Most Recent Additions to My Personal Library

Everyone loves to see what everyone else is reading, right? I mean, our TBRs don’t love it, but as bookish people, we’re absolutely dying to live vicariously through everyone else and the books they’re enjoying.

In 2021, one of my big goals was to try to cut down on the amount of new books I purchased. Utilize the library more, read some of the books I already own, check on Amazon Kindle, shove more ebooks down the black hole that I call a Kindle. You know, the normal ways of getting books without actually adding more books to the shelves.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is most recent additions to my book collection. And I’ve got a little bit of a mix of everything.

I haven’t acquired a ton of new books that will inevitably call my personal library home (or, you know, purgatory?). But not a ton isn’t the same as none. Basically, these are the books I gained in November and December. Yes, there was slightly more than ten of them. What? I said trying to buy less, not succeeding! There’s a difference! Let’s just . . . get to the books, okay?!

Empire of the Vampire

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hand sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.

Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.

Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:

The Holy Grail.

This is one of only two books I asked for for Christmas, which I’m pretty sure is a remarkable display of restraint on my part. I’ve been dying to read this book since it was first announced. Boy is it a chonker! I didn’t realize how long it was, but I’m okay with it.

First, this book is by the Jay Kristoff, author of the Nevernight series and co-author of the Illuminae series. I was obviously always going to pick it up. More than that, it’s a new take on an old trope. Do I love vampire books as a general rule? No. Have I read some good ones? Of course. Moreover, I trust Kristoff enough as an author to give this a go, and I’m sure I’ll love it!

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The Twisted Tree

Part ghost story, part Nordic thriller – this is a twisty, tense and spooky YA debut, perfect for fans of Coraline and Michelle Paver.

Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, as if their emotions and memories have been absorbed into the material. It started the day she fell from the tree at her grandma’s cabin and became blind in one eye.

Determined to understand her strange ability, Martha sets off to visit her grandmother, Mormor – only to discover Mormor is dead, a peculiar boy is in her cabin and a terrifying creature is on the loose.

Then the spinning wheel starts creaking, books move around and terror creeps in . . .

Set in the remote snows of contemporary Norway, The Twisted Tree is a ghost story that twists and turns – and never takes you quite where you’d expect.

Several different bloggers have recommended this book to me. Unfortunately, I was unable to find this at the library, which means I had to buy it if I wanted to read it. Instead, I put it on my Christmas wishlist, and my mother-in-law was nice enough to get it for me! One of two books I asked for, so it’s in a pretty select group.

I’ve heard absolutely wonderful things about this book, so I can’t wait to read it! Nordic thriller mixed with ghost story sounds exactly on brand for me. I’m a little concerned now that I’ve maybe hyped this up so much in my head that it may not live up to my expectations. But that’s just part of the territory sometimes with this blogging thing. Still, I need to read a YA horror book for my Young Adult Lit class. So this seems like the perfect candidate!

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Race to the Sun

Lately, seventh grader Nizhoni Begay has been able to detect monsters, like that man in the fancy suit who was in the bleachers at her basketball game. Turns out he’s Mr. Charles, her dad’s new boss at the oil and gas company, and he’s alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their Navajo heritage, and the legend of the Hero Twins. Nizhoni knows he’s a threat, but her father won’t believe her.

When Dad disappears the next day, leaving behind a message that says “Run!”, the siblings and Nizhoni’s best friend, Davery, are thrust into a rescue mission that can only be accomplished with the help of Diné Holy People, all disguised as quirky characters. Their aid will come at a price: the kids must pass a series of trials in which it seems like nature itself is out to kill them. If Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery can reach the House of the Sun, they will be outfitted with what they need to defeat the ancient monsters Mr. Charles has unleashed. But it will take more than weapons for Nizhoni to become the hero she was destined to be . . .

I’m on an endless quest to read all the Rick Riordan Presents books. So I couldn’t resist picking this one up when I saw a brand-new hardback at the secondhand store! It’s one I haven’t read yet, but which I’ve been very interested in reading. It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited, if anyone has that and wants to read it. I didn’t know that at the time, but eh, I still have no regrets.

This RRP book is centered around Native mythology, which should be interesting. It’s a mythology I haven’t been as exposed to, so I think it’ll be extremely fun to learn some new things. I did read a short story with these characters, which I really enjoyed! Looking forward to meeting them in their own book.

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Ink in the Blood

A lush, dark YA fantasy debut that weaves together tattoo magic, faith, and eccentric theater in a world where lies are currency and ink is a weapon, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake.

Celia Sand and her best friend, Anya Burtoni, are inklings for the esteemed religion of Profeta. Using magic, they tattoo followers with beautiful images that represent the Divine’s will and guide the actions of the recipients. It’s considered a noble calling, but ten years into their servitude Celia and Anya know the truth: Profeta is built on lies, the tattooed orders strip away freedom, and the revered temple is actually a brutal, torturous prison.

Their opportunity to escape arrives with the Rabble Mob, a traveling theater troupe. Using their inkling abilities for performance instead of propaganda, Celia and Anya are content for the first time . . . until they realize who followed them. The Divine they never believed in is very real, very angry, and determined to use Celia, Anya, and the Rabble Mob’s now-infamous stage to spread her deceitful influence even further.

To protect their new family from the wrath of a malicious deity and the zealots who work in her name, Celia and Anya must unmask the biggest lie of all—Profeta itself.

I’ve had several bloggers tell me that this book was fantastic. The Goodreads ratings are a little lower than I expected, but pffft . . . since when do I make book decisions based on the Goodreads rating? (Hint: The answer is almost never.) This is a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while, and when I found it on sale, it was too good to pass up. I’m always down for books that include the wrath of a malicious deity. What could be more fun than that?!

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Beasts of Olympus #1-3

Beasts of Olympus is a series of 144-page illustrated chapter books set in a magical Ancient Greece where strange things still walk the Earth. Beast Keeper tells the story of Pandemonius (a.k.a. “Demon,” the half-god son of Pan) who, on his tenth birthday, is called upon to look after all the mythical creatures that belong to the stables of Olympus.

I found a copy of this with the first three books in the series bound together, so of course I had to grab it! This series sounds utterly fun and adorable. I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with mythology in general, but especially Greek and Roman mythology. I’m especially a sucker for mythology creatures. Plus, it sounds like Demon gets into a lot of trouble (a.k.a. fun) throughout this series, and I’m always for that!

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The Storm Crow

Eragon meets And I Darken in this thrilling new fantasy debut that follows a fallen princess as she ignites a rebellion to bring back the magical elemental crows that were taken from her people.

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life…until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother’s death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

I’ve heard sort of mixed reviews about this one, but you know what? It’s got crows on the cover. Y’all know I can’t possibly resist that! This cover snatches my attention every time I see it, which means I’m obviously destined to give it a try. Besides, how can anyone resist the promise of magical elemental crows? Yes, this sounds like something I absolutely need in my life! This one is also now on Kindle Unlimited, just in case you’ve got KU and want to give this book a go too.

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It’s Trevor Noah! Born A Crime

The host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, tells the story of growing up half black, half white in South Africa under and after apartheid in this young readers’ adaptation of his bestselling adult memoir Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

Trevor Noah shares his story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. But he did exist–and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his smarts and humor to navigate a harsh life under a racist government.

I’ve been meaning to read the adult version of this pretty much since it came out. Have I? Well . . . not quite. Even though I still intend to. However, I happened to spot this gem when I was browsing a second-hand shop, so yeah, no way was I going to pass that up! Ultimately, I’m sure I’ll end up reading both versions, but something about the juvenile book seems a little less daunting. Sort of a dip-your-toes-in introduction. Plus, I’m really curious what changes will be made for the different audiences.

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And the Ocean Was Our Sky

With harpoons strapped to their backs, the proud whales of Bathsheba’s pod live for the hunt, fighting in the ongoing war against the world of men. When they attack a ship bobbing on the surface of the Abyss, they expect to find easy prey. Instead, they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself…

As their relentless Captain leads the chase, they embark on a final, vengeful hunt, one that will forever change the worlds of both whales and men.

First of all, this is by Patrick Ness. Ever since I read A Monster Calls and it utterly gutted me, I’ve determined that I need to read everything this man writes and has written. So when I saw this, I grabbed it. I’m not a huge fan of Moby Dick, though I’ve read a few book retellings. Never from the point of view of the whale, of course, which I find extremely interesting. This is another one that has mixed reviews on Goodreads, so I’m really interested to see where I fall with it. I’ve loved everything I’ve read from Ness so far, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be misses in that.

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TRUEL1F3

From the bestselling co-author of the Illuminae Files comes the thrilling finale in the LIFEL1K3 trilogy–hailed by Marie Lu as “a breathless, action-packed exploration of what humanity really means.”

Best friends have become enemies. Lovers have become strangers. And deciding whose side you’re on could be the difference between life and death. For Eve and Lemon, discovering the truth about themselves–and each other–was too much for their friendship to take. But with the country on the brink of a new world war–this time between the BioMaas swarm at CityHive and Daedalus’s army at Megopolis, loyalties will be pushed to the brink, unlikely alliances will form and with them, betrayals. But the threat doesn’t stop there, because the lifelikes are determined to access the program that will set every robot free, a task requiring both Eve and Ana, the girl she was created to replace. In the end, violent clashes and heartbreaking choices reveal the true heroes . . . and they may not be who you think they are.

It’s really simple: I see Jay Kristoff, I buy the book. That’s just how it is at this point. Honestly, I’ve been interested in this series for a couple of years, but I have so many ongoing series and I know Kristoff’s penchant for cliffhangers, so I just decided to go ahead and wait for the entire series to come out before reading it. So here it is. I bought book three of this series. Have I read books one and two yet, despite the third book being out for quite a while? Umm . . . well . . . uhhh . . . oh, look, another book! Moving on!

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The River Between Hearts

On an ordinary Monday, Rill Kruse left for third grade with a dad, but when she came home, he’d been stolen. By a river. One year and thirteen days later—on the first morning of summer vacation—Rill still insists he’s trudging home. Her mom has become a practical woman. Her older brother, Eddy, now calls her baby and dork. Gus, second-in-command at Kruse Whitewater Adventures, Rill’s family’s rafting company, has gone from being her dad’s “risk bro” to her mom’s guardian angel. Joyce, company secretary, arm-wrestler, and mechanic, still calls Rill a fingerling, but, after learning what a cheater water is, Rill wishes she’d stop. When Rill’s cat, Clifford, leads her to the family tree fort on the mountainside behind home, she discovers a stowaway, Perla. To help Perla, Rill embarks on an adventure that tests her understanding of the world, of loss, and of what it means to be a friend. In the end, what Rill discovers will nudge her—and all those she loves—toward healing.

Unlike the other books on my list, this one’s an ARC! I tend not to get a lot of physical ARCs, but bookmail is always exciting, right? This doesn’t sound like the sort of book I’d normally read, but I’ve been nailing it lately when it comes to heartwarming, emotional juvenile fiction. Not sure what it is, but man these authors have been hitting it out of the park! I’m sure this one will destroy my emotions, but it sounds like a great feel-good read.

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