#currentlyreading

[torpublishinggroup]

Hello everyone and happy January 31!! It’s the most special of days–a birthday! Specifically the fantastical @olivieblake’s birthday. HAPPY HAPPY DAY, OLIVIE!!! 🥳🎂🎉

For such a special day, we have to have a special celebration to match, so we’re giving YOU the first look at the stunning interior art of #GiftedandTalented, created by the incredible @polartss! Take a look now and don’t forget to pre-order Gifted & Talented, on sale 4/1!

[dearlyjess]

will always treasure mornings like these

[paperbacksunday]

The journal is a product of my disease, perhaps an accentuation and exaggeration of it. I speak of relief when I write; perhaps, but it is also an engraving of pain, a tattooing of myself.

— Anaïs Nin, Henry and June: From the Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin

[cassiesbookishcorner]

[sophilozophy]

I'm currently reading The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli and flying through it. The pacing is great and the story really engaging. I wouldn’t be surprised if I finished it tonight–tomorrow at the latest.

[litallday]

“At ten years old he realized that people were born whole, and that the bad things peeled layers from the person you once were, thinning compassion and empathy and the ability to construct a future. At thirteen he knew those layers could sometimes be rebuilt when people loved you. When you loved.”

— All the Colors of the Dark: A Read with Jenna Pick by Chris Whitaker

[thebookkolektiv]

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi — Book Review

Tales in the Café is like stepping back into that warm, comforting coffee shop where magic lingers in every corner. The book continues the gentle, nostalgic vibe of its predecessor, offering a series of stories that, while treading familiar themes of grief, loss, and the bittersweet yearning for what might have been, manage to evoke a sincere sense of comfort and solace. The narratives feel intentionally cliche—designed to stir emotions and transport you back to moments of quiet reflection—yet they are written with such care that they never feel trite.

What makes this installment even more engaging is the return of beloved characters from the first book. Their reappearances ground the stories, making it easier to connect with the unfolding tales. Once I accepted that this work was originally a play, I found myself appreciating the deliberate theatricality of its execution. Yes, the repetitive exploration of themes like seeking closure and the longing to rewrite the past can sometimes feel a bit exhausting, but it’s also a reminder of the timeless nature of these human desires.

In the end, Tales in the Café remains a beautifully comforting read—one that envelops you in its magical ambiance, even if it sometimes leans on well-worn tropes. I’m still eagerly looking forward to the next chapter in this series.

[themelodyofspring]

I have bad dreams too. But then I remember I’m awake and that the bad dreams can’t follow me when I’m awake. And then I feel better.

Wolfsong, TJ Klune

[peterrsthomas]

Book Review: Caraway of the Sea

Caraway Auclair has devoted herself to protecting her brother, serving as the ship’s first mate and enforcer. Sacrificing nearly all she is to ensure that he becomes the most fearsome pirate Captain to ever sail the Carnelian Sea. She realizes too late, that the seas have only grown darker, and the waves more fearsome, they threaten to pull her under completely and mold her into something akin to a nightmare.

Caraway of the Sea, a new novel by Madeline Burget, is a new entry to the pirate fantasy/romance space. Billed as a ‘grim cozy pirate tale’, it promises slow-burn romance and lots of paranoia.

And boy does it deliver.

Caraway, our titular main character, is a young woman in a man’s world. Here, though she did hide herself as a man in events prior to the story, hiding as a man isn’t the main focus. People accept that she is a woman. But, that does not mean she is free from danger—far from it. Indeed, she is still the subject of violence, and in particular sexual violence. This is explored in some depth.

But Caraway is herself violent, and we get the sense that this is in some part because she is a woman. To keep herself safe, she has to present herself as someone not to be messed with. And this leads to many a brutal encounter. The action sequences are, indeed, brutal, and bloodthirsty readers will find enough swordplay and gore to satisfy. 

The main focus is on Caraway’s fracturing relationship with her brother. He, as captain of their crew, is becoming increasingly paranoid and insecure, and she, as his protector, tries to prevent him from following a deadly and ruinous path. But events soon turn for the worse as she becomes the latest subject of his dark suspicions. 

The story is interspersed with flashbacks, and this mostly works well, though there is one jarring revelation (which I won’t spoil) that made me question how it could take so long for Caraway to come to her eventual realisation. On reflection, it does speak to the nature of gaslighting and abuse in a fundamental way, and made me reevaluate Caraway as something of an unreliable narrator—she is slow to understand what becomes plain to the reader, and we watch her come around.

My one gripe is the overuse of Caraway recalling memories of things recently passed that the reader was not privy to. The emotional weight of such moments is underwhelming if we weren’t witness to the initial occurrence. This happens more at the start, and is in no way disruptive, but it is just one of those things that didn’t work for me. Perhaps things could have been sequenced differently, or some scenes added in place of others, that would have provided more coherence here.

Above all, the slow burn romance is done well. Enzo, the strong and handsome love interest, is a compelling counterpoint to Caraway, and his affection for her grows even as she is slow to understand her feelings towards him. We can empathise with her reluctance while still rooting for them—even if Enzo isn’t always trustworthy.

In all, this book is definitely a worthy contribution to the genre. And, it is the first in a series—I will be interested to see where Caraway adventures next…

[bookspinesandspectacles]

✧ 28.07.23 ✧

☕️ Currently Reading: A Dark Inheritance by H.F. Askwith

was meant to be doing my online lectures but went for a macca's breakfast run after class instead because why not.

to do:

week two modules for writing the short story and managing events classes

plan event concept for assignment

[bossladykei]

Flipping the Script (Legacy Mechanics #1) by Willow Dixon

Currently reading 📖 Book Review: definitely some flipping was had….  ***Spoilers here and there***  I didn’t know this … see this what I like .. reading books about characters from other books siblings or friends. Learning that Quinn from the Crimson Club series. Is Jesse brother, not only that Ez, Wes, and Jett. As well that Ez and Wes is Jesse friend as well. Like what? Never knew this…

[torpublishinggroup]

🌪️ The wait is finally over, Stormlight Archive fans! 🌪️

The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive is out now!

Cover Art: Michael Whelan

🌟 Don’t wait, airsick lowlander—get your copy of the hardcover, audiobook, and ebook here.

[celestarly]

🍃❤️

𝐀 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐡’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐚𝐧.” “𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐤. . . Character: Eva & Bash Book: The Other Side of the Mirror - The Mirrored Trilogy . . Please don’t repost. 🤍 🖤We’d love your support through follows, shares, saves, comments, and likes! 🖤 Your engagement means a lot to us! . 🌹 Art by @celestarly 🌹 Commissioned by IG @danaevyn

[paperbacksunday]

I'm sick of my own romanticism!

— Anaïs Nin, Henry and June: From the Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin

[cassiesbookishcorner]

looking forward to my tbr this month

•Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

•The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

•Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

•The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent

•Never Bargain with the Boss by Lauren Landish

[mambajaguar]

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