The Debut Author Challenge is back for 2018 and so am I. I love this challenge hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and had great fun with this challenge in 2017.
Here is a Google Spreadsheet of debut books releasing in 2018 that I am working off of for this challenge.
I am aiming to read at least 12 debut books this year.
Do you have any recommendations for Debut books I should have on my radar?
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
DATE PUBLISHED: 27th July 2011
PAGES: 376
Ellie is horrified to discover the pharmaceutical company she works for is doing illegal experiments. Company scientists have spliced human and animal DNA, creating exotic new species. One such “experiment” captures her heart and she’ll do anything to save him—even if he hates her for it.
Fury has never known compassion or love. He’s spent his life in a cell, chained and abused by humans. The one woman he allowed himself to trust betrayed him. Now he’s free and set on vengeance. He vows to end her life but when she’s finally in his grasp, harming her is the last thing he wants to do to the sexy little human.
Fury can’t resist Ellie—the touch of her hands, her mouth on his skin, her body wrapped around his. He’s obsessed with the scent of his woman. And Ellie wants Fury—always has. She craves his big, powerful body and wants to heal his desolate heart.
But loving Fury is one thing…taming him is another.
An amazing book with an intriguing concept and a plot that kept me engrossed. There was action, romance, politics, and ethical dilemmas that all added to the reading experience. This is a sci-fi novel where a company has experimented and created human animal hybrids to use as lab experiments to create drugs to use in military situations. Once this is discovered and the “New Species” have their freedom there are other complications.
Ellie is an empathetic and lovable character that really won my heart from the beginning. She is an absolute darling. Fury is a character that has a traumatic past and at the beginning I wasn’t too sure ow I would feel about his character. Fury’s love and compassion won out though and his obvious devotion for Ellie won me over.
This book is the definition of Squad Goals with a cacophony of characters here to explore. I am so excited to see how far this world and these characters can go. I love the women and the scenes between them and Ellie are some of my favourite in the novel (only surpassed by Ellie and Fury scenes).
The world-building in this novel is fantastic. There is such a wide scope for this series and the world has only just begun to be explored. The only downfall I would note would be that I felt within the dialogue that things were being explained or “spelled out” to me that I had the capacity to glean myself from context. Otherwise, fantastic!
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
Mark the Page is an Australian Bookish Subscription service that I have come across. This box is based out of Australia. I received the exclusive Godsgrave box today and so am ready to do an unboxing!
This is what you see when the box is first opened.
The first item in the box is a Red Church lip balm from Kool and Co.
The next item is some red bath salts titled “Blood Walk” which (if you’ve read Nevernight) is an awesome item specific to this series I love the unique element of this item. The bath salts were created by A Little Touch of Books.
Also from A Little Touch of Books is a Don Tric themed candle.
The next item is a set of Mia and Tric magnetic bookmarks from Read and Wonder.
Next, is a double sided bookmark with some beautiful art from Read the Stars.
Another amazing item I love is this gorgeous tote bag from Ink and Wonder.
The final item in this box is this beautiful art print from TJ Lubrano.
Finally there is the book in this box:
The spoiler card for this box features the cover art of the book with a list of the items found in the box.
This box was jam-packed full of amazing items from the Nevernight Chronicles to get me ready to jump into Godsgrave and continue on Mia’s journey.
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
The 2018 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by andiabcs. This is another of the reading challenges I am going to take part in for 2018. I love my romance books and don’t think this challenge will be too difficult.
1st Base: read 1 – 5 books
2nd Base: read 6 – 10 books
3rd Base: read 11 – 15 books
Home Run: read 16 – 20 books
Grand Slam: read 21+ books
I am going to aim for a Home Run but if I get a Grand Slam all the better!
Are you a romance reader? What do you think of this reading challenge?
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
PUBLISHER: Little Brown Books
DATE PUBLISHED: 02nd January 2018
PAGES: 384
Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
Wow… a magical and lush world of fae with such depth and development that you cannot help but be swept away in the beauty of it. The fae themselves are cruel and obscure creatures and the diversity of their characters and descriptions was something I adored.
The main character, Jude is a human raised in the Faerie Realm with her two sisters by her mothers husband (Maddoc) after he killed her mother and father. There is an element of nature vs. nurture here as Jude grows to love Maddoc on some level after having him as a father figure for so many years.
It is intriguing to see the three sisters embrace their lives differently and have different goals in life. For Jude she wants to excel and is willing to do whatever it takes to not be a vulnerable little human in the Faerie Realm. This ambition leads Jude to be a morally grey character which is refreshing in a protagonist.
Cardan is a Prince of Faerie and he is cruel to say the least. He is a character who undergoes much character development and exploration. Even this does not redeem him fully. There is hints to more that I am keen to explore in book 2 and how the events of book 1 affect him and Jude going forward.
There are so many layers to this book that I can see playing out in the sequels in so many different ways, I am intrigued to see what will happen and the consequences of actions played out in this book.
There was one scene with fairy fruit and Jude that I almost stopped reading. There are scenes that pushed me almost to my limits with the cruelty of the fae and their utter flaws that added to the experience.
There is bloodshed, brutality, love and betrayal all steeped in the magic of faerie. Enter if you dare.
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
The YA Chronicles is a monthly bookish subscription box that focuses on Young Adult Fiction based out of Australia. I have been subscribed to The YA Chronicles since February 2016 and have loved every box they have sent out. Each month there is a theme, the theme for October is:
When the box is first opened you can see some pale tissue paper.
The first item in the box is a set of Doctor Who short stories written as Retellings which I am really excited to read.
The next item is a stunning art print with a White Rabbit quote about his constant trail with time.
The third item is a set of Beauty and the Beast pins which are adorable.
I am in love with this pale scarf with a clock motif. It is beautiful and I have worn it many times.
There was also meant to be Washi Tape but the lovely ladies at The YA Chronicles run out and so I got an extra retelling short story which I don’t mind as I am really looking forward to reading them.
The next items are bonus items…
Firstly, there is a little promotion for a new book called Otherworld.
The second promo item is a promotion card for The Empress by S.J. Kincaid.
The final promo item is a sneak peek pamphlet from The YA Chronicles for the upcoming themes of their boxes.
Now, it’s time for the book:
The book for the October box was:
The box also comes with an exclusive spoiler card…
… and an exclusive bookmark.
This was a great box and there is now so much to read. I am going to get much use out of the scarf as well.
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
The Bad Boys of Romance Challenge is a 2018 reading challenge hosted by Delighted Reader. This covers so many sub-genres of romance what I am so excited to see what I can come up with for this challenge.
* The minimum goal is 5 books.
* The books have to feature a bad boy hero:
Rock stars, MC members, streetfighters, assassins, mafia, loners, geeks, etc.
* Only romance series are accepted. Any sub-genre of romance accepted.
* Sign up between Now – November 30, 2018.
Level One – 5-9 books – Capturing the Bad Boy
Level Two – 10-15 books – Engaged to the Bad Boy
Level Three – 15 books or more – Taking the Bad Boy to the Alter
Of course I’m going to take the bad boy to the alter… 15 books. I can do this!
Are you interested in this reading challenge? Which books would you recommend?
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
Monthly Recommendations is a Goodreads group where each month the participants recommend books that meet the topic for the months. The March topic is:
When you don’t quite want a series but a stand-alone is too little, what do you do? You pick up a duology. My shame is that I haven’t read that many duologies and I am going to aim to read more by the end of this year. However, I have four duologies here to recommend.
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adhieh
The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Adhieh
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller
I loved these duologies and would highly recommend them. I currently am halfway through some other duologies and this months theme has prompted me to finish them.
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
PUBLISHER: Boom! Box
DATE PUBLISHED: 20th December 2017
PAGES: 27
As Seiji and Nicholas struggle with their living arrangement, the competition heats up.
This continuation of the graphic novel series is short and sweet and left me with a lot of questions. I am interested to see the outcome of the try outs for the Fencing team and how the two characters are going to cope being roommates when they cannot seem to stand each other. I am still waiting for the first inkling of romance which has not occurred yet but I am keeping my eye out. The art is amazing of course. Very wel done and carries the story as well as the dialogue. Addicting sports romance with the promise of more.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
Hoot Loot box is a bi-monthly subscription service delivering bookish goodies each month. The theme for September was:
A first look in the box reveals some amazing items…
The first item in the box is a Night King Pop Funko!
The next item is this awesome Ursula Page Clip which I love. This item was created by Baby What Knots.
The third item is a set of The Queen of Hearts elastic hair ties from The Craft Corner.
This amazing Darkling bookmark is an exclusive item to this box and was created by A Strange Dream.
The next item is so pretty. It is a Amarantha magnetic bookmark from The Loot Crew.
Next is a Scar postcard which I think I will be using as an art print as it is great art.
The final bookish item is this Gaston pin with a funny as saying on it.
The next item is a signed download card for a free e-book.
It’s time for the book in the box…
The book in the September box was:
There is even a signed bookplate!
The spoilers card in this box is so pretty.
The sneak peek card for the next box looks like it may have some magical elements.
There are some amazing villainous items included in this box and I am very interested to see how the book links into the theme.
Keep Calm and Read On,
Kati
To Be Read 