More than that, it doesn’t mean I couldn’t use a break. Which is why today I’m giving you a few details on the upcoming Hail & Well Read hiatus. I know, I know, hiatuses are no fun, but a little rest now will mean a lot in the future. And never fear, because there’s even a plan! Summer break starts now! ☀️
Continue reading “Hail & Well Read on Hiatus || Never Too Old for Summer Break!”
I missed the Books About a Death topic back in April, and since I struggled with most of April’s topics save this one, I figured it was worth revisiting. When you read lots of a fantasy and mystery, there’s bound to be some books about a death floating around!
And as ever, shoutout to Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads for running Top 5 Tuesday! She rocks at choosing topics, and if only I were as on top of it on Tuesdays as she is!
Since I missed last week’s Top 5 Tuesday, which was all about snacks, and since this week is about the best drinks to have on hand during reading hours, why not combine them into one? Is this because I’m very picky about what I consume? Perhaps. And is it also because I can’t believe I missed last week? Maybe. But reading refreshments are important to have on hand, so we’re doing it anyway!
And as ever, shoutout to Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads for running T5T (and tolerating my entirely unpredictable approach to actually completing the topics assigned)!
May 2022 promises some timely releases. School is almost over, summer camp is coming, and some teenagers tired of the systems of their world are gearing up to burn it down. Seems appropriate, right?
Today, check out my most anticipated releases for this month!
Goodreads || The StoryGraph || Bookshop || Adrienne’s Twitter
Music runs in Sofi’s blood.
Her father is a Musik, one of only five musicians in the country licensed to compose and perform original songs. In the kingdom of Aell, where winter is endless and magic is accessible to all, there are strict anti-magic laws ensuring music remains the last untouched art.
Sofi has spent her entire life training to inherit her father’s title. But on the day of the auditions, she is presented with unexpected competition in the form of Lara, a girl who has never before played the lute. Yet somehow, to Sofi’s horror, Lara puts on a performance that thoroughly enchants the judges.
Almost like magic.
The same day Lara wins the title of Musik, Sofi’s father dies, and a grieving Sofi sets out to prove Lara is using illegal magic in her performances. But the more time she spends with Lara, the more Sofi begins to doubt everything she knows about her family, her music, and the girl she thought was her enemy.
As Sofi works to reclaim her rightful place as a Musik, she is forced to face the dark secrets of her past and the magic she was trained to avoid—all while trying not to fall for the girl who stole her future.
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Continue reading “Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley”
Are you a fan of games where everything is adorable, even the enemies? Do you just need something wholesome to play these days? If you answered yes to any of these things, let me introduce you to Garden Story, a whimsical little fruit and veggie RPG from developer Picogram and publisher Rose City Games!
Goodreads || The StoryGraph || Bookshop || Hanna’s Twitter
CATALYST
13 points
noun: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change
When Najwa Bakri walks into her first Scrabble competition since her best friend’s death, it’s with the intention to heal and move on with her life. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to choose the very same competition where said best friend, Trina Low, died. It might be even though Najwa’s trying to change, she’s not ready to give up Trina just yet.
But the same can’t be said for all the other competitors. With Trina, the Scrabble Queen herself, gone, the throne is empty, and her friends are eager to be the next reigning champion. All’s fair in love and Scrabble, but all bets are off when Trina’s formerly inactive Instagram starts posting again, with cryptic messages suggesting that maybe Trina’s death wasn’t as straightforward as everyone thought. And maybe someone at the competition had something to do with it.
As secrets are revealed and the true colors of her friends are shown, it’s up to Najwa to find out who’s behind these mysterious posts—not just to save Trina’s memory, but to save herself.
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
EXPECTED APRIL 19TH, 2022
Goodreads || The StoryGraph || Bookshop || Chelsea’s Twitter
Piper’s fall was no accident. Did someone want her dead? It’s up to her sister to discover the truth in this shocking new thriller with an unreliable narrator, from the acclaimed author of Little Creeping Things.
Piper Sullivan was in a strange hiking accident last month and has been in a coma ever since. Her older sister, Savannah, can’t pretend to be optimistic about it; things look bad. Piper will likely never wake up, and Savannah will never get any answers about what exactly happened.
But then Savannah finds a note in Piper’s locker, inviting Piper to a meeting of their school’s wilderness club…at the very place and on the very day that she fell. Which means there was a chance that Piper wasn’t alone. Someone might’ve seen something. Worse, someone might’ve done something. But who would want to hurt the perfect Piper Sullivan…and why?
To discover the truth, Savannah joins the club on their weekend-long camping trip on the same mountain where her sister fell. But she better be careful; everyone in the club is a suspect, and everyone seems to be keeping secrets about that tragic day.
And Savannah? She’s been keeping secrets, too…
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS THE DARK WAY DOWN.
Continue reading “Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso”
Oh good, looks like we’re ready to look a little deeper into April 2022. The crystal ball is up and working, and today’s bringing you my most anticipated releases of the month! As a reminder, this isn’t a complete list of titles hitting shelves in April. It’s just a collection of the books that I’m most excited to see out in the world this month!
Goodreads || The StoryGraph || Bookshop || Katherine’s Twitter
In the middle of Budapest, there is a river. Csilla knows the river is magic. During WWII, the river kept her family safe when they needed it most–safe from the Holocaust. But that was before the Communists seized power. Before her parents were murdered by the Soviet police. Before Csilla knew things about her father’s legacy that she wishes she could forget.
Now Csilla keeps her head down, planning her escape from this country that has never loved her the way she loves it. But her carefully laid plans fall to pieces when her parents are unexpectedly, publicly exonerated. As the protests in other countries spur talk of a larger revolution in Hungary, Csilla must decide if she believes in the promise and magic of her deeply flawed country enough to risk her life to help save it, or if she should let it burn to the ground.
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.