Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #248: A Cathedral of Myth and Bone by Kat Howard

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In these sixteen exquisite stories, Kat Howard deftly weaves in and out of the countries of myth and hagiography to write the lives of women untold and unexplored.

A woman being written into her boyfriend’s fiction is at first flattered to be his muse, but then finds her real life literally consumed and overtaken by his. A desperate young woman makes a prayer to the Saint of Sidewalks, but the miracle she receives isn’t what she expected. A painter spies a naked man, crouched by the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, transform into a beautiful white bird and decides to paint him, and becomes involved in his curse. Jeanne, a duelist and a sacred blade for God and Her holy saints, finds that the price of truth is always blood. And in the novella “Once, Future” Howard reimagines the Arthurian romance on a modern college campus as a story that is told, and told again, until the ending is right.

A Cathedral of Myth and Bone by Kat Howard is expected out September 25th, 2018 from Saga Press.

Why am I waiting on this one? I really enjoyed her novel Roses and Rot. It was well-written and inventive. I expect the same thing from the short stories and the novella.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Lonesome Paladin by S.M. Reine

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Cèsar lunged at them again, pulling his chains tight. He wanted to say, "Hey, please let me out, I don't like this. Also, I'm bored and lonely. Can I please have some grapes?"

The only thing he managed to do was snarl. The guards looked at him with open disdain, shaking their heads.

"The dude's deranged," muttered one to the other.

~ 73% through on my Kindle

Lonesome Paladin (Fistful of Daggers Book One) by S.M. Reine was published April 16th, 2018. It's a well-written urban fantasy novel.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Review: Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

This is considered #15.1 in the Dresden Files series. The stories are enjoyable even if you haven't read the complete series yet. Though if you haven't read all of the series, there are spoilers. It contains 11 short stories that were previously published and one novella that is new. The entry for Brief Cases on Goodreads has a list of all of the stories with about a one sentence summary of each.

I enjoyed all of the stories, but maybe in particular that there were 3 of them about a Bigfoot. They were mostly lighter than some of the others in the collection. I also found that I liked the story "Even Hand" which is told from Johnnie Marcone's point of view. It was nice to see another side of him, a deeper side.

The novella, "Zoo Day," I probably would have skipped if I knew ahead of time that it was in part a dog story. I generally don't read those in case something happens to the dog. But, the story was good.

The stories are all from various points in the series. Goodreads again includes where each story falls in the series in their synopsis here.

I'd have to say overall I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. The stories are well-written. You can enjoy them without having read the series, but you will encounter spoilers. There is a variety. Not all of the stories are from Harry's point of view. I would recommend this book and the series to fans of urban fantasy.

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher was released June 5th, 2018 from Ace.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book. The review is unbiased and honest.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #247: Circle of the Moon by Faith Hunter

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Set in the same world as Faith Hunter's New York Times bestselling Jane Yellowrock novels, the fourth Soulwood novel stars Nell Ingram, who channels her power from the earth.

Nell can draw magic from the land around her, and lately she's been using it to help the Psy-Law Enforcement Division, which solves paranormal crimes. Joining the team at PsyLED has allowed her to learn more about her powers and the world she always shunned--and to find true friends.
 
Head agent Rick LaFleur shifts into a panther when the moon calls him, but this time, something has gone wrong. Rick calls Nell from a riverbank--he's naked, with no memory of how he came to be there, and there's a dead black cat, sacrificed in a witch circle and killed by black magic, lying next to him. 
 
Then more animals turn up dead, and the team rushes to investigate. A blood-witch is out to kill. But when it seems as if their leader is involved in the crime, the bonds that hold the team together could shatter at any moment.

Circle of the Moon by Faith Hunter is expected to be published February 26th, 2019 from Ace.

Why am I waiting on this one? I've enjoyed watching Nell grow and change from the more timid "widder woman" she was to the professional agent she is blossoming into being in the other books in this urban fantasy series. She is tied to Rick from the other books, not in a romantic sense, but in a magical sense. So this looks to be an interesting novel. I want to see what happens to Rick and how Nell deals with it or helps him. I want to see how the team copes as well.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Yea Through I walk by J.P. Sloan

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

He continues, "It's a queer kind of life, I suppose. Certainly one the folk in town use to fuel endless rumor, as if it were necessary." (4% through on my Kindle) 

It's a queer kind of life indeed in this paranormal western featuring monsters such as the Strigoi - blood drinkers, and Wendigo - cannibals. In this quotation, Denton Folger is talking to Linthicum Odell regarding life on his homestead where his wife spends her days in the cellar as she has a peculiar affliction where she is sensitive to sunlight.

Yea Though I Walk by J.P. Sloan was published July 11th, 2016 from Curiosity Quills Press. If you're looking for a well-written weird western, this is a good one.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #246: Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The Discreet Retrieval Agency is doing a brisk holiday business of retrieving lost parcels, grandmas, and stolen wreaths. But with their main squeezes Ralph and Jimmy once more on the back burner, both Lola and Berta pine for a holiday out of New York City. So when they receive a mysterious Christmas card requesting that they retrieve an antique ring at a family gathering in Maple Hill, Vermont, they jump at the chance. Sure, the card is signed Anonymous and it's vaguely threatening, but it's Vermont.

In Maple Hill, several estranged members of the wealthy Goddard family gather. And no sooner do Lola and Berta recover the ring--from Great-Aunt Cressida Goddard's arthritic finger--than Mrs. Goddard goes toes-up, poisoned by her Negroni cocktail on ice. When the police arrive, Lola and Berta are caught-red-handed with the ring, and it becomes clear that they were in fact hired not for their cracker-jack retrieving abilities, but to be scapegoats for murder.

With no choice but to unmask the killer or be thrown in the slammer, Lola and Berta's investigations lead them deep into the secrets of Maple Hill. In a breathless pursuit along a snowy ridge, with a lovelorn Norwegian ski instructor and country bumpkin hooch smugglers hot on their heels, Lola and Berta must find out once and for all who's nice...and who's naughty.

Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance is expected to be published November 13th, 2018 from Minotaur Books.

Why am I waiting on this one? I've enjoyed the other books in the series. This is the fourth book. It promises to be just as good as the others. I expect it to have madcap adventures and good mysteries as Lola and Berta try and solve the mysteries before they get put in jail.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #245: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

One girl can make a difference...

Moscow has burned nearly to the ground, leaving its people searching for answers - and someone to hold accountable. Vasya finds herself on her own, amid a rabid mob that calls for her death, blaming her witchery for their misfortune.

Then a vengeful demon returns, renewed and stronger than ever, determined to spread chaos in his wake and never be chained again. Enlisting the hateful priest Konstantin as his servant, turmoil plagues the Muscovites and the magical creatures alike, and all find their fates resting on the shoulders of Vasya.

With an uncertain destiny ahead of her, Vasya learns surprising truths of her past as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all...

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden is expected to be published January 8th, 2019 from Del Rey.

Why am I waiting on this one? I enjoyed the other 2 books in the trilogy. I like the setting - a blend of historical and fantasy Russia. And I like the way Katherine Arden blends the world of the old tales and her new ones. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!