Now that winter is finally fleeing, it’s about time that spring is in the air!
By that I mean pollen. So. Much. Pollen. Ugh. I’ve had to start taking my allergy medicine again, and it’s not even green outside yet, and that’s a travesty right there.
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is a spring cleaning freebie, but … I’m not a fan of cleaning. Or getting rid of things. Let’s not get carried away now. I am, however, a fan of spring. Mostly.
See, spring here usually means rain, and we’ve got that. In fact, just last week, our entire town was flooded. Actually, the entire state was pretty much flooded. What I’m really longing for is the green of spring, so I’ve decided to show off some decidedly green covers to get me in that spring mood!
Across the Green Grass Fields
“Welcome to the Hooflands. We’re happy to have you, even if you being here means something’s coming.”
Regan loves, and is loved, though her school-friend situation has become complicated, of late.
When she suddenly finds herself thrust through a doorway that asks her to “Be Sure” before swallowing her whole, Regan must learn to live in a world filled with centaurs, kelpies, and other magical equines―a world that expects its human visitors to step up and be heroes.
But after embracing her time with the herd, Regan discovers that not all forms of heroism are equal, and not all quests are as they seem…
First Line:
At seven, Regan Lewis was perfectly normal according to every measurement she knew, which meant she was normal in every way that counted.
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.
First Line:
Barclay Thorne knew almost all there was to know about mushrooms, and there was a lot to know.
Remote Control
“She’s the adopted daughter of the Angel of Death. Beware of her. Mind her. Death guards her like one of its own.”
The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From hereon in she would be known as Sankofa–a name that meant nothing to anyone but her, the only tie to her family and her past.
Her touch is death, and with a glance a town can fall. And she walks–alone, except for her fox companion–searching for the object that came from the sky and gave itself to her when the meteors fell and when she was yet unchanged; searching for answers.
But is there a greater purpose for Sankofa, now that Death is her constant companion?
First Line:
The moon was just rising when Sankofa came up the dirt road.
Hella
Hella is a planet where everything is oversized—especially the ambitions of the colonists.
The trees are mile-high, the dinosaur herds are huge, and the weather is extreme—so extreme, the colonists have to migrate twice a year to escape the blistering heat of summer and the atmosphere-freezing cold of winter.
Kyle is a neuro-atypical young man, emotionally challenged, but with an implant that gives him real-time access to the colony’s computer network, making him a very misunderstood savant. When an overburdened starship arrives, he becomes the link between the established colonists and the refugees from a ravaged Earth.
The Hella colony is barely self-sufficient. Can it stand the strain of a thousand new arrivals, bringing with them the same kinds of problems they thought they were fleeing?
Despite the dangers to himself and his family, Kyle is in the middle of everything—in possession of the most dangerous secret of all. Will he be caught in a growing political conspiracy? Will his reawakened emotions overwhelm his rationality? Or will he be able to use his unique ability to prevent disaster?
First Line:
I was in the shower.
I like the shower.
Long Lost
Eleven-year-old Fiona has just read a book that doesn’t exist.
When Fiona’s family moves to be closer to her older sister’s figure skating club—and far from Fiona’s close-knit group of friends—nobody seems to notice Fiona’s unhappiness. Alone and out of place, Fiona ventures to the town’s library, a rambling mansion donated to the town by the long-dead heiress. And there she finds a gripping mystery novel about a small town, family secrets, and a tragic disappearance.
Soon Fiona begins to notice strange similarities that blur the lines between the novel and her new town. And when she looks for the book again, it’s gone. Almost like it never existed. With stubbornness and a little help from a few odd Lost Lake locals, Fiona uncovers the book’s strange history. It’s not a novel, but the true story of an unsolved century-old crime filled with clues to the mystery. Lost Lake is a town of restless spirits, and Fiona will learn that both help and danger come from unexpected places—maybe even the sister she thinks doesn’t care about her anymore.
First Line:
Fiona Crane’s earliest memory was of waiting for hours in the freezing cold, and it was all her sister’s fault.
Root Magic
A historical ghost story set in South Carolina in the 1960s—a tale of courage, friendship, and Black Girl Magic.
It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven—and their uncle, Doc, tells them he’s going train them in rootwork.
Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of her family for generations—especially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out that her family’s true power goes far beyond small charms and elixirs…and not a moment too soon. Because when evil both natural and supernatural comes to show itself in town, it’s going to take every bit of the magic she has inside her to see her through.
First Line:
When Gullah people die, babies in the family get passed over the coffin so the dead person won’t come back from the beyond to take them away.
The Language of Ghosts
A historical ghost story set in South Carolina in the 1960s—a tale of courage, friendship, and Black Girl Magic.
It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven—and their uncle, Doc, tells them he’s going train them in rootwork.
Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of her family for generations—especially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out that her family’s true power goes far beyond small charms and elixirs…and not a moment too soon. Because when evil both natural and supernatural comes to show itself in town, it’s going to take every bit of the magic she has inside her to see her through.
First Line:
It was the raspberry sundae that did it.
The Gryphon’s Lair
Rowan is now the Royal Monster Hunter, and her twin brother, Rhydd, is destined to be king. But her mother’s cousin Heward is still determined that his children be the ones to inherit the titles, and will stop at nothing to show that Rowan and Rhydd are too immature to properly lead. After the gryphon that Rowan captured in Book One gives birth but then dies, Rowan is left with a baby gryphon she knows she cannot keep. And it grows faster than anyone can imagine . . .
In order to save face after an accident involving the troublesome gryphon, Rowan, with the help of her friends Dain and Alianor, along with an entourage of monstrous companions, must make a journey to the mountains to release the gryphon back into the wild. What starts off as a simple enough task soon becomes a dangerous quest, as the group encounters numerous rare and deadly monsters along the way, including wyverns and ceffyl-dwrs. Nothing is easy when you’re a “monster magnet” like Rowan.
Can she prove herself worthy of the title of Royal Monster Hunter? Find out in this exciting second book in the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying duology!
First Line:
I have a way with monsters. Unfortunately, this chickcharney seems immune to it.
Mogworld
In a world full to bursting with would-be heroes, Jim couldn’t be less interested in saving the day. His fireballs fizzle. He’s awfully grumpy. Plus, he’s been dead for about sixty years. When a renegade necromancer wrenches him from eternal slumber and into a world gone terribly, bizarrely wrong, all Jim wants is to find a way to die properly, once and for all.
On his side, he’s got a few shambling corpses, an inept thief, and a powerful death wish. But he’s up against tough odds: angry mobs of adventurers, a body falling apart at the seams – and a team of programmers racing a deadline to hammer out the last few bugs in their AI.
First Line:
A dream about my father chasing me through the fields with a pig sticker took an even more nightmarish turn when he started emitting a rhythmic high-pitched screech.
The Long Earth
NORMALLY, WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO, HE LISTENED TO THE SILENCE.
The Silence was very faint here. Almost drowned out by the sounds of the mundane world. Did people in this polished building understand how noisy it was? The roar of air conditioners and computer fans, the susurration of many voices heard but not decipherable…. This was the office of the transEarth Institute, an arm of the Black Corporation. The faceless office, all plasterboard and chrome, was dominated by a huge logo, a chesspiece knight. This wasn’t Joshua’s world. None of it was his world. In fact, when you got right down to it, he didn’t have a world; he had all of them.
ALL OF THE LONG EARTH.
I love a good color theme! Great take on the topic this week😁 My personal March TBR is very blue, for some reason, not sure how that happened.
Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy recently posted…THE SECOND BELL by Gabriela Houston – Blog Tour Review
Because you’re looking forward to blue skies? I sure am, after all the rain we’ve been getting lately. xD
Great list! I really want to try Across the Green Grass Fields.
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | Keep or Yeet?
I love this list! I ended up adding quite a few of them to my Goodreads TBR! Favourite cover of these so far is HELLA! 😍
Oops. Sorry for the additional stress to your TBR. But only a little bit sorry. 😉 Isn’t the cover for Hella fantastic? I’ve loved it since I first saw it.
Haha I don’t feel sorry at all! 😂
Great list! A few of these are on my TBR, and I’ve read (and enjoyed!) Across the Green Grass Fields. I think you’d enjoy that one, it has some great silly/snarky lines in it.
My TTT this week
Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday ~ Spring Cleaning
I should be starting Across the Green Grass Fields soon, and I’m looking forward to it!
I adore spring, too! Thank goodness it’s just around the corner.
Have you read Remote Control yet? I really loved it.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-about-fresh-starts/
I haven’t read it, but I hopefully will soon! I’ve been looking forward to it.
The Accidental Apprentice has such a lovely cover! I definitely feel you on the Spring and pollen, it hasn’t got too bad here for me yet, but once April/May hits, it definitely will.
Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #306
It’s not been horrible here, but I know it’s coming! Stuff is starting to look green again, and every few days I need to cave and take my allergy medicine already lol. I’m looking forward to the nice weather, but I could do without the pollen count. xD
Great list! I hope to read Remote Control sometime soon!
My post!
Evelyn recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – Spring Cleaning
Here’s to hoping we both enjoy it!
I’m very intrigued by a lot of these first lines! I still need to read Come Tumbling Down before reading Across the Green Grass Fields, great list!
Kyla @ Kyla’s Library recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – New Beginnings
Oh man, Come Tumbling Down was fantastic! My new favorite book of the series.
Oooh! Such beautiful green covers!
Ronyell (a.k.a Rabbitearsblog) recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #85: Top 10 Books on my Spring TBR (or it’s Spring Cleaning Time)!
Super list, Sammie! SO MANY TITLES I WANT TO READ *grabby hands* I especially can’t wait for Wilder Lore that looks like it’s gonna be SO much fun 😍I’m loving your inclusion of the first lines as well and you can bet that my TBR will be growing now (thanks lol)! Hope everyone is okay with all the flooding going on (and hopefully you get less rain and more green soon)!
Dini @ dinipandareads recently posted…#TopTenTuesday: Cutting Down That Backlist!
Woe to your poor TBR! Make sure you’re keeping that monster in check. I don’t want to be wiped out by someone else’s TBR before my own has a chance to get me. xD
I’m on hold for the audiobook of Across the Green Grass Fields via audiobook via my library. I hope we’ll both enjoy.
You’ll have to let me know how the audiobook is!
Very nice twist this week! All of these are new to me, but I’m loving the covers and first lines! I hope things are drying out in your area. We went from that crazy snowstorm to 70 degree temps in a matter of weeks. That’s Texas, though. 😉
Dedra @ A Book Wanderer recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Spring Cleaning | The Last Ten Books I Read, Enjoyed, and Un-hauled
That’s what we had, too, and I’m not even in Texas. T_T Not fair.
These definitely set the mood for spring! I can’t wait for The Accidental Apprentice to release, it looks like such a cute read!
Holliehocks @ My Thing About Books recently posted…TTT: Spring Cleaning Freebie
I think it’s gonna be really cute! I’m really looking forward to it, too.