Book Haul!!!

What better excuse is there to buy books than restarting a bookish blog? While I typically borrow most of my books from my local library, I couldn’t help some recent purchases, especially with so many beautiful covers on new releases! From The Novel Neighbor I bought Namesake by Adrienne Young, The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin, and House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas. I’m not going to lie, I haven’t read any of these authors before, but I’ve heard such great things about them, I figured it was time to give them a try (granted we all know I won’t be reading the latter two until the rest of their respective series are released)! Also, while Namesake is the second book in a duology, Adrienne Young is releasing a standalone novel that takes place in the same universe in September of this year. The City We Became is destined to be a trilogy, but I have not heard any news about the release dates for the second and third novel. Book 2 and 3 in Maas’s Crescent City series are set to be released this year and next year respectively.

I also made a trip to Barnes and Noble and bought Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas and Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, two standalone new releases in YA fantasy. There’s been a LOT of hype about Firekeeper’s Daughter, so I’m exceedingly excited to read it!

Finally, I received a signed copy of The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys as a gift. I was so joyful to receive this book as a present, as I recently read it and absolutely fell in love with it. Full disclosure, I do not typically like historical fiction novels very much. I have read all of Sepetys books, which were great, but it is rare for me to adore an historical fiction novel as much as I do The Fountains of Silence.

The book is written from multiple perspectives, but the main focus is on Daniel, an aspiring photographer from a well-to-do family visiting Spain, and Ana a young Spaniard working at a hotel, who’s parents were killed because of their political views. Ana and her siblings face severe scrutiny for their parents’ political positions, as they went against the ruling dictatorship in Spain at the time. A cute, yet naïve romance ultimately blossoms between Daniel and Ana, but the dictatorship forbids their love.

The Fountains of Silence was such an immensely moving novel that incorporated a lighthearted, but troubled romance, along with aspects of mystery. All the characters were easy to relate to and as a reader I often found myself feeling personally connected to the characters, as though they could have been friends of mine. Sepetys’s talents as a writer are apparent in all her novels, but her writing truly shines in this book. The details paint a clear picture of the time period in Spain and feel extremely real. Not only does Sepetys write a wonderfully beautiful novel, she also incorporates heart wrenchingly authentic issues that were prevalent after the Spanish Civil War. This is definitely a book you will want to pick up on your next trip to the bookstore!

Get Ready for the St. Louis Teen Book Festival

Sadly Covid-19 has taken away many of our opportunities to meet our favorite authors in person. While I did not get to meet authors frequently, the few authors I have met in person truly left an impression on me. Thankfully, libraries, authors, and local bookstores have come together to ensure that we still have unique opportunities to meet our beloved authors virtually. Starting on April 8th through April 18th, my favorite bookstore, The Novel Neighbor, has teamed up with my local library, St. Louis County Library, and HEC Media to bring us a virtual Teen Book Festival! Check out the library’s website for a full schedule of the events!

I’m so excited to (virtually) meet some of my favorite authors including Marissa Meyer, A.M. McLemore, Kim Johnson, Amie Kaufman, and Marie Lu! Who is your favorite author that you’ve met? If you could meet any author, who would it be?

Don’t Miss Out on This Book

Hello fellow bibliophiles! As we start the month of April I hope you all have a fun list of books you want to read this month. Over the years I have started reading more new releases and I was eventually asked to read and review ARCs (Advanced Reader’s Copies) for a local indie bookstore. This brings me to the OUTSTANDING new release that you absolutely need to add to your TBR list this month: The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni! It will be released on April 13th, and trust me, you do not want to wait to read this book!

Now, normally I absolutely refuse to read the first book in a series if the entire series is not yet published. The struggle of either having to remember or reread the previous books when a new book is released ultimately takes up too much reading time that could be dedicated to new books. However, a friend at The Novel Neighbor asked me if I enjoy fantasy novels (duh!) and urged me to read The Prison Healer, and by “urged” I mean she asked me and I caved in within 2 seconds. Little did I know I would finish the book in a day!

I will preface my gushing admiration of The Prison Healer with trigger warnings for sexual assault, self harm, and graphic violence. If you’re unsure of whether or not the book may be triggering for you, I recommend checking out the content warnings for the book on The StoryGraph.

I won’t include my entire book review here because there are so many spoilers, I would have to hide the majority of it anyway. Essentially the book is about a young woman, Kiva, who was put in prison as a young girl because her family was associated with a person who was suspected of treason towards the crown. 10 years later, Kiva is the prison’s healer, hence the title. This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster and leave you with your jaw on the ground at the end! It has the perfect combination of myth, fantasy, morality, and even some romance. Anyone else a fan of the “One bed” trope? I know I am! So, on your next trip to the bookstore, when you’re not sure which book to buy, pick up a copy of The Prison Healer. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

What books do you have planned for the month of April? Right now I’m buddy reading Strangers by Dean Koontz and I’m also reading A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. I’m planning on reading A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab, I am not your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, Wilder Girls by Rory Power, Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong, and Cujo: The Untold Story of My Life on and Off the Ice by Curtis Joseph.

It’s Been A While

Obviously I didn’t keep up with Biased Bibliophilia as I had planned, but I’ll pick up where I left off. Just a general update of where I’m at in my bibliophile life: I am participating in 4 challenges this year, including the Diversify Your Reading Challenge and the Words and Whimsy Three Degrees of Difficulty Reading Challenge, which has 3 levels; Easy, Medium, and Hard. I’m also slowly transitioning to using The Storygraph instead of Goodreads for many reasons, but mainly because The Storygraph is a Black-owned website, whereas Goodreads is owned by Amazon. Additionally, The Storygraph has some great features to ensure you receive fantastic recommendations and lets you filter your TBR shelf so you can pick out the exact book that you are currently in the mood for!

I wrapped up the month of March with To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini. I picked up the book solely because the author wrote The Inheritance Cycle, which were childhood favorites of mine. Little did I know that To Sleep in a Sea of Stars would become one of my all-time favorite SciFi novels! It was an epic journey that not only told a moving story of identity clashing with morality, but also included extremely loveable characters in this reader’s opinion. Not to mention that Paolini seamlessly incorporated philosophical ideas and puns, which made this philosophy major have multiple fangirl moments!

I started out the month of April with The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. I was a little apprehensive at first because I’m not always a fan of illustrated novels, but this book was one of the best middle grade books I’ve ever read! Yelchin had the idea to illustrate the novel, not by drawing pictures that accompanied the text, but by drawing pictures that conflicted with the text. While this book is meant for middle grade audiences, I sincerely think every person should read it (It’s certainly going on my “Books Everyone Should Read” shelf!). The deeper messages throughout the book were profound and something that everyone could learn and grow from. Hopefully this is the first of many great books to come in April!

I Finished the 2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge!

Hi bibliophiles!  I can finally say that I finished the 2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge as of today!  A friend of mine recommended doing the challenge to try to find books that I wouldn’t normally pick on my own.  It was a lot of fun and definitely worth it.  I read so many books that I never would have considered picking up before and I revisited a few I originally read in high school!  I’m certainly going to try to do the 2019 challenge too.  Check out the prompts and what books I read below:

  1. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen: The Martian by Andy Weir
  2. True crime: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
  3. The next book in a series you started: Split Second by Kasie West
  4. A book involving a heist: If Tomorrow Comes by Sidney Sheldon
  5. Nordic Noir: The Son by Jo Nesbø
  6. A novel based on a real person: See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt
  7. A book set in a country that fascinates you: The Bat by Jo Nesbø
  8. A book with a time of day in the title: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
  9. A book about a villain or antihero: Renegades by Marissa Meyer
  10. A book about death or grief: I was Here by Gayle Forman
  11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
  13. A book that is also a stage play or musical: Oedipus the King by Sophocles
  14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you: Searching for Beautiful by Nyrae Dawn
  15. A book about feminism: Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin
  16. A book about mental health: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
  17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
  18. A book by two authors: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
  19. A book about or involving a sport: Tales from the St. Louis Blues Locker Room: A Collection of the Greatest Blues Stories Ever Told by Bob Plager and Tom Wheatley
  20. A book by a local author: The Light Bringer by Chris DiGiuseppi & Mike Force
  21. A book with your favorite color in the title: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
  22. A book with alliteration in the title: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
  23. A book about time travel: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
  24. A book with a weather element in the title: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
  25. A book set at sea: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
  26. A book with an animal in the title: Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett
  27. A book set on a different planet: The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
  28. A book with song lyrics in the title: I have Lost my Way by Gayle Forman
  29. A book about or set on Halloween: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
  30. A book with characters who are twins: As She Fades by Abbi Glines
  31. A book mentioned in another book: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
  32. A book from a celebrity book club: The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
  33. A childhood classic you’ve never read: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll
  34. A book that’s published in 2018: Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
  35. A past GoodReads Choice Awards winner: Confess by Colleen Hoover
  36. A book set in the decade you were born: The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
  37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
  38. A book with an ugly cover: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  39. A book that involves a bookstore or library: The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson
  40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
  41. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
  42. A cyberpunk book: This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
  43. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place: Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
  44. A book tied to your ancestry: The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck
  45. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
  46. An allegory: Animal Farm by George Orwell
  47. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you: The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
  48. A microhistory: The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
  49. A book about a problem facing society today: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
  50. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

I Got Distracted: Book Review

Hi bibliophiles!  So, I have to admit I got a bit distracted while reading Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History and I ended up reading This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner instead.  I recently read the first book in the Starbound series, These Broken Stars, and I liked it, but it took me awhile to get into it.  I ended up giving it 4 stars on GoodReads.  However, I can’t say the same for This Shattered World, because it was absolutely phenomenal from the start.  *SPOILERS* I admired both protagonists, but especially Jubilee.  From the beginning of this novel I was rooting for Jubliee and was invested in her story.  The authors did well developing a strong female protagonist, while still allowing her to be vulnerable when it fit with the story line.  Flynn’s story was also intriguing and I felt heartbroken when his people shunned him.  I really appreciated that Flynn did not abandon Avon and that he did not choose Jubliee over his family and friends.  I think too many YA romance characters choose love over everything else they value in their lives and I have never seen this as something people should strive for or as realistic.  Who really wants to read about someone who abandons everything they love for someone they just fell in love with?  Lastly, I really liked that the authors brought back Lilac and Tarver in this book.  I’m glad they weren’t too intertwined with Jubilee and Flynn’s story, they were mentioned just enough to make the story interesting, but not so much that it felt like a continuation of their story.  Overall, a stunning sequel to a pretty good book!

The 2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge is here!!!

Check out all the prompts for 2019 here: https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Reading-Challenge-2019-45450968

What prompts are you most excited about?  I’m looking forward to “A book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America,” “Two books that share the same title,” and “A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom.”  I can’t wait to discover new books for 2019!

Get Ready to Read

Hi fellow bibliophiles!  Since the year is coming to an end soon, I am almost finished with my literary goals.  I am about to start a book for the last PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt that I need to finish: a microhistory.  I don’t read nonfiction often, but we’ll see how it goes.  If anyone wants to read along with me, I am starting Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt tonight.  I previously tried listening to Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang and Nate Pederson on Audible for this prompt, but I found it utterly boring and stopped after two chapters.  I’m not sure if I didn’t like the subject or the fact that it was an audiobook, which I hadn’t tried previously.  Hopefully this go-around goes better!  Happy reading!

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