I thought I was doing so well this week but then I put this post together and realised that I really wasn’t, haha! I write these posts on Friday mornings, even though they go up on Saturdays, and I had a totally unexpected huge delivery last Saturday morning that played havoc with my numbers (although I’m delighted to have had it)! Read on to see what’s been added to the TBR this week, from picture books to epic fantasy and more…
ARCs and review copies
I had the most amazing parcel from the fabulous Little Tiger Books this week, absolutely chock-full of lovely picture books and board books for me to review on Kitten Corner! Just take a look at all of these pretties!
Bear and Mouse: Birthday Party by Nicola Edwards and Maria Neradova
I Can Learn My First Shapes: Busy Day by Lauren Crisp and Thomas Elliott
Where’s My Dinosaur? by Kate McLelland
Little Hen Little Hen What Can You See? by Amelia Hepworth and Pintachan
These four board books all have different fun interactive elements, from flaps to sliders to feely bits to twirly bits – they’ll be great for little hands! Look out for reviews in an upcoming Kitten Corner post!
I Am A Fish by Isabel Otter and Fernando Martin
Above and Below: Sea and Shore by Harriet Evans and Hannah Bailey
Never Mess With a Pirate Princess by Holly Ryan and Siân Roberts
The first two of these you’ve seen in yesterday’s non-fiction Kitten Corner post, but I grouped them together for a nautical theme – you’ll have to wait to find out what I thought of madcap adventure story Never Mess with a Pirate Princess!
Don’t Mess with Duck! by Becky Davies and Emma Levey
Doctorsaurus by Emi-Lou May and Leire Martín
Two more silly and fun picture books with larger-than-life characters – look out for thoughts on these soon!
The Long Way Home by Corrinne Averiss and Kristyna Litten
This is the last of the Little Tiger books – it’s part of their Colour Illustration series that bridges the gap between picture book and chapter book with full-colour, fully illustrated pages. This is a very sweet, but sad, story about family and memory, with beautiful artwork.
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
This was a surprise to receive! I sometimes find John Gwynne’s writing to be a little too grimdark for me, but I’m super tempted by that beautiful cover and the promise of dragons in this one…
Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein
Another unexpected book – I’m not sure this one is going to be my cup of tea, as I’m really not much of a YA contemporary reader, but it looks like a fun story so I’ll give it a go!
Picklewitch and Jack and the Sea Wizard’s Secret by Claire Barker, illustrated by Teemu Juhani
I’m so thrilled to have this one early! I’ve been a huge fan of Picklewitch since her first outing (here are my reviews of book one and two) and I was so sad when the publication date for this instalment was pushed back by the pandemic – but it’s finally time for Picklewitch and Jack to head on holiday – I’m saving this for a shot of sunshine on a bad day because I know I’m going to love it.
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine
I absolutely loved A Memory Called Empire (like everyone else in the world!) and I’ve been impatiently waiting for the sequel since. I’m wondering if I should reread book one before I crack into this, as I’m not sure if I remember all the intricacies of the worldbuilding and political intrigues, but I’m super excited!
Voidbreaker by David Dalglish
I’m kind of terrified to read this one. I’ve been absolutely loving this series (check out my reviews of Soulkeeper and Ravencaller) but I just don’t know how things can be wrapped up in this final volume. I’m so nervous for my favourite characters – the author’s already proved ruthless, so I think I’ll be reading this one with fingers heavily crossed… I can’t wait!
Unwritten by Alicia J Novo
I’m a sucker for fantasy books about books, and this NetGalley e-ARC sounds like a rip-roaring adventure – I was sold when the blurb included witches, Egyptian gods, and Regency heroines!
Queen of All by Anya Josephs
This f/f fantasy promises a Midwinter Ball, a love triangle with a dangerous prince, and a mystery involving the history of the palace, which are all things that make me think this will be my cup of tea – fingers crossed!
Spellbound by Ophelia Silk
I’m really looking forward to this soft cottagecore fantasy about finding a witch in the woods and falling in love with her. This sounds like exactly the kind of gentle slice-of-life fantasy with personal stakes that I love.
Freebies
Manners and Monsters by Tilly Wallace
This Regency fantasy has been on my list of things to check out for ages, and I happened to notice it had been made free for a while, so it was a no-brainer to add it to my TBR!
Mistress of the Wind by Michelle Diener
I was actually looking for something else on Amazon when this freebie popped up in my list of recommendations – ‘East of the Sun, West of the Moon’ is one of my favourite fairytales so I’m always up to try a new retelling.
Purchased by me
Band Sinister by KJ Charles
An in that isn’t going on the TBR! I had a voucher for the Portal Bookshop so I ended up buying a physical copy of one of my favourite KJ Charles books. I love her writing style and am slowly collecting all her books.
The Serpent Sea by Martha Wells
With that voucher, I also picked up this, the sequel to The Cloud Roads – frustratingly, even though I measured the dimensions listed to be sure that it would match my copy of the first book, this is a different edition, so I may be exchanging this if possible. I hate having mismatched series!
Indie Bites: Vampires and Voyages
This doesn’t really count, I suppose, but the first issue of Indie Bites is out! This is a project I’ve been working on with author Josie Jaffrey – an anthology celebrating indie fantasy, with short stories, interviews, and reviews. I have a review in this one, and it’s really cool to hold it in my hands – you can check out the magazine at our site, where you can download the ebook for free, or grab a physical copy on Amazon! Our next issue, Mermaids and Mythology, will be out in May.
(running 2021 total: 86 books in, 64 read. TBR at 507)
A Cat, A Book, and A Cup of Tea 