 This book was an entirely unexpected for me and I enjoyed it so much that I started and finished it on a Sunday afternoon. I have recently started reading this author and love her writing style, she has quickly become an auto-buy author for me now. . All of her books have such a strong presence and plot that it makes the book fly by and you don’t want it to end but you have to know what happens. This book was no different than some of her other ones that I enjoyed. This story centers around two friends and what caused their fall-out years prior. Told in alternating perspectives and flashbacks you try to unfold the story right along with the characters. They also throw in the perspective of “the cat” in poetry form which added an interesting perspective. Book Synopsis: What I enjoyed most was that I understood both characters and where they were coming from. Tress just wanted to know what happened to her parents and Felicity was only person that was there when they disappeared. Her technique of getting the information was flawed and dangerous but she had become dark from her trauma and losing her last connection to her past was her last straw. Felicity on the other hand was blocking out that trauma. If she didn’t think about it, it couldn’t have happened to her and her perfect life. As you dive into both characters, as the story progresses, you begin to understand them both more. The side characters add to the story as well and add depth and understanding to both characters even though we don’t get very deep connections to any of them you are able to “know” each of them. The only issue I had with this story was the ending. That cliffhanger though! It wasn’t really an issue with the story but more of a testament to how good the story was. I seriously cannot wait for the 2nd book in this duology to come out. While it is still probably about a year out I am already ready for it. So if you are looking for a total page-turner with nods to Edgar Allan Poe this book will be right up your alley. Happy Reading! **I hope you guys enjoyed my review of this book. For transparency, I do want to let you know that I did receive this book as an ARC for review but that had no influence on my opinion.**
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 This book totally surprised me with how much a loved it. It was a little bit of a slower start but once I was in, I could not put it down! There were so many little twists and turns that added to the story and really drew you in and left you wanting the answers yourself. I really enjoyed the main character about 80% of the time, there was a point where I was seriously questioning her decisions. Even though the book does revolve on a cult, so her decisions help to show how someone could easily get drawn into a cult and its smooth-talking leader. Synopsis: Potential Spoilers Below  I think that the author did a wonderful job dealing with the cult element of the story. She presented the cult not as a typical “lunatics worshipping their leader” but as how someone who entered willing could get drawn in. She also showed the survivors deal/dealt with the aftermath of leaving a dangerous cult, and she shows both sides of someone leaving a cult by showing the leader and the survivors’ side.
If cults were something that interested, you and you want a new take on them I would highly recommend this book. I plan on picking up some of the authors other works now. While they sounded interesting before now that I have read one of her books, I have a feeling I am going to enjoy her others as well! Happy Reading! **I hope you guys enjoyed my review of this book. For transparency, I do want to let you know that I did receive this book as an ARC for review but that had no influence on my opinion.**  We are now in our second month of 2021 and I had the hardest time finding new releases for this month. At least ones that I was excited to read. I guess that means I have a chance to get to some of my unread books and there are many. Even though there are not many releases I am looking forward to one of my most anticipated comes out this month! It comes out next Tuesday and I have a review coming out for it too! Here are some of my most anticipated February releases!  The Project by Courtney Summers comes out on February 2nd and is one of my most anticipated releases. I already had the chance to read an arc of this book and absolutely loved it. It was intriguing and you wanted to solve the mystery just as much as the main character. I will have a full review out on Tuesday. If I had to pick a few words to describe this book it would be: loss and cult. It centers around a sister who is on a mission to find her sister from the cult that stole her from her years prior. I highly recommend this book!  Make up Break up by Lily Menon comes out on February 2nd and is Sandhya Menon’s first adult novel. I loved all her YA books that I had read so I am hoping this one is just as good. This book centers around two app developers who are clashing and fighting over an investment pitch. There two apps are the exact opposite of each other, but will their clashes pull them closer to each other in the end? This cute adult romance is sure to join her YA novels as a cute and witty contemporary.  A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas comes out on February 16th and it is the fourth book in the ACOTAR series. This story follows Nesta and Cassian as they navigate the night court and the new enemy that is out for the Fae. Since it is the fourth book there is not much that can be said with out giving out key details, but I cannot wait to get to spend time with this group of characters.  The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis comes out on February 16th and is a The Cask of the Amontillado retelling. 7 years ago, Tress lost her parents and everything she had when they went missing driving Felicity, her best friend, home. She now lives with her drunken Grandfather in a “White Trash Zoo” but is desperate to get the answers as to what happened that night. Felicity has buried the events of that night so far down she cannot remember them; all she knows is that she can’t look at Tress without having a panic Attack. On Halloween, Tress has a plan to get the answers she wants.  A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett comes out February 9th. Lady Violet has created a secret organization where female Scientist can practice their skill away from the public. She is also on a secret mission for the Crown. After a threat sneaks into the lab and threatens to tear her world apart, her and her new bodyguard must not only keep her safe but also discover the threat that is trying to ruin her. I love the idea of this and can’t wait to see what happens. I mean Brilliant Female Scientist in Victorian England—Yes Please! I cannot wait to see what happens with all these books and will definitely be keeping my eyes open and a space on my shelf free for these titles.
Are there any books you are looking forward to in February? Let us know if the comments! 
Hey e-book lovers! We know that we have been talking about Bookshop a lot but we haven't forgotten about you. We have been partnered with Hummingbird for a little while and they have monthly deals that we want to make sure you get to enjoy! We want to make sure that you do not miss them so we will pass them along to you as soon as we get them at the beginning of the month. There are quite a few titles on the list so we will just include our top six reads but the rest will be listed on our Hummingbird page. Hummingbird also has some free eBooks available, that list is on the main webpage as well. Click the image above or the direct links to the titles below to see the deals open! We are excited to get these offers to you and hope that you enjoy them!
Happy Reading!  We got mention in a book blog! We were reached out to about creating the perfect home reading nook and we got a special highlight in the article. You may have seen it on our Facebook page but we wanted to share it here too! Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a favorite set-up yourself? Let us know. We hope you enjoy the article below and it helps you create your own cozy reading nook! https://www.redfin.com/blog/how-to-create-the-perfect-reading-nook/ Happy Reading!  We hope you all had an AMAZING New Years Eve and that your New Year's Day is going amazing already. The good thing about 2021 already is some of the books that are coming out. There are few that I have already ordered or will order as soon as I can possibly do so. I have listed my top books below and gave you a brief description of each. This year is already starting the year off strong with one of my most anticipated books! And they keep getting better as the year goes on.
I am hoping to get to all these books this year and cannot wait to get to them all. Even if it is just adding them to my TBR.
Happy Reading! Marissa To say 2020 was a crazy year would be an understatement. We have all faced things over this year that were unforeseen but one thing is that a global pandemic can have an effect on how many books you get read in a year. My original reading goal was 50 books and I was able to pass that and will end the year at about 62 books. There was some pretty awesome books this year too! I have read a little bit of most genres over this year. From romance to sci-fi, I have also squeezed in bits of some non-fiction.  Some of my favorite authors also released books this year and added a few of those to my shelves. My favorite romance author, Mariana Zapata, released a new book which like all of her books I loved. I found some new romance authors at the beginning of quarantine as well. One of my favorite writing duos , Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, released the 2nd book in the Aurora Cycle series which I know will break my heart and I will love it. I was also lucky to get some 2021 ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies) and one of them was AMAZING! I will give you guys that review closer to its release date but it was so good and was one that I didn’t want to put down. Despite all the ups and downs of 2020, and there were many, I had a really good reading year which helped my mental health for sure. I have found new authors, read some unexpected gems, and found some books to be I excited for in 2021. Below I have listed on of my 2020 bookish stats as well as some of my favorite books from 2020. I have also include Bookshop Links to my 2020 favorites if you want to check them out.  I cannot wait to see all the new books 2021 has to bring and I hope that you guys were able to find a silver lining in 2020 despite it all. We cannot wait to share 2021 with you guys!
Happy Reading & Happy New Year! October was a crazy busy month! While I did not particularly get a lot read a lot of novels this month I did got stuff read. I was able to read 3 graphic novels reads, 2 books, and 1 audiobook. They were all pretty quick reads that took me a few hours to read. I did enjoy all the books I read this month for the most part. Now for a quick wrap-up and spoiler free review of the titles I read. Let me know if you guys want to see more in-depth reviews of any of the titles.  Pumpkin Heads was adorable graphic novel. It centered around two friends and their last season at a local pumpkin patch. It was a cute read about friendship, love, first jobs, and growing up. The artwork was super cute, and each scene flowed together smoothly. Fangirl the Manga was cute and familiar. I had read the original novel version of this book when it first came out and loved everything about it. I did have fun reading this but did not realize that it was Part 1 of the story, so I was disappointed when the story was not completed by the end. I also thought the artwork was good but after reading a few other graphic novels I did wish there were some color. I did receive this as an ARC through NetGalley so there may have been some changes between that and the final version.  Hotel for a Lost was an interesting read for me. I did not expect to like it nearly as much as I did. The story centers around a family who finds themselves staying a few nights at the Hotel Ruby. They are forced to confront the loss of their mother and what that means going forward for the family. They are also pulled into the mystery and history of the hotel and they must decide what their future will look like. It is not necessarily a creepy read but there are some “ghost story” aspects to it.  Dreamfall was our book club pick for October. It was a good read but PICK UP BOOK TWO BEFORE STARTING! The synopsis of this story is that a group of 7 teenagers are apart of a sleep related clinical trial that goes wrong. As they are fighting their way through, they must face their nightmares and fight for their lives. Unfortunately, that does not end at the end of book 1 and you need to read book 2 for the conclusion. I have started book 2 and so far, I am enjoying it more than the first. Agent 355 was a short, novella style audiobook. It was a quick story about the Culper ring in during the revolutionary war. While it did enjoy it, I do wish it were longer and more in-depth. It does make me want to find more books on the Culper ring and learn more about it though which was a benefit from reading it.  Mera: Tidebreaker was a graphic novel about the “origins” of Mera from DC’s Aquaman comics. I enjoyed this story. It was cute, quick, and the art was done really well. I do not know much about the Aquaman franchise, that being said I am not sure how much this is canon. I did end up watching the Aquaman movie after this cause I was more interested in it after reading this. If you are a DC comic person you may or may not want to pick it up, but if like me you are not familiar with the comic series it was a cute origin story.
We hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween this year. We are now ONE month closer to 2021 and that means we have another month of new releases. While there are quite a few books coming out this month, there were not many that truly caught my attention. There are quite a few very popular authors with new books coming out this month that I have included.  My most anticipated book this month is a historical fiction novel. That book is: The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein. I preordered this title right when I found out about it and it is actually coming out tomorrow, the 3rd. Like I mentioned this is a historical fiction that takes place in 1940 Scotland during World War 2. It follows 3 characters as they try to make a difference in the war and they end up with a key that would turn the events of the war. They stumble upon an Enigma Machine that can help translate German code. With this discovery of this machine they can help with the war but they also put themselves in the cross-hairs. I also strongly recommend her other titles : Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire, and The Pearl Thief. They all do an amazing job describing events of World War 2. While that is the only book I am eagerly anticipating the below titles also release in November:
Hopefully this brings you some good book recs this month! While we probably won’t have these titles right away you can always check out our Bookshop page and support us on there if you just can’t wait to have these titles!
Visit us at: https://bookshop.org/shop/randbusedbooks Happy Reading! Marissa November is almost here. Fall is in full swing and families are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving in a new way this year. November usually brings my reading taste more focused on Historical Fiction. I love a good historical fiction and tend to read stuff related to World War 2. I do prefer books that are well researched for the time and based on true events, it adds a level of realness to the stories in my mind. These are the books I am hoping to get to this month.  I am trying to patiently wait for my copy of the Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. I got a special edition and it is set to be shipping by the end of the October. I can not wait to get to this book! If you want a summary of what is about take a look at the New books of October post from earlier this month.  Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix The story centers around 3 very different young women and how their lives intersect at the Triangle Waist Factory. It is more importantly about how their lives would be impacted on that day in March when the factory caught fire and destroyed the lives of my workers.  Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys At the end of WW2 the lives of 3 children converge on the ship the Wilhelm Gustloff, which was their key to safety. Forced to unite when tragedy strikes they all need to fight for their survival. Sepetys does an amazing job researching the events of her books so I am excited to try this book by her.  The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict This books is focused around the life of Mitza Maric, brilliant physicist and the wife of Albert Einstein. She was at studying physics at an Elite Zurich university, focusing on math not marriage when she caught the eye of Albert Einstein. His interest would turn her world around and impact both of them. Their marriage becomes a partnership of the mind and of the heart, but there might not be room for more than one genius in a marriage. But did she contribute to the special theory of relativity is more than what was said? Was she simply Einstein's sounding board, an assistant performing complex mathematical equations? Or did she contribute something more?  The last book is our book Club pick for the month. For more information on this title take a look at our book club section on our event page. Let us know what you are planning on reading in November!
As Always, Happy Reading! Marissa |
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