Today is officially Mardi Gras, which means it’s time to partayyyyy!

By which I mean sit home, where it’s safe and warm, and talk about all the books we want to read. If I’m honest, that is always my sort of party, as I think many of you introverts will agree. Hey, we can have a perfectly wild time just wrangling our TBR, thank you very much.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is purple, yellow, and/or green covers in honor of Mardi Gras.

That’s a pretty broad range, but I do love color prompts. I know the old adage says you shouldn’t judge a book by your cover, buuuut … hey, in those days they were putting arsenic on their face and drinking cocaine, so maybe we should question whether or not they were qualified to be providing life advice, hm?

So let’s get this socially distanced introvert bookwyrm party going and start talking about some of these books, shall we?

Never Cross a Highlander

From author Lisa Rayne comes an #OwnVoices historical mash-up of Dirty Harry in a kilt with Mr. and Mrs. Smith. This banter-laden historical romance proves kilts have never been more fun!

Why I want to read:

• Kilts are sexy.
• A Black Highlander in a kilt? Double sexy. Also rare in this genre.
• #OwnVoices Black Highlander romance? Triple sexy. Be still my heart.
• I 100% am love with banter.
• I liked Dirty Harry and Mr. and Mrs. Smith and I have all the curiosity now.

The Accidental Apprentice

A boy who accidentally bonds with a magical Beast must set off on an adventure in the mysterious Woods.

The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure.

Thankfully, as an apprentice to the town’s mushroom farmer, Barclay need only work hard and follow the rules to one day become the head mushroom farmer himself. No danger required. But then Barclay accidentally breaks his town’s most sacred rule: never ever EVER stray into the Woods, for within the Woods lurk vicious magical Beasts.

To Barclay’s horror, he faces a fate far worse than being eaten: he unwittingly bonds with a Beast and is run out of town by an angry mob. Determined to break this bond and return home, Barclay journeys to find the mysterious town of Lore Keepers, people who have also bonded with Beasts and share their powers.

But after making new friends, entering a dangerous apprenticeship exam, and even facing the legendary Beast of the Woods, Barclay must make a difficult choice: return to the home and rules he’s always known, or embrace the adventure awaiting him.

Why I want to read:

• Yay for accidentally bonding with random wolves!
• Best way to get a furry sidekick. Or, you know, rabies.
• I will always show up for adventures in the woods. Any woods. Especially dangerous ones.
• Reluctant heroes, FTW!
• I’ve heard this is really freaking good, and I’ve been waiting for it!

City of the Plague God

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents CITY OF THE PLAGUE GOD, an adventure based on ancient Mesopotamian mythology written by Sarwat Chadda, author of the Ash Mistry series. Characters from the Epic of Gilgamesh populate this high-stakes contemporary adventure in which all of Manhattan is threatened by the ancient god of plagues.

Thirteen-year-old Sik wants a simple life going to school and helping at his parents’ deli in the evenings. But all that is blown to smithereens when Nergal comes looking for him, thinking that Sik holds the secret to eternal life.Turns out Sik is immortal but doesn’t know it, and that’s about to get him and the entire city into deep, deep trouble.

Sik’s not in this alone. He’s got Belet, the adopted daughter of Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, on his side, and a former hero named Gilgamesh, who has taken up gardening in Central Park. Now all they have to do is retrieve the Flower of Immortality to save Manhattan from being wiped out by disease. To succeed, they’ll have to conquer sly demons, treacherous gods, and their own darkest nightmares.

Why I want to read:

• I am a fan of plagues. Wait, I mean … yay gods?
• New Rick Riordan Presents book!
• AND it’s based on Mesopotamian mythology! Win!
• … I need to re-read the Epic of Gilgamesh.
• It’s set in Manhattan, which makes me laugh, because of course a plague god would focus on Manhattan. Why wouldn’t they?!

My Contrary Mary

Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?⠀

⠀

Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It’s a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.

⠀

Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But after the king meets a suspicious end, things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis are forced to navigate a viper’s nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary’s secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.

Why I want to read:

• From the authors of the My Lady Janies series!
• Historical fiction mixed with fantasy mixed with humor, which sounds like the best possible combination of genres.
• Takes historical fiction and turns it on its side.
• Renaissance France! The funnest time of France … to read about. (Probably not as great to live there, but yay creativity at least.)
• Shapeshifters! Even if it’s just mice.

The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars

A boy and his pet fox go on a quest to find a wolf who has eaten all the stars in the sky before the Shadow Witch destroys the stars and removes good magic from the world forever.

Long ago, the land of Ulv was filled with magic. But that was before a wolf ate all the Stars in the night sky, ridding the world of magic and allowing Shadow Creatures, beasts made of shadow and evil, to flourish. Twelve-year-old Bo knows the stories but thinks the Stars and the wolf who ate them are nothing more than myths—until the day Bo’s guardian, Mads, is attacked by a giant wolf straight from the legends. With his dying breath, Mads tells Bo that Ulv is in danger and the only way to prevent the Shadow Creatures from taking over is to return the Stars to the sky.

And so Bo—accompanied by his best friend, a fox called Nix, a girl named Selene who’s magic is tied to the return of the Stars, and Tam, a bird-woman who has vowed to protect Bo at all costs—sets off on a quest to find the three magical keys that will release the Stars. But Bo isn’t the only one who wants the Stars, and the friends soon find themselves fleeing angry villagers, greedy merchants, and a vengeful wolf. And all the while, an evil witch lurks in the shadows and time is running out.

Why I want to read:

• That cover! I mean, we’re here appreciating covers anyway, but oh my gosh, this cover!
• Foxes and wolves are always a win!
• Middle grade world filled with magic and darkness. And magic.
• Complicated and interesting mythology in this world.
• Shadow Creatures sound fun!

Every Bone A Prayer

Misty’s holler looks like any of the thousands of hollers that fork through the Appalachian Mountains. But Misty knows her home is different. She may be only ten, but she hears things. Even the crawdads in the creek have something to say, if you listen.

All that Misty’s sister Penny wants to talk about are the strange objects that start appearing outside their trailer. The grown-ups mutter about sins and punishment, but that doesn’t scare Misty. Not like the hurtful thing that’s been happening to her, the hurtful thing that is becoming part of her. Ever since her neighbor William cornered her in the barn, she must figure out how to get back to the Misty she was before ― the Misty who wasn’t afraid to listen.

This is the story of one tough-as-nails girl whose choices are few but whose fight is boundless, as her coping becomes a battle cry for everyone around her. Written by a survivor of sexual abuse, Every Bone a Prayer is a beautifully honest exploration of healing and of hope.

Why I want to read:

• My library’s copy seems to be well received!
• The Appalachian Mountains area is my area (granted, it’s big enough to be a lot of people’s area!)
• Not the type of book I normally read, but it sounds like a powerful, emotional story.
• I’m curious about how magical realism is used in this?
• Healing and hope are important things and themes I love in books! (You know … when I’m not reading about stabby murder assassins, okay? Don’t judge me.)

Attack of the Killer Komodos

Having rescued her town from zombifying mutant mushrooms, eleven-year-old Magnolia Stone is ready for her next adventure! Maggie and her best friend, Nate, head to Yellowstone National Park to visit Maggie’s park ranger dad. But when the kids bump into a rogue Komodo dragon, a dangerous predator that shouldn’t even be in the park, and a major earthquake separates them from Maggie’s dad, Maggie and Nate must set off alone to find him. On the way, they battle more earthquakes, landslides, wolves, and other unusual creatures. While Maggie comes up with scientific solutions to their troubles, Nate focuses on conspiracy theories and getting stellar footage for his YouTube channel. But only by combining their skills, will they have any hope of saving each other or the park.

Why I want to read:

• I loved the first book, The Mutant Mushroom Takeover.
• Combines adventure with STEM, particularly science!
• Komodo dragons are still dragons. It’s in the name. I’m counting it!
• Set in Yellowstone National Park!
• “Earthquakes, landslides, wolves, and other unusual creatures” — I’m for three out of four of these and super curious about the last one!

The House of Always

What if you were imprisoned for all eternity?

In the aftermath of the Ritual of Night, everything has changed.

The Eight Immortals have catastrophically failed to stop Kihrin’s enemies, who are moving forward with their plans to free Vol Karoth, the King of Demons. Kihrin has his own ideas about how to fight back, but even if he’s willing to sacrifice everything for victory, the cost may prove too high for his allies.

Now they face a choice: can they save the world while saving Kihrin, too? Or will they be forced to watch as he becomes the very evil they have all sworn to destroy.

Why I want to read:

• Next book in one of my favorite series, A Chorus of Dragons!
• … there’s dragons … in case you missed that in the title.
• Angry, fierce octopus thing? Color me intrigued!
• Must find out what happens to my poor babies next. *clings to all the characters and huggles them close*

Maya and the Return of the Godlings

In this highly anticipated sequel, Maya and the godlings must return to the sinister world of The Dark to retrieve the one thing keeping the veil between the worlds from crumbling: her father’s soul. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky and Willia of the Wood.

Why I want to read:

• Sequel to Maya and the Rising Dark, which I enjoyed!
• Features the Orisha pantheon as characters in the book!
• Protagonist uses a staff + magic for fun, dynamic fight scenes.
• Another journey to The Dark and the stakes are higher than ever.
• Lots of squad vibes and friendship bonds.

A Darkness of Dragons

After playing a forbidden spell-song to save a village from rats, 12-year-old piper Patch Brightwater is thrown in jail. But there he meets Wren – a noble girl under a rat-shaped curse – and together they befriend Barver, a fearsome dracogriff, and set off on a grand adventure filled with sorcerers, dragons, bandits…and one very deadly enemy.

From the depths of the Tiviscan dungeons to the highest peak of Gemspar Mountain, this stunning book reminds us of the soaring joy of adventure, the captivating danger of magic, and of the delight of finding friends in unexpected places.

Why I want to read:

• Dragons! Hmmm this post seems to have a secondary theme. Weird. Who would’ve guessed?
• Retelling of The Pied Piper.
• I don’t know what a dracogriff is, but I WANT ONE, DARN IT.
• The magic in this sounds utterly charming and completely dangerous. Perfect combination!
• Squad vibes? Sounds like friendship bonds, at the very least!

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