I have been a bit quiet on the blog this month. I hit a bit of a rough patch grief-wise. Even though I got through the holidays in good shape, stopped seeing my grief therapist and had a good January and February, March was not kind, probably because our 38th anniversary would've been on the 22nd. Grief is hard work and it definitely comes in waves.
"Stacking the Shelves" was a weekly meme once upon a time, so I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books.
For Review:
I won some bound galleys from a Penguin Young Readers preview! It's so funny how I am affected by covers. These three do not have any cover art!
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood. 354 p. G.P. Putnams Sons, November 7, 2023. 9780593619919.
Publisher synopsis: Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist....
As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)
Thieves Gambit by Kayvion Lewis. 296 p. Nancy Paulsen Books/ Penguin Young Readers, September 26, 2023. 9780593625361.
Publisher synopsis: At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother’s life hanging in the balance.
In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves’ Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn’t exactly off limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world—a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.
Ross tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn’t Quest. But with the stakes this high, Ross will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win.
House of Maroinne by J. Elle. 414 p. Razorbill/ Penguin Teen, August, 2023. 9780593527702.
Publisher synopsis: A must-read for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and Bridgerton.
BURY YOUR SECRET OR DIE FOR IT.
17 year-old Quell has lived her entire life on the run. She and her mother have fled from city to city, in order to hide the deadly magic that flows through Quell’s veins.
Until someone discovers her dark secret.
To hide from the assassin hunting her, and keep her mother out of harm’s way, Quell reluctantly inducts into a debutante society of magical social elites called the Order that she never knew existed. If she can pass their three rites of membership, mastering their proper form of magic, she’ll be able to secretly bury her forbidden magic forever.
If caught, she will be killed.
But becoming the perfect debutante is a lot harder than Quell imagined, especially when there’s more than tutoring happening with Jordan, her brooding mentor and— assassin in training.
When Quell uncovers the deadly lengths the Order will go to defend its wealth and power, she’s forced to choose: embrace the dark magic she’s been running from her entire life or risk losing everything, and everyone, she’s grown to love.
Still, she fears the most formidable monster she’ll have to face is the one inside.
How to Talk Like a Bear by Charlie Grandy. Illustrated by Alex G. Griffiths. Unpgd. Flamingo Books/ Random House, March, 2023. 96780593350669.
Publisher synopsis: Told in the same fourth-wall-breaking style of B. J. Novak's The Book With No Pictures, How to Talk Like a Bear is the perfect how-to guide to speaking fluent bear.
Want to learn how to speak Bear? Well, you came to the right place. It's far more than just growling and roaring (a'common'misconception). There's a lot more to it. It's very easy to accidentally say the wrong phrase when you're trying to get your point across. For example, saying "ROOOAARR" instead of "ROAAARRRR" is the difference between wanting a sandwich and wanting to get into beekeeping.
This silly romp is perfect for read-alouds and is the exact right gift for anyone looking for a laugh (or looking to learn a new language).
Purchased: Nothing!
What's new on your pile?
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