Library Reads | #10

Here’s a little story: I went out a couple towns over to get away from my sick mother, because she just turns into a blubbery baby who has just found their voice when she is sick. I don’t think I can ever be a mom; which is totally fine with me. Anyway, I went a few towns over via transit and was there for like, an hour. Which is a long time for me to be there! I went and sat down in the teen section to cool my body and to also check out the books. Got the books that interested me, then I went and got out the books that were in reserve. Then I went to my local library and got the books that were in reserve for me there, hahaha. All in all though, I was waiting for and using transit for at least 3.5 hours.

The day’s events have left me utterly exhausted from all the stress and anxiety attacks I had, but I got library books, so I feel that all of that was well worth it. Without a further ado, here are the books I’ve borrowed!

Strange Sweet Song by Adi Rule
‘A young soprano enrolls in a remote music academy where nothing, not even her mysterious young vocal coach, is as it seems.
Outside Dunhammond Conservatory, there lies a dark forest. And in the forest, they say, lives a great beast called the Felix. But Sing da Navelli never put much faith in the rumors and myths surrounding the school; music flows in her blood, and she is there to sing for real. This prestigious academy will finally give her the chance to prove her worth—not as the daughter of world-renowned musicians—but as an artist and leading lady in her own right.
Yet despite her best efforts, there seems to be something missing from her voice. Her doubts about her own talent are underscored by the fact that she is cast as the understudy in the school’s production of her favorite opera, Angelique. Angelique was written at Dunhammond, and the legend says that the composer was inspired by forest surrounding the school, a place steeped in history, magic, and danger. But was it all a figment of his imagination, or are the fantastic figures in the opera more than imaginary? 
Sing must work with the mysterious Apprentice Nathan Daysmoor as her vocal coach, who is both her harshest critic and staunchest advocate. But Nathan has secrets of his own, secrets that are entwined with the myths and legends surrounding Dunhammond, and the great creature they say lives there.
Lyrical, gothic, and magical, Strange Sweet Song by Adi Rule will captivate and enchant readers.‘

I originally got this book out from one library but had to return it, so I borrowed it from my local library! I’m a sucker for books that take place in schools. I am so looking forward to reading this book though! I hope I get to it soon. There’s a lot of potential in this book; and it’s a standalone!!! Hopefully what I’ve conjured up in my head plays out to be true in the book. 

When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling
‘16-year-old Lacy believes that magic and science can work side by side. She’s a botanist who knows how to harness the healing power of plants. So when her father dies, Lacy tries to stay with her step-mother in Chico, where her magic is good and healing. She fears the darkness that her real mother, Cheyenne, brings out, stripping away everything that is light and kind.
Yet Cheyenne never stays away for long. Beautiful, bewitching, unstable Cheyenne who will stop at nothing, not even black magic, to keep control of her daughter’s heart. She forces Lacy to accompany her to Sacramento, and before long, the “old” Lacy starts to resurface.
But when Lacy survives a traumatic encounter, she finds herself faced with a choice. Will she use her powers to exact revenge and spiral into the darkness forever? Or will she find the strength to embrace the light?‘

I originally posted about this book on my first Friday Finds, and said that I was looking forward to reading this book. The synopsis is truly intriguing to me, and that cover! Now that I’ve borrowed When My Heart Was Wicked from the library, I just see how small this book is!! 192 pages is so tiny! Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to reading this gem.

Black Widow: Forever Red (Black Widow, #1) by Margaret Stohl
‘Enter the world of the Avengers’ iconic master spy…
Natasha Romanoff is one of the world’s most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow’s infamous academy for operatives.
Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average.The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments—until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn’t really the big sister type.
Until now.
When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned—and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava’s dreams…‘

I am honestly SO FREAKIN’ EXCITED TO READ THIS BOOK, you have no idea. Or maybe you do; I don’t know. I’ve heard that this book is actually told in the point of view from Ava. And Ava is being protected by Natasha / and maybe?? the rest of the Avengers. None of that matters, really. I am just so happy to finally have my hands on this book!

Tiger’s Curse (The Tiger’s Saga, #1) by Colleen Houck
‘Passion. Fate. Loyalty.
Would you risk it all to change your destiny?
The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.
Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.‘

I’ve honestly had Tiger’s Curse on the back of my mind for a long while now, and since I was at the library today and saw that they had it I decided to just borrow it. What’s the harm done if I don’t get to it?? I can just return it and borrow it another day. I do want to see what the hubbub surrounding this book is about though. And of course, the cover is just really freaking pretty, too.

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles, #1) by Kady Cross 
‘In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one… except the “thing” inside her.
When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch…
Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she’s special, says she’s one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.
Griffin’s investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.
But The Machinist wants to tear Griff’s little company of strays apart, and it isn’t long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she’s on even if it seems no one believes her.‘

I, again, have had this book on the back of my mind. Only because I wanted to buy it though. Then I heard that this was actually the fourth book in the series? Only to find out it wasn’t. Now I have it in my hands, thanks to the library! I’ll be honest. Even though the synopsis to this book is very interesting, I’m going to be super skeptical about this book whenever I get around to reading it.

Frozen (Heart of Dread, #1) by Melissa de la Cruz, & Michael Johnston
‘Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.
At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she’s heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.
But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.‘

Again, with the I’ve-had-my-eye-on-this-book thing. Like, ever since this book came out and I saw it in my local Chapters, have I wanted this book. I have no idea if I’ll actually like this book though. So I went to my handy-dandy library and saw that it was there! A lot of the books in this post actually, are books that I’ve decided to borrow on a whim, haha. I’m really excited to see what happens in Frozen!

Shadowlands (Shadowlands, #1) by Kate Brian
‘Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection program. Entering the program alongside her, is her father and sister Darcy. The trio starts a new life and a new beginning leaving their friends and family behind without a goodbye.
Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. Just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?‘

I got this randomly off the rotating shelves. The library has this stand of 4 shelves that rotate around. They have like, 4 of those. The synopsis sounds interesting enough, I just wish that Shadowlands was a stand alone. I’m going to drown in all the trilogies!! I don’t usually go for books that have mystery to them, so I have no idea why I picked up Shadowlands.

The Escape by Hannah Payne
‘When two boys walk into the woods, and one comes out covered in blood, what would you believe?
Fletcher and Adam venture into the woods for an afternoon hike, but when day turns into night and neither boy returns, their town is thrown into turmoil. Avery, the detective’s daughter, is the one to find Fletcher—dishelved, disoriented, and covered in blood. He has no memory of what happened, but Avery can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. When Adam’s body is finally found, Avery is determined to uncover the truth. But if she stands by her gut, and Fletcher, is she standing by a friend, or a murderer? The answer might cost her her life.‘

Finally! Another standalone. Another YA Mystery, but this one set around MURDER!! I’m intrigued. Maybe excited?? I know that I’m almost regretting so many books out of the library…

The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee
‘Quiet misfit Rose doesn’t expect to fall in love with the sleepy beach town of Leonora. Nor does she expect to become fast friends with beautiful, vivacious Pearl Kelly, organizer of the high school float at the annual Harvest Festival parade. It’s better not to get too attached when Rose and her father live on the road, driving their caravan from one place to the next whenever her dad gets itchy feet. But Rose can’t resist the mysterious charms of the town or the popular girl, try as she might.
Pearl convinces Rose to visit Edie Baker, once a renowned dressmaker, now a rumored witch. Together Rose and Edie hand-stitch an unforgettable dress of midnight blue for Rose to wear at the Harvest Festival—a dress that will have long-lasting consequences on life in Leonora, a dress that will seal the fate of one of the girls. Karen Foxlee’s breathtaking novel weaves friendship, magic, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and distinctly original.‘

Honestly who doesn’t want to read about a magical dress?? Just reading that this book is about a magical dress that might (probably) have magical repercussions made me borrow this book. I’m really looking forward to reading this!

Amber Smoke (The Escaped, #1) by Kristin Cast ‘There is a world that runs parallel to our own, a world in which the souls of the damned are caged, where they are looked over by the Furies, and where they spend eternity in torment, mirroring the devastation and mayhem they created when alive.
Someone has opened the cage.
The worst of terrors has crossed the barrier that separates our world from theirs, and the Furies send a great, albeit untested warrior—their only son, Alek—to try to bring those souls back. He is young and handsome, headstrong and impulsive, and he won’t be able to do it alone. 
Eva has grown up, beautiful and beloved, but surrounded by secrets. First, she will be hunted in an ancient feud that will threaten her life. Then, she will become the hunter.
With the police closing in and two worlds on the verge of crumbling around them, Alek and Eva must find each other, discover the limits of their powers, and work together to save everything they hold dear, including one another.‘

As I was walking back into the teen section to get another YA book, the cover for this book literally made me stop in my tracks. I saw this book out of the corner of my eye and my body just stopped walking! So when I read that this book was about Furies, I was like YES, FINALLY something NEW to READ ABOUT. Then borrowed it. I can’t wait to read this baby!

Daughter of Dusk (Midnight Thief, #2) by Livia Blackburne
‘After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster.
Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.
As tensions rise within Forge’s Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?‘

Is the second book to Midnight Thief, and holy crap am I ever excited to read this book! I really enjoyed Midnight Thief. So of course this book was a must read. Right after I finished Midnight Thief I put Daughter of Dusk on hold, it was an automatic thing! After what happened in the first book, I absolutely need to see what happens in Daughter of Dusk. I hope this book isn’t the last!! I don’t think I can handle this book being the last *gasp*.

A Darkness Strange and Lovely (Something Strange and Deadly, #2) by Susan Dennard
‘With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and sees haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her.
To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. If she can resist him, she’ll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there’s a whole new evil lurking. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.
In Paris, there’s a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.‘

You can bet your ass that I am 100% excited for this book. The last ended in a very maturely way that I’m going to have appreciate for the rest of my life. I can only imagine; until I read this book, what’ll happen in this sequel! I also have the third book, Strange and Ever After out as well, but I’m saving myself from the synopsis’ spoilers. Just know that I have it, and the cover is actually very pretty as well. All the covers for this trilogy is pretty. Sheesh. The cover artist knew what they were doing.

That’s all the books I have this week! There’s one more post that I have, that I’ve prolonged the publish date so I could get this one up sooner. I’m actually pretty bummed out that I put myself on a library & book buying ban. I have too many library books out; around 17 from one library and 19 from the other. I’ve told myself that when I finish at least(!!) half of the library books I have, I can get out more. Before I made this post though, there are still a few books that I have on hold. So those books are the exception to the new library ban I have. Unless I return a majority of the books I have.

Thank you so much for reading!! I really do honestly appreciate you reading, or just skimming my post.

Until next time!
Adele