Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #367: The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

 

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

Master storyteller Alice Hoffman brings us the conclusion of the Practical Magic series in a spellbinding and enchanting final Owens novel brimming with lyric beauty and vivid characters.

The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over three-hundred years but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured, when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger—the curse is already at work.

A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art. The younger generation discovers secrets that have been hidden from them in matters of both magic and love by Sally, their fiercely protective mother. As Kylie Owens uncovers the truth about who she is and what her own dark powers are, her aunt Franny comes to understand that she is ready to sacrifice everything for her family, and Sally Owens realizes that she is willing to give up everything for love.

The Book of Magic is a breathtaking conclusion that celebrates mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers, and anyone who has ever been in love.

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman is expected to be published October 5th, 2021 by Simon & Schuster.

Why am I waiting on this book? I enjoyed the other books in the series that I have read. I want to see how things get tied up for the characters. 

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!

Book Review: The Shadow in the Glass by J.J.A. Harwood

 

Eleanor aka Ella was once treated like the daughter of the woman of the house. But things changed drastically when Mrs. Pembroke died and Mr.Pembroke became her guardian. Ella was sent below stairs. All of her privileges removed, she worked hard as a housemaid. Her hands become red, dry, and cracked from the hard work. 

Ella's one pleasure is when she sneaks into the library late at night and reads. Books transport her away from reality. And it is here she meets the shadow woman. The shadow woman comes across as some type of fairy godmother at first, but as things progress there are elements of Faustian type stories. For every wish Eleanor makes, there is a terrible price. And if she makes all the offered wishes, she will pay the ultimate price of her soul.

This story is definitely gothic in nature. The atmosphere is dark, grimy Victorian London. Even Granborough house is dark and crumbling. There is a perceived innocent and paranormal elements. And there is much mystery. 

The book is well plotted generally. It is a little slow in parts, but makes up for that later. 

I kind of liked Eleanor at first. As the book goes on, it gets a little harder to like her even if it is easy to understand why she would make some of the choices she does. Some of the other characters are hateable - Mr. Pembroke, for example. Some more likable, think Charles Pembroke.

Overall, the book is well written. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but it fits. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's definitely an interesting take on a Cinderella story. It's worth the read. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect the content of my review.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #366: A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

 

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

 "A vivid, subversive and feminist reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, where implacable destiny is no match for courage, sisterhood, stubbornness and a good working knowledge of fairy tales." —Katherine Arden

It's Zinnia Gray's twenty-first birthday, which is extra-special because it's the last birthday she'll ever have. When she was young, an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition. Not much is known about her illness, just that no-one has lived past twenty-one.

Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia's last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience, complete with a tower and a spinning wheel. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, just as desperate to escape her fate.

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow is expected to be published October 5th, 2021 by Tordotcom. 

Why am I waiting on this book? I enjoy retellings. This looks to be an interesting retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I like the recommendation by Katherine Arden who wrote the Winternight Trilogy. And I'm interested in reading something by this author. I think October will be a good month to read this novel.

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: The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood

 

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!

All the heat leached out of Eleanor. She couldn't stop staring at the woman's flat, black eyes. They were totally empty, as though someone had poked a finger through the eyes of a painting. (12% through on my Kindle)

The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood was published March 18th, 2021 by Harper Voyager.

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 #365: Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne

 

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

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes book two of an “action-packed, enchantingly fun” (Booklist) spin-off series, as an eccentric master of rare magic solves a supernatural mystery Down Under!

There’s only one Al MacBharrais: Though other Scotsmen may have dramatic mustaches and a taste for fancy cocktails, Al also has a unique talent. He’s a master of ink and sigil magic. In his gifted hands, paper and pen can work wondrous spells. 

But Al isn’t quite alone: He is part of a global network of sigil agents who use their powers to protect the world from mischievous gods and strange monsters. So when a fellow agent disappears under sinister circumstances in Australia, Al leaves behind the cozy pubs and cafes of Glasgow and travels to the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria to solve the mystery.

The trail to his colleague begins to pile up with bodies at alarming speed, so Al is grateful his friends have come to help—especially Nadia, his accountant who moonlights as a pit fighter. Together with a whisky-loving hobgoblin known as Buck Foi and the ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan, along with his dogs, Oberon and Starbuck, Al and Nadia will face down the wildest wonders Australia—and the supernatural world—can throw at them, and confront a legendary monster not seen in centuries.

Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne is the second book in the Ink & Sigil series. It's expected to be published August 10th, 2021 by Del Rey. 

Why am I waiting on this book? I read the first book in the series and enjoyed it. I like the characters and how they interact with each other and the world around them. I would call this urban fantasy which is one of my favorite genes.

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: The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood

 

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!

Eleanor crept down the servants' staircase. It was gone midnight - she'd heard the chimes and flinched, as she always did - and the house was quiet. The smell of rain oozed under the gap of the door to the second-floor corridor, and over the sounds of it falling Eleanor could hear something scrabbling behind the cheaply plastered wall. (26% on my Kindle)

 The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood is expected to be published March 18th, 2021 by HarperVoyager. The teaser is from an advance reader's copy. Therefore, neither the teaser nor its place in the book is set in stone.

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 #364: The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood

 

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

A deliciously gothic story of wishes and curses – a new dark fairy tale set against a Victorian backdrop full of lace and smoke.

Once upon a time Ella had wished for more than her life as a lowly maid.

Now forced to work hard under the unforgiving, lecherous gaze of the man she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.

One night, among her beloved books of far-off lands, Ella’s wishes are answered. At the stroke of midnight, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases. But each wish comes at a price and Ella must decide whether it’s one she’s willing to pay…

A smouldering, terrifying new spin on Cinderella – perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Erin Morgenstern.

The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood is expected to be published March 18th, 2021 by Harper 360. 

Why am I waiting on this book? I' enjoy retellings. This one sounds interesting for two reasons. One is the gothic bent. The second is it's a Cinderella retelling. I haven't run into many of those at novel length, though there are a few I'm aware of including Confessions of an Ugly Step sister by Gregory Maguire.

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 #363: Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

 

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

The third book of the Ghost Roads series returns to the highways of America, where hitchhiking ghost Rose Marshall continues her battle with her killer—the immortal Bobby Cross.

Lady of shadows, keeper of changes, plant the seeds of faith within me, that I might grow and flourish, that I might find my way through danger and uncertainty to the safety of your garden. Let my roots grow strong and my skin grow thick, that I might stand fast against all who would destroy me. Grant to me your favor, grant to me your grace, and when my time is done, grant to me the wisdom to lay my burdens down and rest beside you, one more flower in a sea of blooms, where nothing shall ever trouble me again.

Rose Marshall died when she was sixteen years old and on her way to her high school prom. She hasn’t been resting easy since then—Bobby Cross, the man who killed her, got away clean after running her off the road, and she’s not the kind of girl who can let something like that slide. She’s been looking for a way to stop him since before they put her body in the ground.

But things have changed in the twilight world where the spirits of the restless dead continue their “lives.” The crossroads have been destroyed, and Bobby’s protections are gone. For the first time, it might be possible for Rose to defeat him.

Not alone, though. She’ll need every friend she’s managed to make and every favor she’s managed to add to her account if she wants to stand a chance…and this may be her last chance to be avenged, since what is Bobby Cross without the crossroads?

Everything Rose knows is about to change.

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire is expected to be published May 11th, 2021 by DAW.

Why am I waiting on this book? I've been reading this series. I really want know what happens to Rose. I like her as a main character. I'm rooting for her to finally defeat Bobby Cross who has brought such danger to her afterlife.

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: Night Moves by Julie Mulhern

 

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!

My favorite spot called, and I sat and enjoyed the golf-course view till Libba plopped into the chair across from me. She wore a gray dress, and a thundercloud followed her as if it were attached to her wrist with a piece of string.  (6% through on my Kindle)

Night Moves by Julie Mulhern was published February 23rd, 2021 by J & M Press. This is the twelfth book in the Country Club Murders series. 

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!