Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors

 

Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors (Book 1 of 5: Nyssa Glass)  by H.L. Burke  Children's Steampunk Fiction

(from Amazon) Nyssa Glass is a reformed cat burglar turned electrician's apprentice, settled into a life repairing videophones and radio-sets. However, when her past comes calling, she finds herself framed for murder and forced into one last job. No one has entered Professor Dalhart's secluded mansion in almost a decade, at least not that returned to tell the tale. If Nyssa wants to ensure her freedom, she'll brave the booby-trapped halls and mechanized maids. Nyssa has skills, but this house has more than its share of secrets. As she steps into the cobwebbed halls lined with dusty mirrors, she has to wonder. Is the House of Mirrors really abandoned?

(My Review)

What a pleasant surprise! I found this little book very quirky and charming. It was a combination of steam punk and Frankenstein, thrown into an escape room (spooky mansion). It was a fun read, and I'd definitely recommend it.

That Weekend

 

That Weekend by Kara Thomas           YA Thriller/Suspense

(from Amazon)  Three best friends, a lake house, a secret trip - what could go wrong?  It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it's clear something terrible happened when Claire wakes up alone and bloodied on a hiking trail with no memory of the past 48 hours.  Now everyone wants answers - most of all, Claire. She remembers Friday night, but, after that...nothing. And now Kat and Jesse - her best friends - are missing.   What happened on the mountain? And where are Kat and Jesse? Claire knows the answers are buried somewhere in her memory. But as she's learning, everyone has secrets - even her best friends. And she's pretty sure she's not going to like what she remembers.

(My Review)

Hmmm....this book goes at a slow pace, and seems to a mix of tropes of many books I've read in the past year.   Not bad, but very familiar.  It was like a rich-kid drama/mystery.  It was enjoyable, but I've read better.

As Good as Dead

 

As Good as Dead (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder:  Book 3 of 3) by Holly Jackson  YA Thriller/Suspense

(from Amazon)  Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?  Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.  Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself — or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle...and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears....

(My Review)  Great book, and great conclusion to the series.  Pip finds herself being stalked, and the police don't take her seriously, so of course, she investigates it.  I highly recommend this entire series.

You'll Be the Death of Me

 

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus    YA Thriller & Suspense

(from Amazon)  Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day.   Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out from working two jobs since his family’s business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up...again.   So when the three unexpectedly run into each other, they decide to avoid their problems by ditching. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they’ve barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say...until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school - and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it’s about to get worse. It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common...like a connection to the dead kid. And they’re all hiding something.   Could it be that their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all?  

(My Review)

This book had me gripped from the very beginning, and had me guessing all the way.  It definitely has a Ferris Beuller's Day's Off Vibe at the beginning, but nothing can go wrong there, right?  I had only one complaint about this book, but if I say it, it might give something away, so I won't say anything.  Overall, it's still a great read.  

Elatsoe

 

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger    YA Paranormal Mystery

(from Amazon)  Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.   There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.   Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family. 

(My Review) 

This was such an adorable, unique story.  I loved Ellie's character, and her ability to raise the ghost of dead of animals (I would love to do that).  Such a wonderful story of family and tradition.  I listened to this on audiobook, and I could not stop saying Elatsoe in my head - such a beautiful name.  Such a great book!

The In-Between

 

The In-Between by Rebecca K.S. Ansari   Children's Mystery

(from Amazon)  Cooper is lost. Ever since his father left their family three years ago, he has become distant from his friends, constantly annoyed by his little sister, Jess, and completely fed up with the pale, creepy rich girl who moved in next door and won’t stop staring at him. So when Cooper learns of an unsolved mystery his sister has discovered online, he welcomes the distraction.  It’s the tale of a deadly train crash that occurred a hundred years ago, in which one young boy among the dead was never identified. The only distinguishing mark on him was a strange insignia on his suit coat, a symbol no one had seen before or since. Jess is fascinated by the mystery of the unknown child— because she’s seen the insignia. It’s the symbol of the jacket of the girl next door.  As they uncover more information— and mounting evidence of the girl’s seemingly impossible connection to the tragedy—Cooper and Jess begin to wonder if a similar disaster could be heading to their hometown.

(My Review)

Wow!  What an interesting book.  This book was unlike any other book I've read before (a lot of middle grade books can be so creative like that).  I love the relationship of Cooper and his sister, and how they come together to solve the mystery of the girl next door.  The story is a great mix of creepy ghost story and real-life history.  I highly recommend this book.

The Cruel Prince

 

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, Book 1 of 3) by Holly Black   YA Fantasy

(from Amazon)  Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.  And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.   Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.  To win a place at the Court, she must defy him - and face the consequences.  In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

(My Review)  This was such a good book.  It was fantasy, with faeries and war and intrigue, combined with relatable themes of family, and of course a love story.  I highly recommend this book.

January TBR

 January TBR

So, for my January TBR,  I'm going to just include a FEW books I think I might get to. I am not going to put all of the audiobooks that I am pretty sure Libby/Overdrive is going to send me.  I don't want to rush through them (October/November, I felt like I was in a race with myself, lol).  This happens with Libby/Overdrive, when I start receiving many books at one-time, and I start to feel pressure.  I have to remember that I can reschedule the books to come later.  I want to enjoy the books and not rush through them.  I read over 200 books in 2021.  While that sounds impressive, I want to take my time with my reading this year, and reading more intentionally.  What competes with that idea, is that there are so MANY AWESOME BOOKS OUT THERE!!!  :-)  So, that being said, here are the books I plan to read in January:

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead (READ)   Psychological Thriller

(from Amazon)  Ten years after graduation, Jessica Miller has planned her triumphant return to her southern, elite Duquette University, down to the envious whispers that are sure to follow in her wake. Everyone is going to see the girl she wants them to see—confident, beautiful, indifferent. Not the girl she was when she left campus, back when Heather Shelby's murder fractured everything, including the tight bond linking the six friends she'd been closest to since freshman year.But not everyone is ready to move on. Not everyone left Duquette ten years ago, and not everyone can let Heather's murder go unsolved. Someone is determined to trap the real killer, to make the guilty pay. When the six friends are reunited, they will be forced to confront what happened that night—and the years' worth of secrets each of them would do anything to keep hidden.  Told in racing dual timelines, with a dark campus setting and a darker look at friendship, love, obsession, and ambition, In My Dreams I Hold A Knife is an addictive, propulsive read you won't be able to put down.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Book 1 of 3:  The Folk of the Air) (READ)  YA Fantasy

(from Amazon)  Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.  And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.  Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.  To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.  In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. 

The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith (READ)   YA Paranormal/Fantasy

(from Amazon)  In 1911 New York City, seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress, mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior. Everything changes when she’s attacked and a man ends up dead at her feet—her scissors in his neck, and she can’t explain how they got there.  Before she can be condemned as a murderess, two cape-wearing nurses arrive to inform her she is deathly ill and ordered to report to Haxahaven Sanitarium. But Frances finds Haxahaven isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a school for witches. Within Haxahaven’s glittering walls, Frances finds the sisterhood she craves, but the headmistress warns Frances that magic is dangerous. Frances has no interest in the small, safe magic of her school, and is instead enchanted by Finn, a boy with magic himself who appears in her dreams and tells her he can teach her all she’s been craving to learn, lessons that may bring her closer to discovering what truly happened to her brother.

As Good as Dead (Book 3 of 3:  A Good Girl's Guide to Murder) by Holly Jackson  YA Suspense Thriller

(from Amazon)  Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?  Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.  Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle . . .and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears. . .

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon   LGBTQ+ Fantasy

(from Amazon)  Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?  Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.  Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle . . .and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears. . .

Beach Read by Emily Henry  Romantic Comedy

(from Amazon)  Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.  They’re polar opposites.  In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.  Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid  Contemporary Women's Fiction

(from Amazon)  Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?  Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.  Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Payback's a Witch (Book 1 of 2:  The Witches of Thistle Grove) by Lana Harper  Paranormal Romance

(from Amazon)  Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn't been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.  But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She's determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.  On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?  But most concerning of all: Why can't she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffen  YA Fantasy

(from Amazon)  For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, but now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic; the storms, more destructive. All hope lies with Clara, a once-in-a-generation Everwitch whose magic is tied to every season.  In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It's wild and volatile, and the price of her magic—losing the ones she loves—is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.  In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she's the only one who can make a difference.  In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she's terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.  In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves...before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

Good Girl, Bad Blood

 

Good Girl, Bad Blood (Book 2 of 3:  A Good Girl's Guide to Murder) by Holly Jackson  YA Thriller & Suspense

(from Amazon)  Pip is not a detective anymore.  With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.  But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.  The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?

(My Review)  

Pip's podcast of the crime she helped solve, has become popular.  Now, she finds herself investigating another crime, with her podcast audience following along.  This sequel did not disappoint, and was just as good as the first, with lots of suspense and twists and turns.  This is definitely a good read.