Rin Chupeco
*Spoiler Free* ARC Review: The Heart Forger (The Bone Witch #2) by Rin Chupeco
March New Releases I’m Excited For!
Another month and more new book releases! There are, of course, a few more releases coming out this month but these are the books I personally am the most excited for.
March TBR
So I have got a TON of library books and ARCs to get through this month so this TBR is going to be pretty big! Hopefully I can get through all of them too, so far “The Heart Forger” has put me in a bit of a slump because it’s awfully slow but I’m sure one of these books can help me out of it.
January TBR
So since I actually completed a monthly TBR last month I figured I go for it again, and keep my expectations realisitc! Once again I have quite a few ARCs to get through this month and a couple library books (why do I keep getting library books when I have so many physical TBR books? The world may never know.) but if I get through all of them I’ll have a couple “bonus” books to try and squeeze in as well!
I’m also planning on doing the “Beat the Backlist” challenge this year so be on the look out for that post as I will be listing all of my backlist books I plan on reading!
Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre
This might be cheating a little bit since I finished it yesterday but still counts! I wasn’t as impressed as I was expecting to be but it was still an entertaining read, I’m a sucker for a good action-packed sci-fi.
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
My current read at the moment this is kind of fantasy and sci-fi mixed together complete with emperors, kingdoms, robots, and space pirates! So far it’s really great with lots of action and interesting world building.
The Tombs by Deborah Schaumberg
Normally I’m not one for historical fiction, it really depends. However, this one has….super powers? I feel like that’s the best way to describe it or maybe more like psyhic abilities. Anyways it sounds great!
Fire & Bone by Rachel A. Marks
An urban fantasy featuring a main character who discovers she’s the daughter of a Celtic goddess. I think it sounds interesting because Celtic mythology is something I don’t see very often and would definitely enjoy reading about, however, there does seem to be a love triangle so I am a little leery.
The Ravenous by Amy Lukavics
So I do really enjoy Lukavics’ books but I heard this one wasn’t her best so I borrowed it from the library just because I want to see for myself!
Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
Also borrowed from the library I wanted to give it a read before reading my ARC of “Ace of Shades” just for fun. I’ve heard lots of good things about it so I’m excited.
Locke & Key Volumes 2 and 3 by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
I’m slowly picking through the graphic novels available at my library and actually really narrowing it down. I decided to continue with this series and see if it interests me enough to continue further with it.
BONUS BOOKS!
As I mentioned, I don’t want to pressure myself too much but IF I get through the other 8 books I have 2 more on deck!
The Heart Forger (The Bone Witch #2) by Rin Chupeco
I really loved the dark fantasy world in “The Bone Witch” and I’m very excited to continue on with the series with this ARC!
Golden Son (Red Rising #2) by Pierce Brown
I finally got a copy for Christmas so I am ready to devour the last two in preparation for “Iron Gold” that comes out this month!
Are any of these books on your TBR?
Have you read any of these, what did you think?
What are you planning on reading this month?
Let me know in the comments!
Top Ten Tuesday (Halloween Edition): Horror Books On My TBR!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
It was kind of hard for me to come up with a Halloween theme for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday because I’ve already done so many Halloween themed posts! So I decided to just go with some horror books that are still on my TBR but I can’t wait to read them!
You can find some of my other Halloween posts here:
10.) Girl of Nightmares (Anna #2) by Kendare Blake
The sequel to the amazing “Anna Dressed in Blood” so of course I need to read it! Hopefully it’s as good as the first one, I wasn’t expecting “Anna” to be as gory and scary as it was!
9.) The Suffering (The Girl from the Well #2) by Rin Chupeco
I was terrified by the first book and since I’m a sucker for scaring myself I want to read the sequel!
8.) The Diviners by Libba Bray
This might just be more of a paranormal/supernatural book and not horror but I’m including it anyways. I read the first chapter and it was pretty creepy so I’m excited to get into this series!
7.) Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
This is a book I picked up and read a quarter through and set back down. It was definitely creepy though and I do plan on picking it back up. It’s basically about a haunted suit and the ghost of the old man is haunting the main character now. Like I said it’s super creepy.
6.) It by Stephen King
I don’t think this one needs an explanation.
5.) The Child Thief by Brom
Peter Pan is my favorite fairy tale and so I’m ALL for any retelling of it but especially a dark, horror retelling.
4.) Bird Box by Josh Malerman
A short, slow horror style book but I want to give it a go. Especially since it’s really short….because I’m lazy.
3.) The Ravenous by Amy Lukavics
I’m not too sure about this book anymore since it hasn’t been getting the best of reviews but I really enjoy Lukavics’ books so I’d like to at least try it.
2.) Say Her Name by James Dawson
I’m always pretty creeped out by Blood Mary stories so I’m ready to be scared with this one.
1.) Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda
I’m currently reading Alameda’s other novel “Shutter” and really enjoying it PLUS this one sounds very similar to the Alien movie franchise and I’m here for it.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
Do you have any of these on your TBR as well?
What are some horror books that are on your TBR?
Any favorite horror books?
Let me know in the comments and Happy Halloween guys!
Halloween Non-Horror Recommendations!
So as I promised I’ve done up a post for those of you who want to read some spooky books for Halloween but don’t necessarily like horror or want your pants scared off! These are mostly all thrillers or have a paranormal factor present.
If you want to see my Halloween Horror Recommendations you can check that out here.
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova
A great diverse read featuring a Latino family of brujas (witches) and when Alex tries to rid herself of her powers her entire family vanishes. This is a very magical adventure full of family love and who doesn’t love a good witch book?
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
This is a thriller about a girl who lied about who murdered their babysitter when they were younger and must now hunt for the true killer. This doesn’t have much for Halloween vibes but it is a very dark and twisted story full of surprises. It definitely gets gritty and you’ll get chills reading through it!
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Who doesn’t think “Coraline” is a Halloween classic now? Because I sure do! It’s subtly creepy and just absolutely perfect for reading this time of year.
The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook
Another thriller but this one has some psychics involved making it all the more perfect for some Halloween reading. A girl who fakes being psychic must now help the police find a missing girl but she may just have some insider information….
Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel
Harbingers of Death? That screams Halloween in my opinion! A mysterious boy shows up in town accompanied by flocks of strange crows and when he saves Angie from something supernatural she realizes he may not be human either. Paranormal elements and a slightly creepy atmosphere makes this another great read for non-horror fans!
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Another book that shouldn’t surprise many of you but “The Graveyard Book” is about a boy who is raised by the supernatural residents of a graveyard. It’s full of adventure and just straight up adorableness.
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
A mystery thriller revolving around Jasper Dent the son of the most infamous serial killers in the world. Jasper was being groomed to take over the “family business” and therefore can see crime scenes from a criminal’s POV so when a new serial killer shows up in his small town he’s determined to prove it’s not him.
So, so, sooooo many twists and turns with this one it’s especially great if you have a morbid curiosity about serial killers, like me.
The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
I could honestly recommend any of Flynn’s books but this short story fits the best in my opinon. It’s about a woman who fakes psychic readings and help from the beyond for money. When a woman wants her help ridding her house of something evil our main character may just start believing in ghosts….
Super quick read and open ended so if open endings aren’t your thing I’d skip it.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Psychics, ancient sleeping kings, ley lines, and magic trees I think it’s safe to say this isn’t your run of the mill paranormal romance or urban fantasy. It’s full of magic and sets a very fast pace not to mention you will definitely fall in love with the characters!
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
This is more Middle Grade than YA but it’s still super interesting and full of supernatural spirits and creatures and there’s more than a few creepy moments too as Thomas learns about how to be a Spook.
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
This one is filled with monsters, demons, undead, and spirits and while it has a few dark moments it mostly follows a girl named Tea learning to control her powers of necromancy.
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
This book fits into a kind of neat genre but it’s about a girl who wants to hunt monsters and boy who is one of those monsters in a city torn into two sects. The monsters are very unique and fun to read about and the characters are a bit morally grey, definitely a fun read though and the monsters aren’t TOO creepy either!
Bad Blood by Demitria Lunetta
Another witch book makes the list! This one is about a girl who visits Scotland and learns a bit more about her family’s past as she continues having visions of two women and a bit more about witchcraft and blood magic. Honestly the background of Scotland makes this book worth the read as well!
Have you read any of this books? What did you think?
Will you give any of these books a try?
What are some of your favorite non-horror Halloween reads?
Let me know in the comments!
Halloween Horror Recommendations!
My FAVORITE part of October is getting the chance to recommend some of my favorite horror books to you all! I mean to be honest I can recommend these whenever I want but it’s more fun to do it in October!
These are all books that fall 100% into the horror genre in my opinion whether they’re actually terrifying or just an entertaining read or whether they’re full of spirits/monsters or deal with serial killers and slashers.
***I will be doing another post here soon of Halloween Recommendations for those of you who want a book that isn’t necessarily scary or horror! So some “non-spooky” books!***
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
This is about a male teen, Cas, who hunts ghosts in his spare time and now he’s on the hunt for Anna, a vengeful spirit who murders anyone who sets foot in her home. Except she spares Cas’s life.
I highly, highly recommend this for any other Supernatural fans out there as it really has the feel to the story!
Slasher Girls & Monster Boys stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
A YA horror anthology with some top notch stories! There were only a couple of duds in here but for the most part they were all excellent and definitely scary.
The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
This story follows a vengeful spirit who wreaks havoc on those who murder or do harm to children. She meets a strange boy the sucks her in but the boy has a dark secret that she wasn’t expecting…
Okay so with this one I know a few people didn’t enjoy it but I am absolutely terrified of any stories that are even remotely reminiscent of The Ring or The Grudge and have disjointed bodies crawling out of things. That’s all one big nope for me so naturally this story scared the shit out of me!
The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
This is a psychological thriller with a creepy twist, is it supernatural or is it something else? The story is told through video transcripts, journal entries, and newspaper clippings and the events all lead up to what ends in mysterious fire that killed three students and one, Carly Johnson, disappeared. In the ruins they find a diary that belonged to Carly’s twin sister, Kaitlyn, except Carly didn’t have a twin…..
I recommend this one for people who want more suspense than horror, it gets a little creepy but never anything super scary!
Alice by Christina Henry
Trigger Warnings: Rape and other graphic violence
This is one where people are the monsters and it’s very violent and graphic. It’s a retelling of “Alice in Wonderland” that’s very dark and gritty I definitely don’t recommend this to the faint of heart, you’ll have to steel your stomach for this one. However, I recommend it to anyone who thinks they can brave it because it is still an excellent story!
Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
You wouldn’t think that a graphic novel compiled of several short stories would be that scary but it is, it really is! These stories are open ended for the most part and that leaves more to your imagination in which case you’ll probably scare yourself thinking of it like I did! The illustrations are both terrifying and beautiful at the same time.
I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a quick horror read and you don’t mind open ended stories.
A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachmann
This is kind of a thriller/action-adventure/horror all rolled into one. It follows a group of teens who are invited to help explore a recently discovered underground palace in France. However, there’s something else waiting for them in the depths of the palace.
Kind of an odd story but I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a very fast-paced, suspenseful read!
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
A boy named Will Henry finds himself studying under Dr. Pellinore Warthrop who happens to be a monstrumologist, someone who studies monsters.
Pretty straight forward, this is a historical fiction and it’s a pretty dark horror story because on top of the creepy monsters there’s also just a lot of gore in general. You may get squeamish!
Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
Honestly this is one of my favorites on the list!
It’s about a pioneer family who moves out onto the prairie with a teenage daughter who is desperately trying to hide her pregnancy. However, they arrive and find a new home that was abandoned with the walls and floors covered in blood and they’ve heard rumors of the prairie being tainted by evil.
This is a wonderful mix of terrifying, gory, and twisted. You definitely will not see the twists coming at all! I recommend this one for the horror lovers out there who want to be scared silly, this one is a treat!
Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz
A group of teen contest winners all get whisked away out into the middle of nowhere to meet horror director Justin Blake. However, things start to get weird and soon they’re all trapped in a game of nightmares.
This reads exactly like a classic slasher horror movie so if you’re a fan of those you’re probably going to love this one! It’s entertaining but don’t expect a lot of depth.
And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich
One of my other favorites plus I love the cover!
Two girls, Silla and Nori, arrive at their aunt’s manor in the forest and soon learn that everything is not right and the manor may be cursed. They aren’t allowed to enter the woods, the trees feel like they’re closing in around the house, and there’s a strange man with no eyes who Nori plays with in the basement at night…..
So creepy and so good! The Creeper Man will definitely be haunting your dreams after reading this one….
The Merciless by Danielle Vega
Four girls gang up on an outcast tying her up and attempting to perform an exorcism on her. However, it’s more torture than anything else and Sofia, the new girl, wants out but if she goes against the others she may be next…
This one isn’t too creepy or scary but it definitely is full of twisted mean girls, gore galore, and some demonic possession!
If any of those things interest you I’d recommend checking this one out!
The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics
Lucy and Margaret are cousins who live with their respective parents in a mansion in the middle of the woods, one day Margaret’s mother goes missing and she slowly starts to believe she can hear her dead mother’s voice in the walls. Lucy watches as Margaret slowly goes insane and she soon starts hearing voices as well and must confront the legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations.
Not as good as “Daughters Unto Devils” but still very twisted and creepy! Most of the book is a bit slow but the ending makes it all worth it!
Dreamfall by Amy Plum
A group of teenagers enter an experiment that is supposed to help cure their insomnia but instead find themselves all trapped within a dreamworld made up of their worst nightmares.
I thought this was going to be more sci-fi than anything but was surprised by how scary it actually got! There are definitely some very creepy nightmares the kids have to make it through.
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
This one can be both scary horror and suspenseful thriller, there are some supernatural elements to the story and the situations themselves can get pretty terrifying.
A journalist, Scott McGrath, investigates the death of Ashley Cordova, the daughter of the mysterious horror film director Stanislas Cordova. He believes there’s more to her death than anyone knows and as he digs deeper he discovers more and more disturbing things about the family and wonders if he may be next.
If you want a very dark, gritty, and terrifying thriller this one is for you. It’s extremely compelling and fast paced.
The Hollow Girl by Hillary Monahan
Trigger Warning: Rape, violence, and gore
A Romani girl studying herbcraft under her Gran’s teaching befriends an outsider but on her way home one day they are both jumped and brutally assaulted leaving her friend on the brink of death. She must now utilize her dark witchcraft to extract body parts from the boys who wronged her in order to save her friend.
If revenge stories are up your alley this one is very satisfying and I loved the addition of the witchcraft. However, if you can’t handle gore or graphic violence maybe leave this one alone.
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
Are you going to give any of these horror books a try?
What are some of your favorite scary horror books?
Let me know in the comments!
Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Loved The Year I Started My Blog
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
Another week, another Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s theme is a throwback freebie so it can be anything you’d like to discuss about older books such as: books published 10 years ago, older books you forgot you loved, or books from the year you started blogging (which I’m doing!).
There are so many books I read a while ago that I don’t talk about enough and some of them I do talk about plenty. This is going to be a list of my favorite reads from 2015 back when I started this blog!
These are in no particular order and I do have reviews up for each of these books but I’m not going to link them since they’re older and slightly embarrassing! Still though they are available if you want to hear my full thoughts on some of them.
10.) A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
This was one of the first books I read when I started my blog because there was a ton of hype and glowing reviews for it! Of course I’m super happy I gave Schwab a try because she’s one of my favorite authors now.
9.) Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
I had read “Gone Girl” as well as “Dark Places” before I gave this one a go because I really enjoy the way Flynn tells her stories, they’re also super twisted. This one is probably one of my favorites of hers now as well because of that twist at the end!
8.) Slasher Girls & Monster Boys stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
This was a new release when I started my blog and I had heard a few good things about it and I’m ALWAYS looking for some great, creepy YA horror books. This is an anthology and pretty much all of the stories were fantastic plus some of them definitely did not fail to give me nightmares!
7.) Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor
I actually mention this book quite frequently but when I first started blogging I was digging around for some great books to read that I hadn’t heard of before. “Lips Touch” was one of the ones I found and it definitely is very underrated. It’s three short stories told by Laini Taylor and her writing here is just as beautiful as it is in her other book “Daughter of Smoke and Bone”. Highly recommend checking out if you’re a fan of hers!
6.) The Girl From The Well by Rin Chupeco
I bought this book when I got “Slasher Girls & Monster Boys” as well because I had heard mixed things about it and was looking for more scary reads. I’m really terrified of Japanese horror stories every since getting nightmares in the fourth grade from the movie “The Grudge” so I was easily scared reading this book, which was fun!
5.) The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
I hadn’t actually heard much about this book but I saw it in my local bookstore and the cover was so intriguing and creepy that I HAD to buy it. It’s also told in a really unique format consisting of transcripts of video footage, journal entries, and even drawings. It’s an interesting and pretty suspenseful psychological thriller.
4.) The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
This book….broke my heart! It came highly recommended when I was searching Goodreads for new books to read since I started my book blog and while it was fantastic and very well written….it was also completely emotionally devastating!
3.) Alice by Christina Henry
Okay, okay I KNOW I mention this book all the time but that’s only because it’s so fantastic! I think it’s pretty good for me to still be recommending a book two years after reading it! This is a very twisted, gritty retelling of Alice in Wonderland and is very much worth reading through in my opinion.
2.) Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
This book was actually recommended to me by one of my blogging besties Arianna @ The Quirky Book Nerd and I of course always take her recommendations to heart! This was such a hilarious graphic novel and I enjoyed every minute of it, it’s a great book to brighten up your day!
1.) Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Probably my most highly recommended book I’ve read and I was pretty proud reading two of Schwab’s books in half a year too when I started all of this! It’s got morally ambiguous characters with freaking superpowers….so yeah I was definitely impressed. I’m also DYING to read the sequel!!!!
A Few Honorable Mentions:
- You by Caroline Kepnes
- The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
- The Steep & Thorny Way by Cat Winters
- Uprooted by Naomi Novik
- The Martian by Andy Weir
- Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
Have you read any of these books as well? What did you think?
What are some of your favorite books from the year you started blogging?
How about some older favorites in general?
Let me know in the comments!
Top Ten Tuesday: Hidden Gems in Fantasy
Hello fellow book lovers!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week’s theme is Hidden Gems in whichever genre you’d like to pick! Of course I adore hidden gem recommendations and I have more than a few to give but fantasy is my most read genre so that’s the genre I went with. Some of these may be a little more iffy as far as having them be considered fantasy but there are fantasy elements none the less and most of them are 100% pure fantasy. Some of my choices also might be a little more popular than others and some of you may not consider them a “hidden” gem but they still aren’t super popular so I’d like to recommend them!
I will link up each title to my full review as well if you’d like to be convinced some more to add these to your TBR! Also these aren’t in any particular order!
10.) Alice (The Chronicles of Alice #1) by Christina Henry
This is more of a horror book than anything but it still counts as fantasy in my mind especially since it’s a dark retelling of “Alice in Wonderland”. This book isn’t for the faint of heart, it’s truly terrifying, graphic, brutal, and violent and yet it’s still an addictive story. I highly recommend reading it if you’re looking for a unique retelling!
You can read my full review of “Alice” here.
9.) Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor
A collection of three short fairy tale-esque stories all revolving around a kiss but trust me when I say it’s not the gushy romance fest you think it would be! Laini Taylor’s writing is gorgeous and she weaves together such creative tales with mythology of her own making, these stories are fantastic. Plus the illustrations are gorgeous as well!
You can read my full review of “Lips Touch: Three Times” here.
8.) The Impostor Queen (The Impostor Queen #1) by Sarah Fine
This is such an underrated fantasy novel it isn’t even fair! The magic system is one of the best I’ve come across with both fire and ice users but the magic doesn’t come without it’s costs. The Valtia is the queen of the land who is the only wielder of both ice and fire magic and when she dies it passes on to the next but when the magic doesn’t enter Elli she is forced to flee. Great characters and great world building, go give this book some more love!
You can read my full review of “The Impostor Queen” here.
7.) The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
This book is a little more well known but still not enough in my eyes! It’s an Aladdin retelling where the genie is female and they have a relationship, it’s got some great world building, badass female characters, and gorgeous writing! What more could you want?
You can read my full review of “The Forbidden Wish” here.
6.) Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas #1) by Zoraida Cordova
Not only does this book have a gorgeous cover and diverse characters but it’s also filled with magic and a very Wonderland-esque adventure. Alex is a bruja (a witch) and wants to rid herself of her powers but when she tries her whole family vanishes into thin air.
You can read my full review of “Labyrinth Lost” here.
5.) Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West
I recommend this book ALL the time and it’s probably the book on here I feel is the most underrated. It has a great story, world building, and characters plus on top of all of that it has four retellings weaved into the plot which include: Sleep Beauty, Cinderella, Hua Mulan, and Jane Austen’s Emma. It’s a fantastic story!
You can read my full review of “Kingdom of Ash and Briars” here.
4.) The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco
This is a dark fantasy featuring a witch with the gift of necromancy who goes to train under another bone witch. She must control her powers if she is going to aid her fellow witches with the war that is brewing in the kingdoms. I really loved how dark and sometimes creepy this book got especially with the necromancy, great world building too!
You can read my full review of “The Bone Witch” here.
3.) Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Once again this one is a little more popular so it may not be considered a true hidden gem but it’s not a book I see tons of people talking about all of the time either. This is a Peter Pan retelling revolving around the character Tiger Lily, her backstory, and her relationship with Peter. It’s a darker version of Neverland and you’ll definitely be heart broken by the end.
You can read my full review of “Tiger Lily” here.
2.) The Hundredth Queen (The Hundredth Queen #1) by Emily R. King
A girl raised by the Sisterhood is chosen to be the Rajah’s 100th wife and she must fight in gladiator style battles against his other 99 wives in order to secure her place. This book is full of magic and some badass females, it may not be the best written book ever but it was highly addictive and entertaining!
You can read my full review of “The Hundredth Queen” here.
1.) Mask of Shadows (Untitled #1) by Linsey Miller
This book is pretty hyped up at the moment but still isn’t receiving as much hype as it should. This is everything I wanted and expected “Throne of Glass” to be with the brutal competition to be the Queen’s assassin, plus we get a genderfluid main character!
You can read my full review of “Mask of Shadows” here.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
What are some of your hidden gems in YA fantasy?
Let me know in the comments!
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