Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #375: Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise

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 publisher:

 Find the second star from the right, and fly straight on ’til morning, all the way to Neverland, a children’s paradise with no rules, no adults, only endless adventure and enchanted forests – all led by the charismatic boy who will never grow old. 

But Wendy Darling grew up. She has a husband and a young daughter called Jane, a life in London. But one night, after all these years, Peter Pan returns. Wendy finds him outside her daughter’s window, looking to claim a new mother for his Lost Boys. But instead of Wendy, he takes Jane.

Now a grown woman, a mother, a patient and a survivor, Wendy must follow Peter back to Neverland to rescue her daughter and finally face the darkness at the heart of the island…

Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise is expected to be published June 1st, 2021 by Titan Books.

"Neverland is more nightmare than dream... This rich tale of memory and magic is sure to resonate with fans of reimagined children’s stories." Publishers Weekly

Why am I waiting on this book? It picks up after the events of Peter Pan. And it sounds darker in tone. I like that Pulishers Weekly says that people who enjoy reimagined kids ' stories will probably like this book. I'd like to know what happens to Jane. And I'd like to know more about Wendy facing the darkness at the heart of Neverland. 

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: Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

 

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!

I have no idea what kind of timeline I'm working with here, but I know what's riding on my success: Bethany's existence, Gary's freedom, the safety of the living people I love, and yeah, my vengeance. I do this and maybe Bobby Cross goes away forever. I do this and maybe I can get a little peace. (23% through on my Kindle)

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire was published May 11th, 2021 by DAW.

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 #374: The Peculiarities by David Liss

 

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 publisher: 
From popular historical fiction author David Liss (A Conspiracy of Paper) comes the tale of a clueless young man embroiled in a deadly supernatural mystery in Victorian London. Rooted in strange conspiracies and secret societies, this absurdist comedic romp combines strange bedfellows with murderous creatures, resulting in an unexpectedly delightful consequences.

All of his life, Thomas Thresher has been free of obligation and responsibility. But that is all over now. He is a twenty-three-year-old man whose best days are behind him. Thomas’s older brother Walter has trapped him in a tedious clerical job at the family bank in London, and Thomas is expected to wed a wealthy young woman in whom he has no interest.

But Thomas has more serious problems than those of a disaffected young man. There are irregularities at the bank he cannot explain. His childhood friend has mysteriously turned up dead. Worse, a verdant skin malady has infected him: leaves have begun sprouting on his skin. Thomas must conclude that it is due to the long-rumored Peculiarities. London’s famous grey fog has been concealing a rash of unnatural afflictions—and worse, the murderous Elegants.

As Thomas grows leafier, the conspiracies surrounding him become more apparent. He cannot determine whom to trust: his own family; his banking co-workers and superiors; the beautiful widow of his companion; the woman he is to marry. Perhaps a lycanthropic medium and the members of a secret occult society . . . including a strange man named Aleister Crowley.

The Peculiarities by David Liss is expected to be released September 7th, 2021 by Tachyon Publications.

Why am I waiting on this book? It sounds like it will live up to its title and be on the wild side. Also, it was described as a "comedic romp." I like a good story with humorous elements. And it sounds like historical urban fantasy. Early reviews have been positive. I think it will make for interesting reading.

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: Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen

 

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!

 Sponsors of charity balls were seldom fazed to learn that the one-night rental fee for Lipid House was a quarter of a million dollars, not including custom catering. However, rumors of goliath pythons could wipe out a season's worth of bookings. (p. 16)

Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen was released in paperback with a new epilogue May 11th, 2021 by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard.

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!

Book Review: A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

 

In an early 20th century steampunk Cairo, someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to the famous al-Jahiz. Al-Jahiz was responsible for opening a portal between worlds through which the djinn entered. Now the djinn are an accepted part of the world , many working and living among humans. 

When the murders are reported, Agent Fatma of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities is summoned to the scene. Fingers point to someone calling himself al-Jahiz as the murderer. Fatma is suspicious and doubts that he is who he says he is. She, her girlfriend Siti, and Agent Hadia investigate. Soon this al-Jahiz has the city in an uproar.

The world-building is detailed painting a vivid picture of pre-WWI, supernatural, steampunk Cairo. Places are well described as are the people. Class differences and religious differences are mentioned. 

My favorite characters are Fatma, Siti, and Hadia. They are all strong, forward looking women. Other supporting characters are also interesting such as Ahmed who is a worshipper of Sobek, one of the old gods. The djinn librarian also has a lot of  personality.

Plotwise, the book is well done with a few slow parts. There was plot and subplots. I wasn't sure the angels needed to be a part of the story, but I suspect they were included for characterization and may play a bigger role in a future book in the same world. I figured out the answer to the mystery just before the big reveal. But, I wasn't expecting the scope of the struggle that followed.

Overall, A Master of Djinn is a well-written book. It has a unique setting and interesting characters. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It looks like the first in a series, but can be read as a standalone. It has me looking forward  to more adventures of Fatma, Siti, and Hadia.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #373: Goddess of the North by Georgina Kamsika

 

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.

Detective Inspector Sara Nayar is a goddess. Literally. A Hindu goddess accidentally brought to England during Queen Victoria’s reign. Working now as a police detective, Sara survives on humanity’s innate faith in law and order.

Sheffield is a city of many gods, however, and when Sara witnesses a murder, she knows the perpetrator is divine. As a goddess of order, she must solve the crime before the god can kill again, but thousands of years living as a human has left her spiritually weak.

Vulnerable in ways she hasn’t felt since leaving India, Sara fights to balance her mortal and immortal lives as the murders around her escalate. And with tensions amongst her fellow divinity on the rise, Sara is running out of time. If she can’t restore order, find balance in the chaos, the city itself might pay the price.

Set in a vividly realized Northern city, where gods coexist with a balance of faith, Goddess of the North is a page-turning urban fantasy steeped in multicultural mythology. A murder mystery at heart, it’s an exploration of identity, love, faith, and the transformative powers of self-acceptance.

Goddess of the North by Georgina Kamsika is expected out August 4th, 2021 from REUTS Publications.

Why am I waiting on this book? The one sentence that really sold it to me mentioned "urban fantasy steeped in multicultural mythology." I enjoy a good urban fantasy. I want to see how the author writes a mystery with beings from multiple cultures.

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: Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

 

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 name is Rose Marshall. I'm both the first girl who dies in the horror movie and the one who refuses to stay buried once she's dead. I've been sixteen for more than sixty years, and I think I have some pretty good reasons to be pissed. (3% through on my Kindle)

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire was published May 11th, 2021 by DAW. It's book three in the Ghost Roads 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!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #372: A Girl Made of Air by Nydia Hetherington

 

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 Girl Made of Air is the story of the greatest funambulist who ever lived, a lyrical debut packed with myth, magic and folklore, perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern and Angela Carter.

Born into a post-war circus family, our nameless start was unwanted and forgotten, abandoned in the shadows of the big top. Until the bright light of Serendipity Wilson threw her into focus.

Now an adult, haunted by an incident in which a child was lost from the circus, our narrator, a tightrope artiste, weaves together her spellbinding tale of circus legends, earthy magic and folklore, all in the hope of finding the child…But will her story be enough to bring the pair together again?

Beautiful and intoxicating, A Girl Made of Air brings the circus to life in all of its grime and glory; Marina, Manu, Serendipity, Wilson, Fausto, Big Gen and Mouse will live long in the hearts of readers. As will this story of loss and reconciliation, of storytelling and truth.

A Girl Made of Air by Nydia Hetherington is expected to be published June 1st, 2021 by Quercus.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like the idea of the blend of circus legends, magic, and folklore. I enjoyed  Angela Carter's books. And I haven't read The Night Circus yet, but it's on my TBR list. So, I am intrigued by this circus tale.

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: Fields' Guide to Smuggling 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!

“This isn’t what I expected.” “This?” He waved his hand at the breathtaking view. “You know what I mean. Mysterious packages, car chases, and trafficking children. I wanted a vacation.” “And you’ll get one. Starting this moment, we’ll forget what happened in Athens.” (p.34)

Fields' Guide to Smuggling by Julie Mulhern is book 7 in the Poppy Fields Adventure series. It was published April 27th, 2021 by J & M Press.

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!