Books Via Ashley

August started off slow. I was kind of in a book slump--nothing really caught my interest and I went through a lot of first chapters. Plus, we were moving for the first week and then unpacking the rest of the month, so I was tired from that. But towards the end of the month things picked up again! It helped that I got some good ARCs via NetGalley! In total, I read eight books this month! And one that I mostly read but could not bring myself to finish... The Tiger's Watch  - Julia Ember (2 stars) The Jane Austen Project  - Kathleen A. Flynn (4 stars) The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue  - Mackenzie Lee (5 stars) Howl's Moving Castle  - Diana Wynne Jones (5 stars) [reread] Book of a Thousand Days  - Shannon Hale (5 stars) Nyxia  - Scott Reintger (4 stars) The Fire Queen - Emily R. King (4 stars) Into The Dim - Janet B. Taylor (3.5 stars) A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars - Yaba Badoe (0 stars - DNF) Quite a few 5 stars! In truth,  Ho...

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A Flynn Synposis ( from Goodreads ) "England, 1815: Two travelers—Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane—arrive in a field, disheveled and weighed down with hidden money. They are not what they seem, but colleagues from a technologically advanced future, posing as a doctor and his spinster sister. While Rachel and Liam aren’t the first team of time travelers, their mission is the most audacious yet: meet, befriend, and steal from Jane Austen." Review Time travel and Jane Austen. I mean, what's not  to like? I was swept up in this story from page one. The writing is great, plot is pretty straightforward: They need to infiltrate Jane Austen's circle, first by befriending her brother, then steal a manuscript and some letters between her and her sister, Cassandra. But of course things don't go as planned.  The story is told from Rachel's point of view. She's a doctor, an independent woman, and in her early thirt...

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen * I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review * Synposis ( from Goodreads ) "Emmett Atwater isn't just leaving Detroit; he's leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family. Forever. Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden--a planet that Babel has kept hidden--where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe. But Babel's ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won't forever compromise what it means to be human." Re...

Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh Synopsis ( from Goodreads ) "At just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace. "The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires." Review I received this book in my May FairyLoot box. I'm conflicted. I liked lo...

Given To The Sea by Mindy McGinnis Synopsis Khosa has the dancing sickness that will one day carry her into the sea as a sacrifice, but first she must produce an heir. However, human contact makes her sick. Vincent is the prince of a kingdom Khosa must save, but can he save her instead? And from the other side of the land, an enemy marches on the kingdom. Review I received this book in the April FairyLoot box. I really wanted to like this one because I LOVED McGinnis' book last year, The Female of the Species . But I think her forte is in contemporary and not fantasy. I just don't even know where to begin... The world was super confusing. I had no idea what was going on half the time with the various peoples on this... Island? Continent? There's this race or species of people whose skin changes color and there's only two of them left. Then there's another people who send their citizens out to sea to die, then a group of people who are all disabled in ...

The Tiger's Watch by Julia Ember * I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review * Synopsis  ( from Goodreads ) Sixteen-year-old Tashi has spent their life training as a inhabitor, a soldier who spies and kills using a bonded animal. When the capital falls after a brutal siege, Tashi flees to a remote monastery to hide. But the invading army turns the monastery into a hospital, and Tashi catches the eye of Xian, the regiment’s fearless young commander. Tashi spies on Xian’s every move. In front of his men, Xian seems dangerous, even sadistic, but Tashi discovers a more vulnerable side of the enemy commander—a side that draws them to Xian. When their spying unveils that everything they’ve been taught is a lie, Tashi faces an impossible choice: save their country or the boy they’re growing to love. Though Tashi grapples with their decision, their volatile bonded tiger doesn't question her allegiances. Katala slaughters Xian’s s...

Wow. I felt like July was reaaaallllyyy   long this year. Anyone else feel like way? It's probably because for once I wasn't  traveling! We had a lot of big changes though, including getting a new apartment and packing everything! But I still found the time to read TWELVE books! Roar - Cora Carmack (4 stars) Always and Forever, Lara Jean - Jenny Han (3.5 stars) Hunted - Meagan Spooner (4 stars) A Natural History of Dragons - Marie Brennan (5 stars) The Summer of Impossible Things - Rowan Coleman (4.5 stars) No Good Deed - Kara Connolly (5 stars) The Crowns of Croswald - D. E. Night (4 stars) The Fifth Doll - Charlie N. Holmberg (3.5 stars) Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins (4.5 stars) Skullsworn - Brian Staveley (4 stars) Daughter of the Burning City - Amanda Foody (3.5 stars) Ready Player One - Ernest Cline (4 stars) [ reread ] It was a really good month for books! As you can see, I have a few 5 stars from this month! Five st...