Hey everyone, welcome back!
After I made my initial list (which, if you haven’t seen, you can check out here) I found more books I want to check out!
At least, I was dead set on checking them out until reading the reviews 😂 Now, I’m more on the fence, but perhaps these books sound interesting to you, and maybe I’ll stop being indecisive and figure out whether or not I want to read them 😂
Perhaps I’ll have to go find samples online and see if they draw me in or not, as it was what helped me decide on most of my recent book purchases.
Before we get started, I have a couple notes:
- If they haven’t been published yet, I’ll include the release date.
- All synopses I include here are from Good Reads.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the post and find more books to read!
When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey
Synopsis:
Keeping your magic a secret is hard. Being in love with your best friend is harder.
Alexis has always been able to rely on two things: her best friends, and the magic powers they all share. Their secret is what brought them together, and their love for each other is unshakeable—even when that love is complicated. Complicated by problems like jealousy, or insecurity, or lust. Or love.
That unshakeable, complicated love is one of the only things that doesn’t change on prom night.
When accidental magic goes sideways and a boy winds up dead, Alexis and her friends come together to try to right a terrible wrong. Their first attempt fails—and their second attempt fails even harder. Left with the remains of their failed spells and more consequences than anyone could have predicted, each of them must find a way to live with their part of the story.
My Thoughts:
It revolves around prom night, magic, witches and all that fun stuff… what else could peak my interest?? I heard a lot of good things about this book, so this might be one I actually check out… but we will see 🤷♂️
Cinderella is Dead by Kaylnn Bayron
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Synopsis:
It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.
Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .
This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.
My thoughts:
Although the synopsis sounds interesting (and that title really drew me in!), from the early reviews I read, it doesn’t quite live up to its reputation. There are a few people who said it was because they realize YA Fantasy isn’t their go-to genre anymore, but other’s have said the plot is executed in a boring, and stale way. I’ll wait before buying it, or I check it out from the library, rent it… something like that. I am a fan of fairy tale retelling’s though, which is what peaked my interest in the first place, so hopefully, it’s not as bad as the early reviews have stated 🤷♂️
Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens
Synopsis:
As the tomboy daughter of the town’s preacher, Billie McCaffrey has always struggled with fitting the mold of what everyone says she should be. She’d rather wear sweats, build furniture, and get into trouble with her solid group of friends: Woods, Mash, Davey, Fifty, and Janie Lee.
But when Janie Lee confesses to Billie that she’s in love with Woods, Billie’s filled with a nagging sadness as she realizes that she is also in love with Woods…and maybe with Janie Lee, too.
Always considered “one of the guys,” Billie doesn’t want anyone slapping a label on her sexuality before she can understand it herself. So she keeps her conflicting feelings to herself, for fear of ruining the group dynamic. Except it’s not just about keeping the peace, it’s about understanding love on her terms—this thing that has always been defined as a boy and a girl falling in love and living happily ever after. For Billie—a box-defying dynamo—it’s not that simple.
My Thoughts:
I’m drawn to the idea of a novel focused on a girl who is exploring her sexuality while being the daughter of a pastor, as well as the focus on friendship. Friendship isn’t highlighted nearly enough, considering how important it is, and deserves its own spotlight in media. This also got mixed reviews, based on the writing style and execution of the story, especially in comparison to her first two novels.
After looking into this one more, I’m on the fence about reading it, but I want to look into her previous novels Faking Normal and The Lies About Truth.
Alright, that’s about all I have for this week! I wanted to keep it somewhat short and simple, but I’ll be back next week with a fun post! (At least, I think it’ll be fun! 😂)
On that note, have a good weekend, and I will see you next week!
-Erin 🙂
While you’re already here, why not check these links out? 😉
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
Medium: https://medium.com/@erin.nord87
Twitter: @ENordhof
Prose: https://theprose.com/ennord
Eclectic Erin 