine her roommate, Elizabeth, going missing on her first night. Or for people to think Sade had something to do with it.
Instead of blending in, suddenly everyone is talking about Sade, including the Unholy Trinity – a group of the most popular girls at the school. Swept up in their circle, Sade still can’t shake the sense that there’s more to Elizabeth’s disappearance – especially as no one seems to care what’s happened to her.
And then a student is found dead.
With sinister secrets rising to the surface of Alfred Noble Academy, Sade and her new friends must uncover the truth surrounding Elizabeth’s disappearance and bring the culprits to justice…before Sade’s own secrets catch up to her.
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
In a shabby house in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil. But when her scheming mistress discovers her scullion is hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to win over the royal court.
Determined to seize this chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of power-hungry nobility, desperate kings, holy men and seers, where the lines between magic, science and fraud blur. With the pyres of the Inquisition burning, she must use every bit of her wit and resilience to win fame and hide the truth of her ancestry – even if that means enlisting the help of an embittered immortal familiar, whose own secrets could cost her everything.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story.
That is until it became the prologue to his actual love story with his childhood bestie, Petra.
Which is how Daphne ends up rooming with her total opposite and the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles.
As expected, it’s not a match made in heaven – that is until one night, while tossing back tequilas, they form a plan.
And if it involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together, well, who could blame them?
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right?
Burning Crowns by Catherine Doyle + Katherine Webber
Wren and Rose rule the kingdom of Eana. But an ancient, powerful enemy moves in the shadows. Oonagh, the twins’ evil undead ancestor, is creating a terrifying army, and she is determined to fight for the throne.
Rose must gather support from the four corners of the kingdom whilst she wrestles with what the future holds for her and her beloved Shen. Meanwhile, Wren and Alarik set out to destroy the curse that both unites and weakens them. Caught between the King of Gevra and his Captain of the Guard, Tor, Wren must decide where her heart truly lies . . .
When Oonagh’s true plans are revealed and Rose’s life hangs in the balance, the stage for the final battle is set. Sacrifices will be made, blood will be spilled. Who will survive to rule the kingdom of Eana?
The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks*
It is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket.
It is the end of the 19th Century and the world is awash with marvels. But there is nothing so marvellous as the Wastelands: a terrain of terrible miracles that lies between Beijing and Moscow.
Nothing touches this abandoned wilderness except the Great Trans-Siberian Express: an impenetrable train built to carry cargo across continents, but which now transports anyone who dares to cross the shadowy Wastelands.
On to the platform steps a curious cast of characters: a grieving woman with a borrowed name, a famous child born on the train and a disgraced naturalist, all heading for the Great Exhibition in Moscow.
But the old rules are changing, and there are whispers that the train isn’t safe. As secrets and stories begin to unravel the passengers and crew must survive their journey through the Wastelands together, even as something uncontrollable seems to be breaking in . . .
***
And yeah, I’ll be reading Paws and Portals for what feels like the 100th time as I get ready to hit that publish button!
Related posts
27 Comments
Leave a ReplyCancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This is a great list! I didn’t know there’s another Ashley Poston book coming out. I still need to read the others haha!
I was a bit meh about the YA book of hers I read, so I haven’t bothered trying to keep up with those. I love her adult romances though.
The only one I’ve read is A Novel Love Story. I hope you love it!
Go you finishing your winter TBR! That’s awesome. 🙂 I saw Ashley’s on another list and now I’m intrigued! It looks like it’d be a cool read so that’s one I’ll have to read all about. Thanks so much for visiting my website today.
I haven’t read any of these but a few of them have grabbed my interest. I hope you enjoy them.
The Floating Hotel interests me too!
I haven’t heard of these – though I have read a couple of Emily Henry books in the past and she’s generally a good light read! I hope you enjoy these when you get to them!
You read every book on your Winter TBR?! Omg, congratulations and much respect to you! I hope I’ll be able to do the same one day. Good luck on completing your Spring TBR too!
Haze @ The Book Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
Funny Story and The Familiar sound really good! Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
I also want to read A Novel Love Story! I was declined for the ARC or it would have been on my list. haha. I hope you enjoy all of these!
Well done for finishing your winter TBR, I think I managed 4 which is better than normal haha! Love the sound of A Novel Love Story, and of course I can’t wait for Funny Story 🙂
These all sounds great. I hope you are able to get to all of these and enjoy them.
All have amazing covers, so excited for the new book by Ashley Poston and Emily Henry, this season we will have amazing romances
I’m looking forward to Funny Story and I’ve preordered The Familiar. Hope we both enjoy them!
Congrats on reading your winter TBR! I didn’t do that. 🙂 I hope you love all these books.
Congratulations on knocking out your winter TBR pile! I think you might be the only person I’ve seen today who actually was able to do it. You’ve got a great bunch of spring books, but I’m so intrigued by Someone You Can Build a Nest In. It sounds wild and it’s going right to the top of my TBR pile.
The Sarah Brooks novel sounds great – I will be interested to see what you make of it when you get there!
It looks like you’re planning on reading some interesting books. I hope you enjoy reading all of them.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/spring-2024-tbr-ten-books-i-hope-to-read
Your list looks amazing! I added Someone to Build a Nest in to my list too!
I haven’t heard of The Stars Too Fondly, but I am so intrigued by it. Hope you can get to all these!
This is a really great list. I’ve got a couple of these on my TBR, but you introduced me to some that sound really interesting as well!
Great list! I’m really excited to read The Floating Hotel, it sounds like a fun read. And Someone You Can Build a Nest In made my list this week, too. Thanks for stopping by my TTT earlier!
Woo hoo! Yes, excellent job with your winter list. Fingers crossed for your spring list!
So my TBR just grew by three books after this list 😂 Floating Hotel, Someone You Can Build A Nest In, and The Stars Too Fondly all sound too intriguing to pass up. I hope you enjoy all these books though!
I would like to read The Familiar, too! I forgot about that one. I hope you enjoy these, and congrats on reading all the books on your Winter TBR! Yay!
The cover of The Stars Too Fondly is so pretty. I haven’t heard of that one before.
A Novel Love Story, Funny Story and The Familiar are on my TBR too, hope we’ll both enjoy them!