March 2024 Book Haul

Another month, another book haul! This month I had enough books to actually make my haul its own separate post. However, I didn't spend a lot this month so I'll consider this to be a pretty successful haul in that regard. I'm pretty excited about everything that I got so let's go ahead and dive right in!

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Up first, I have Saint by Adrienne Young. Adrienne is one of those authors that has snuck her way onto my auto-buy list. I've loved every book I've read by her and Saint is one of the ones that I've not yet gotten to reading. It's set in her world of the Narrows as a prequel to Fable, which is probably my favorite book by her. I was at the bookstore with my mom and this was on one of the bargain tables for less than $7. I knew I had to get it at that point as I was planning on buying it at some point this year anyway. 

The next two books I got this month were my Valentine's Day treats to myself. This was my first Valentine's Day that I've been single since 2019 so I knew it was going to be a bit of a bittersweet day for me. Originally, I was going to treat myself to some nice takeout but I decided that I wanted to spend that money on these next two books instead.

The first of these was Pack Darling: The Complete Duology by Lola Rock. I ordered directly from the author's website which is the only place you can get this hardcover bind-up. Mainly, I wanted a signed copy as I absolutely fell in love with this duology at the beginning of February. Now that it's here, I am just itching to reread it all the time. It's such a fun, addicting set of books with characters that I've completely fallen for. 

I also picked up a signed copy of Redfang Royal by Lola Rock while I was in her shop. This is a sequel/spin-off to Pack Darling and I was quite eager to read it. Each of the books came signed but also came with a bookmark, a sticker, and a little postcard. They're so cute and I can't wait to properly display these on my favorite reads bookshelf in the future.

 

Then one of my most anticipated reads of the year came out: City of Lies and Legends by Kayla Edwards. This is the third book in one of my favorite urban fantasy series, House of Devils. After the pain of the last book's ending, I am incredibly excited to finally have this book in my hands. I definitely need to reread the first two books before I dive into this one but luckily I've been able to avoid spoilers rather easily up to this point. 

I had a gift voucher to a local bookstore so I decided after a particularly long set of shifts to stop in and pick something out. I ended up walking out with three beautiful titles. The first of these is The Way of the Househusband, Volume 1 by Kousuke Oono, which I had to replace after leaving my original copy in London when I moved back to the States. This is a manga about an ex-Yakuza member who has turned into a househusband for his career-focused wife. It's lighthearted, wholesome, and incredibly funny. I've already checked out the rest of the available books from the library and I'm making my way through them whenever I've got a free moment.

I also picked up Spy x Family, Volume 1 by Tatsuya Endo. This is another manga series that I've seen floating around for years and I finally picked up a copy. I don't know much about this one except that the main character is a spy who has to find a family for a cover story and he supposedly ends up with an assassin wife and a kid with special abilities. My plan is to dive into the series after I finish Househusband as my local library has all of them on Libby. 

The last book I picked up was Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong. I absolutely love this little novella bind-up and I've had the US edition on my wishlist since it came out. The US edition has each novella printed separately with different cover art and then housed in this slipcase. I was at the bookstore and this was on one of the bargain tables for less than $8 so I couldn't help myself to finally snag a copy. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Favorite Books of 2023

One of my favorite blog posts to write every year is when I get to talk about my favorite books of the year. 2023 was an interesting reading year for me in that I read a lot of series and inter-connected works. I read 101 books, read 10 series, and found a lot of new favorites which I've narrowed down to my top 10 here. However, I am being a bit cheeky and including books in the same series/inter-connected saga as one entry (otherwise this entire list would just be J. Bree books). But enough of my waffling, let's go ahead and dive in!

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Coming in at number 10, we have Ensnared by Rebecca Quinn. This is a spicy rh post-apocalyptic series that I discovered in December and devoured. Now, only the first two books have been released thus far but the third is coming hopefully in the first half of the year. They are such easy books to read and the spice is so good as well. 

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Number 9 goes to Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong. This is a novella duology set in the Secret Shanghai world and it was everything good. I loved the characters these novellas were about, I loved the stories within them, I loved the domestic fluff. It was so good. Now, I've not get read the final Secret Shanghai book because I'm scared of the ending but this book got me so excited to see how it all wraps up. 

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At number 8, I have put Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. The hype around this book was unreal and totally justified, in my opinion. I blew through it and was absolutely enthralled. Rebecca's writing is so beautiful, so moving. The characters were lovely and I am beyond nervous to see how the sequel plays out when I finally get around to it. 

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Number 7 goes to Heartstopper, Volumes 3, 4, & 5. by Alice Oseman. I already enjoyed these graphic novels but hadn't read the newest ones yet. But season 2 of the show dropped this year and I devoured it. I knew it was time to read the next volumes (and get hyped for the 5th releasing in December). I loved them. Heartstopper is everything good and pure and wonderful. I loved just getting more of these characters' stories and I just want to take each and every one, wrap them in a blanket, and give them a cookie. 

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For number 6, I have The Bonds That Tie series by J. Bree. My journey with this one is a funny one. I read the first three books at the end of 2022, the next two at the beginning of 2023, and the final one many months later. It was enjoyable and fun but not quite as much as her other series. Then, in the fall, I got the urge to reread the series. Oh my lords! The first time was addicting but this time around was all-consuming. I love these characters, this world, this story. It's such a fun time and is just one of many books that has cemented J. Bree as a new favorite. 

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Number 5 goes to the Ironside Academy series by Jane Washington. Jane writes bangers, plain and simple. I've loved everything I've ever written by her and this newest series is no exception. It's fun, it's addicting, it's like watching reality TV and being unable to turn away. Which makes sense as it's about an academy for gifted that's also a reality show. It's addicting and the three books we got in 2023 were so good. I'm eagerly anticipating the next ones in the new year. 

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For number 4, I have Crown of Oaths and Curses by J. Bree. This is the first in J. Bree's newest series that started releasing in 2023 and I am obsessed with it. Like with all of her books, I think about this one constantly. It's also the first time I've started a series of hers without all the books being out which is a new level of excruciating. This is a super slow burn fantasy romance and I was here for every second of it. I loved the angst, I loved that they're true enemies, I loved it all. Of course, my love is only made stronger by the prequel novellas (which are essential reading in my opinion). 

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Number 3 goes to City of Souls and Sinners by Kayla Edwards. This is the second book in the House of Devils series, with the first book having been my number 1 book of 2022. The sequel was my most anticipated release of this year and I was not disappointed. This book is chunky and yet I flew through it so quickly. These characters are everything to me and this book was so full of angst and pain. It tugged on my heartstrings so much and I was basically a ball of anxiety. But I loved that. The cliffhanger was insane, though, so I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel coming in just a couple months. 

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I deliberated a lot on how to place these last two, but I think I've decided that this is the correct order. My number 2 slot goes to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. Like many, FW grabbed me and didn't let me go from the moment I read the first page. I loved it so much. When IF came around, I also loved it. It was a different vibe from the first book, but I loved it nonetheless. I think about these books a lot and I'm nervous and excited to see where they go from here. 

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My top spot of number 1 is a bit cheeky because it goes to the Mounts Bay books by J. Bree. This includes the Queen Crow trilogy, Butcher of the Bay duet, and my most favorite, the Hannaford Prep series. All of these series are inter-connected in this world following the same set of characters, which is why I wanted to rate them in one slot. I'm absolutely obsessed with these books and think about them on a weekly, if not daily basis. I've already read the Hannaford Prep series twice and everyday I debate rereading them all over again. This year truly belonged to J. Bree and I loved every second of it. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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July 2023 Book Haul

Well, even though I didn't read as many books in July as I wanted, I did haul quite a few. Too many if I'm being honest. I'm anticipating the rest of the year to be pretty limited in terms of what I haul so this is probably my last big one for quite a while. Let's go ahead and dive in! 

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Up first I have Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood. This is her newest romance release. I loved The Love Hypothesis, so when I saw this for less than a fiver I snatched it up. I have literallhy no idea what it's about but what I do know is that people are raving about it and either saying it's her best novel ever or her best one since The Love Hypothesis. I'm not quite sure when I'll get around to it but hopefully soon.

Then I finally got my Fairyloot copy of Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong. I've been waiting on this for months now and I'm so glad to finally have it in my hands. I love this little novella collection and this edition is absolutely gorgeous. We have stenciled edges, an exclusive cover, beautiful artwork, and embossing. It's also signed by Chloe herself. I've already read these and really loved them so I was just happy to add to my Chloe Gong x Fairyloot collection.

Then I picked up a few cheap books that were in multi-buy deal on Amazon. I want to say I got them all for less than £10 total. The first of these was The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling. This is the second book to The Ex Hex which I read two years ago and absolutely adored. I was so excited for this one but never got around to getting it in the stress of last autumn. However, I want to read it this year and when I checked it was only £2 so I had to pick it up finally and I am so excited to get to it soon.

Then I got What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods. I've heard entirely mixed reviews on this one but when I saw it for so cheap I decided to finally read the description. This is not at all what I thought it was and the description actually intrigued me quite a bit so I decided to get the cheap copy and give it a go. 

The last one I got in this overall order was My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey. This is a romcom/murder mystery which just sounds great. I've only read one book by Tessa before but I really loved it so I'm eager to pick up more of her books and see if they live up to the hype. And this one definitely sounds right up my alley and like one I could see myself kicking my feet and cackling over.

Then I got my July Adult Fairyloot box which was Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong. I actually even got this before it officially released which was exciting. Right when I got it I started reading it as well because I was just so excited for this book. It was definitely a lot different than I initially expected but oh boy was it good. I fell in love with it and I read it in one sitting. Plus, Chloe Gong still has the ability to surprise me with her writing as I didn't see some of the twists coming. This edition features an exclusive cover, digital edges, embossing, artwork on the endpages, a reversible dust jacket, and is signed. Simply stunning.

Then I picked up the entire Seraph Black series by Jane Washington which consists of Charcoal Tears, Watercolour Smile, Lead Heart, and A Portrait of Pain. This is one of my all time favorite series and I've been wanting physical copies for as long as I've known about them. Recently, new covers were announced that I just didn't like. They weren't ugly, they just didn't fit the series in my opinion. So I decided to snag these while I still could. In my defense, it was after payday that I got these.

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag: 2023 Edition

We're halfway through the year (which is incredibly scary and confusing because how has it gone so fast?) which means it's time for my annual Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag! I've been doing this tag for a few years now and it's always quite fun. I've read 47 books this year so far so I've definitely got a lot of source material to pull from to answer these questions. So, without further ado, let's go ahead and dive in!

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1: BEST BOOK YOU'VE READ

This is so hard to choose right now. I have read so many new favorites and great books this year that I already don't know how to narrow it down to top five, let alone favorite of the entire year. I think I'm going to mention two books for this one because, frankly, I love them both equally.

Up first, to no one's surprise, is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. This has taken the book community by storm recently and I am a willing participant in the madness. I read this only a week or so after it released in one sitting and it was everything to me. There's not one bit of this book that I have fault with and I am so incredibly in love with it. I can't wait for the sequel, which has me even more excited as there's only six months between the releases instead of the usual year or more. I did write a gushy book review here if you want to know more of my thoughts. 

Then, tied for first, is the Hannaford Prep series by J. Bree. This is a why-choose, bully/organized crime romance. I am 100% the target audience for this book and it had actually been on my TBR for a while. I read another of this author's series and when I saw that this was by the same author I just decided to give it a go. Oh boy was it the best call I've made this year! I blew through this series so fast, and the sequel/prequel ones, and have already reread it in its entirety. I love the characters, I love the setting, I love the grittiness and the passion and the violence and the humor. It's...so good. I also wrote a gushy review for this one here. 

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2. BEST SEQUEL YOU'VE READ

I think I'm going to go with City of Souls and Sinners by Kayla Edwards. The first book, City of Gods and Monsters, was my favorite book of 2022. I am absolutely obsessed with these characters and this world so Souls and Sinners was my most anticipated book of this year. I read it so quickly and was giggling, kicking my feet, stressing, crying...you name an emotion and I was feeling it. I loved it and I am in such desperate need of the third book (hopefully March 2024). You can find my review here. 

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3. NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN'T READ BUT WANT TO 

There are so many new releases I haven't gotten to yet. I think for this I'm going to pick Yellowface by R.F. Kuang though. This is Kuang's newest release and it's a satirical literary fiction novel, which is quite different from her previous genres. I've heard nothing but amazing things about this one which has me excited. Also, it focuses on the publishing industry and as a publishing professional, I feel like I'll get even more out of this than if I weren't.  

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4. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

I think I'm going to go with Boys of Brayshaw High by Meagan Brandy. This had been on my TBR for years at this point and I finally decided to read it when I was wanting something similar to Hannaford Prep. However, this was nothing like I expected and...more importantly...it was not a why choose series like I had been led to believe. This isn't to say that this is a bad book to the right reader but it wasn't for me and my expectations. 

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5. BIGGEST SURPRISE  

I don't know if I really have one for this one. Maybe Fourth Wing again? I try not to provide duplicate answers but this is the only book that really came out of nowhere for me when I didn't know what it was before and then became a top favorite. 

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6. FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR

For this, I'm definitely going with J. Bree. Out of the 47 books I've read this year, 20 of them have been J. Bree books. I've read all but one of the books she's published and I've loved every one of them. She's authors the Bonds That Tie series, which is a paranormal why choose romance series taking BookTok by storm; Hannaford Prep series, the why choose bully/crime romance series; The Queen Crow trilogy, a sequel series to Hannaford; Butcher of the Bay duet, a prequel duology to Hannaford; Angle Unseen, a companion to Hannaford; and The Mortal Fates series, which is a fantasy enemies-to-lovers which just started releasing this year. 

Hannaford Prep is definitely my favorite of hers so far but The Mortal Fates is a close second place. Every single one of her series are so different from each other but also so different from other books in the same genres. And I'm obsessed with them. She's definitely become a new auto-buy author and I cannot wait to follow along with all her releases in the future. 

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7. NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

I have to go with Ash and Harley from Hannaford Prep. Of course, I love all the boys in all of J. Bree's books but these two are just another level for me. The way they love and protect Lips, the way they're unapologetically vicious and how they embrace her world...they're everything. I'm eagerly anticipating the next books featuring these boys and Lips. 

I also love Xaden Riorsen from Fourth Wing. He is the perfect example of a favorite brooding enemies-to-lovers slow burn love interest. I don't want to explain too much to avoid spoilers but he's wonderful and I love him and can't wait to see him again. 

If you can't tell, these two books/series have taken over my life.  

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8. NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

Once again, I'm choosing two...

We have Lips from Hannaford Prep and Violet from Fourth Wing. Lips is such a badass and she takes no shit. Violet is so strong in face of the difficulties she's facing. Both of them are so different from each other but I love both of them so much and I can't choose which I love more. 

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9. BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

Right so I could say Fourth Wing or Hannaford again, but I'm going to branch out and say The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Meagan Bannen. I read this in one sitting and it was so good. However, at one part in the book I was crying so hard that I was worried about waking up the others in my household because of it. I was...not okay. So many tears. But oh such a good book.  

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10. BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

I'm going to go with Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong. This is a two-novella collection set in the Secret Shanghai universe which includes These Violent Delights and Foul Lady Fortune. I'm not going to reveal who it's about because that might give spoilers but the characters that these novellas follow are my favorites of the universe. While there was a little action and plot in these, the majority of these were just fluffy domestic stories. I loved every second and was smiling/giggling so hard throughout the entire thing. 

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11. FAVORITE BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATION

I haven't really seen any new adaptations this year so far. However, I've rewatched a few. I think The Hunger Games and The Martian remain some of my favorite adaptations. I always have such a good time rewatching them and I probably do so multiple times a year. 

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12. FAVORITE REVIEW YOU'VE WRITTEN

I think it's probably tied between Fourth Wing and The Crown of Oaths and Curses. 

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13. MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU'VE BOUGHT

Oh this is going to be so hard. I've been subscribed to Fairyloot and Illumicrate and I've gotten some Waterstones editions throughout the year. I also have so many preordered for later in the year. However, I think I'm going to go with the Fairyloot edition of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty. It has fancy endpages, embossing, stenciled edges, a fancy cover...it's just beautiful. 

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14. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR?

This is a long list and I can't possible choose just one. I've narrowed down the list a bit and it's a mix of upcoming releases and backlist TBR books I want to get to soon. 

• Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong (publishing July)
• Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong (publishing September)
• A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair
• The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody 
• Daughter of the Drowning Empire by Frankie Diane Mallis
• Lady of Darkness by Melissa K. Roehrich
• Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
• Song of the Marked by S.M. Gaither
• Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
• Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
• Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
• Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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May 2023 Wrap-Up

May was an interesting reading month for me. I didn't get to read as many books as I wanted due to lots of overtime but everything I did read was amazing. I read a total of five books (and got through 400+ pages of another) and every book was 4 stars or above. So while I didn't read very many books this month, the quality of the books were great. Let's dive in! 

Book Review: "Last Violent Call" by Chloe Gong

Title: Last Violent Call 

Author: Chloe Gong

Series: "Secret Shanghai" #3.5

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Page Length: 240 pages

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

Our Violent Ends Review

Foul Lady Fortune Review

*Will contain spoilers for These Violent Delights/Our Violent Ends* 

Last Violent Call is a collection of two novellas set just after Foul Lady Fortune, which is the first in the sequel series to the These Violent Delights duology. Basically, here's a quick little guide on how to read them and where these novellas sit: These Violent Delights -> Our Violent Ends -> Foul Lady Fortune -> Last Violent Call -> Foul Heart Huntsman (which comes out later in 2023). Anyway, LVC consists of A Foul Thing, which follows Roma and Juliette, and This Foul Murder, which follows Benedikt and Marshall. If there's one thing I love most in this world, it's these four characters. 

Let's start with A Foul Thing. Roma and Juliette have settled down into quiet lives in a small village as leaders of an underground arms ring. They live a life of domestic bliss without too much excitement. But one day they're pulled into another mystery, one that ends up impacting them more than expected.

I loved being reunited with Roma and Juliette. I always sort of refused to accept that they had died at the end of Our Violent Ends and when it was announced that they were a part of these novellas I was so excited. Words can't even describe the feelings I had when it was announced. Even though it was only a small novella, getting to be reunited with them was so much fun. The domestic bliss moments...flawless. The love they have for each other...swoonworthy. And with the way this novella has ended, I am pretty confident in saying that they'll be in Foul Heart Huntsman, which makes me so excited to know the gang's getting back together. 

This Foul Murder is all about a murder-mystery set on a train. Benedikt and Marshall are on a seven-day train ride and someone is murdered one cabin over. But if they stop for the police to investigate, their tight schedule will be ruined. Thus ensues hilarity when they convince the conductor that they're investigators and they start looking into the murder. 

I absolutely loved getting a spotlight on these two. As much as I loved them in the TVD duology, they didn't get a whole lot of page time just on the two of them. Getting over 100 pages of just the two of them on an adventure was...amazing. They're so cute together and I loved seeing them in a bit of domestic bliss together since we didn't get much of it in the original duology. I just...I love them so much. 

The two novellas do tie together and should be read in order. The events of A Foul Thing directly cause and impact This Foul Murder, so you'll be spoiled if you read the second one first. I'd say that these novellas were 70% domestic bliss/fluff and 30% plot, which is exactly what I wanted. The plot in these were pretty low-stakes for the characters, but it is an important overarching plot that will play a big role in Foul Heart Huntsman when it finally releases later this year. Chloe Gong is a mastermind. I could dive into why and could take paragraphs and paragraphs to explain but I'll keep it simple and just say she's a mastermind with how she's created these stories. 

Overall, I'm absolutely obsessed with these novellas. I loved getting slice-of-life, domestic bliss stories even if there was still plenty of mystery and murder and stabbing. The plot threads that were left at the end of these novellas leave so much potential for Foul Heart Huntsman, which just has me even more excited for it. It's definitely going to be interesting to see how Chloe wraps up both the duology and this entire world in this final book. I know it'll also be a bittersweet moment, knowing that I won't get anything more from these characters but also finally knowing how it all ends. Anyway, if you are reading the entire Secret Shanghai world, these novellas are a necessity and honestly just so much fun!

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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April 2023 Book Haul

This month was a tame month when it came to buying books. I only got five books this month, which I think is a pretty good amount for me. It's even better when I factor in that I'd previously paid for two in advance, got one for free, and got one on a steep discount. I'm pretty excited about the books I got this month so let's just dive right in! 

Most Anticipated Book Releases of 2023

One of my favorite times of year is when I get to wrap up one reading year and look ahead to the excitement of the next. I typically do a series of blog posts over the span of a few weeks around this time of year and this marks the third in that series and also one of my favorites.

Today I'm going to be discussing my most anticipated book releases for the new year. I'll be honest, I'm anticipating a lot of them. I have a document tracking book releases that includes dozens of titles over multiple years from authors and series I love, debuts I'm excited about, and series installments for books I already own. It'd be way too long to talk about them all, though, so I've narrowed it down to my top 10 releases for the new year (listed in chronological order).

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Up first, we have my most anticipated book of 2023: City of Souls and Sinners by Kayla Edwards which releases on January 31st. This is the second book in the House of Devils series, just after City of Gods and Monsters, which was my favorite book of 2022. The first book was everything to me and was a reminder of why I love reading (you can also find my review here). I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished it over the summer and I'm just grateful that the sequel is coming so soon at the beginning of the year. The author has been sharing snippets on her socials that have just got me so excited...plus it's going to be longer than the first! 

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Following that on the same day we have The Ever Storms by Amanda Foody. This is the third book in the Wilderlore series, following The Accidental Apprentice and The Weeping Tide. Amanda Foody is a recent favorite in the past few years and I absolutely adored The Accidental Apprentice when I read it. Now, I haven't yet read the sequel like I thought I would have, but I'm still excited for the third book nonetheless. I plan on doing a reread of the first book and then diving into the sequels for a binge-a-thon. These books are middle grade adventure fantasy and feel just like a warm hug. 

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And with another title releasing on the same day, we have Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare, the third and final book the The Last Hours trilogy set in the Shadowhunters world. I have heard nothing but good things about this trilogy and I've read every other Shadowhunters series thus far. The only reason I haven't read this one yet is because I've been waiting for this final book. Now that it's almost out, I can finally dive into these new books and meet an entirely new cast of characters while also revisiting some favorites. 

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Up next, on February 14th, we have the new editions of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. As many of you know, this is one of my favorite series. It's recently undergone a cover change with the new editions coming out in 2023. I am one of the minority who actually really like the new covers. Of course, I love and prefer the old covers but since I already own all of them I am happy to get new ones. Having read all the books, I can also see the symbolism behind each cover and I quite like them for that. It'll be a while before I actually buy all of them, though. 

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Then, on February 28th, we have the first of three new exciting releases from Chloe Gong this year. This one, and the one I'm probably most excited about thus far, is Last Violent Call, a collection of two novellas set in the overall Secret Shanghai world (aka These Violent Delights and Foul Lady Fortune). It was recently revealed a few weeks ago what (and who) the novellas were about and I am beyond excited. Obviously I won't give spoilers here but let's just say that I am going to flip out when I finally have this in my hands. 

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April 4th brings A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair, the second book in the Halfling Saga following A Broken Blade. A Broken Blade was one of my favorite books of 2021 and was recently republished this year with a traditional publisher. The wait for the sequel has been agonizing but I am beyond excited that we finally have a date, a title, and a cover! This is a fantasy that I absolutely fell in love with and I am very much looking forward to seeing where the series goes. However, April still seems so far away. 

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Up next on May 9th is A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand, the first book in her new Middlemist trilogy. I love Claire's writing and when this was announced I was beyond excited to read it. It's a New Adult fantasy romance trilogy and I am such a sucker for fantasy romance. I also trust Claire to make it a good story. Of course, I still have about six months to go until I can read it but that doesn't mean I'm any less excited. 

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Then we have the second of Chloe Gong's 2023 releases I'm excited for: Immortal Longings, the first in her Flesh and False Gods trilogy, which is also her adult debut. This was inspired by Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and Chloe is nothing if not a master at Shakespeare retellings. As I stated earlier, I love her Secret Shanghai books and while this one is not set in the same world, I'm very excited, especially to see how she does with making the leap into adult writing. 

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August 29th brings Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao. This is the sequel to Iron Widow, which was one of my favorite books of 2021. I couldn't put it down and I flew through it. The ending absolutely shook me and I've been eagerly anticipating the sequel's arrival (I'd hoped 2022 but alas). It's still quite far away but I'm excited nonetheless (having a goal to look towards helps). 

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And, finally, we have the second untitled Foul Lady Fortune book (or the fourth Secret Shanghai) by Chloe Gong. I loved Foul Lady Fortune when I read it and I very desperately need the sequel to come soon after the cliffhanger ending. I'm pretty sure it's the last book in the Secret Shanghai (at least that's been announced). I'm not sure I'm ready for the world to be done but I'm also excited to read it nonetheless. 

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And, of course, here are some honorable mentions...

• Realm Breaker #3 by Victoria Aveyard (I haven't read the first two but I'm hoping to binge them when the third book releases) 
• A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (I've loved everything by Samantha, even though I haven't read Priory yet)
• The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty (I've been excited for this since it was announced as I loved her other trilogy)
• A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout (This is Hawke's POV book and I'm definitely intrigued by it)
• A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal (I enjoyed her other duology and I've been looking forward to this one since it was announced)
• Crescent City #3 by Sarah J. Maas (This one is almost certainly coming in 2024 but if it does come in 2023, it would have made the #2 most anticipated release on this list) 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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