Happy fall, y’all! Fall is always a busy season around here, but especially with my new book launching this month. Combine that with the fact that a lot of my reading is incognito right now as I try to keep from spoiling what will be on the Christmas reads list this year, and I don’t have as many books to share as I normally would.
But the ones I do have are great, so let’s jump right in!
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Just Finished:
I really enjoyed this fast-paced political/technological thriller about a company that hosts a competition to prove its claim that it can find any person in the world. A group of participants are given a two hour headstart and told to ‘go zero’, meaning go completely off the grid. If they can stay lost for 21 days they get a massive cash prize. But it soon becomes clear that the technology this company has is far beyond what the CIA expected when they approved this test, and it also seems that the participant who has stayed out of sight the longest has an agenda of her own. It’s a thought-provoking story, to say the least, though I will say I didn’t like the last five minutes. I was confused by the decision she makes right at the very end, but other than that I thought it was a very engaging read.
This is a really fun, quick romantic comedy by a fairly new indie author, which is always fun to find. It follows Sadie who has just lost a job she loved and agrees to care for her parents’ inn while they are out of town. She plans to use the week to figure out her next move, but finds herself distracted by the unexpected presence of her college rival, James. He’s a TV host now and is staying at the inn with the rest of his film crew to shoot an episode about her little hometown, and the town matron has made it clear that Sadie must do her part to give him the best possible impression of Jasmine Falls. Old hurts rise fast but as they spend time together filming, they both begin to realize that their past perceptions might have been skewed. I really liked this clever small-town, enemies-to-lovers romcom and plan to read more by this author.
In Progress:
I’m pretty certain if you are the type of person who reads book blogs, you’ve at least heard of Fourth Wing since it’s been at the center of the book community last few months. In this popular YA fantasy, young riders compete to be chosen as riders by the dragons who defend their kingdom. If they survive initiation and are chosen, the riders then must survive training and learn to wield whatever unique powers their dragons share with them. This is an underdog story about Violet, who just wants to be a scribe but is forced to join the riders by her mother, a dragon rider and general. I am enjoying the fast pace and the vivd world, especially the dragons. There is a lot of political intrigue to go with the action and rider relationships. I will say that if you are someone who prefers closed door romance, just know that this one is very open. So maybe skip those parts if you’re not comfortable going there. You won’t miss anything crucial to the story by doing that.
The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater
Here’s the thing: I didn’t even read the description for this book before I ordered it. I am a huge Jaime Jo Wright fan so I preordered it with confidence (I also preordered this one coming out in April!) and didn’t know what it was about until it arrived at my house and I read the back of it. This book jumps straight into the action with strange, gruesome things happening at the theater in two different timelines. I’m only a few chapters in but I can’t wait to see what happens next as the dual-timeline heroines investigate the mystery behind Barlowe Theater. If you are looking for a spooky but not too scary read for Halloween, this (or any of her other books) is a great choice!
Up Next:
This book shares a book birthday with my book! I’m excited to read this magical romance about a young woman who believes her family is cursed by mental health problems, until she begins to suspect that her hallucinations are actually something else entirely. This leads her on a journey to unravel the mystery surrounding her mother’s long-ago disappearance. I loved this author’s Fable duology so I can’t wait to see what kind of magical realism she’ll bring to life in this book.
I just love Annah Conwell! I think her books are so funny and she’s also a great follow on Instagram. Annah, if you’re reading this, can we be real-life friends? Anyway, I have been waiting for a good time to start this small-town grumpy/sunshine romcom because I know I’m going to want to binge it once I start. Also, I can’t leave without saying this is the cutest cover. Love it!
Courtney Walsh is a master of romcoms with lovable characters and witty banter that I can’t get enough of. I’m excited to read this best friend’s brother, childhood crush, opposites attract sweet rom-com about a romance podcast host and a standoffish fireman who doesn’t believe in love. They sound perfect for each other, right? In case you missed it, this book is part of the Sweater Weather series that is taking the sweet romance community by storm right now.
As always, if you want even more book talk and recommendations, be sure to check out the monthly quick-lit post over at Modern Mrs. Darcy to see what other book bloggers are reading!