My Top Reads from 2020

January 11, 2021January 10, 2021 thebookishpuff3 Comments

Wow, it has been a minute since I was able to post something on here! 2020 was just an absolutely insane year for all of us and I am feeling pretty hopeful for 2021. As bad as it was, there were a couple of silver linings last year. One of the biggest ones for me was more time to read and all of the wonderful books I got to enjoy. While I read so so many great books, these were my absolute favorite!

10.) Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
This book has so many mixed reviews and I think it is because a lot of people went into the story thinking it would be a thriller which quite frankly – it is not that at all. This book is a textbook example of gothic horror. It is atmospheric, unique, and dripping with tension. It really filled my grown-up goth kid heart with joy. If you enjoyed reading Frankenstein, Dracula, or really any classic horror I can promise you will love this! Also, this setting really stands apart from any of the other books that are in its same genre, and the cultural significance of alot of the references really help root this story into the unique world it is set in.

9.) Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander
Some of you may remember my interview with this lovely author as part of my Book & A Bite Series and besides our digital friendship I am truly grateful to Ellie for creating this series. I think it is what made me fall in love with the cozy mystery genre and it filled the Gilmore Girls shaped hole in my heart. While there is murder in the book, the overall feel of the series is incredibly wholesome and you can’t help but fall in love with the smalltown setting and unique cast of characters. If you want warm fuzzy feels, good recipes, and loved Gilmore Girls – this is the series for you! Trust me!

8.) There There by Tommy Orange
It is really hard to summarize my respect, admiration, and total awe for this author. For this being his debut book, I was just completely blown away. The passion that drips from these pages is so raw that it is disarming. It completely opened up so much perspective as to what it means to live as a Native in America and it truly cuts so deep. It explores themes of addiction, family, identity, loss, hope, and power. Each of the characters has such a unique voice that I felt like I was lucky enough to hear each of them tell their own story to me. This book also pushed me to explore more literature by Native authors and listen to the stories they have put out in the world. Everyone should read this book, everyone.

7.) Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
I can’t even begin to tell you all how much Alice Hoffman means to me as a writer and the mark that Practical Magic left on my heart. So when I found out she was releasing Magic Lessons I literally screamed with joy. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. My god does this book remind us all of how powerful women can really be. We are resilient, determined, and pure magic. While this is a part of the Practical Magic series – it honestly totally stands on it’s own. If you liked Practical Magic, History of Witches, or really any book with strong magical women…pick this up and brew yourself a cup of courage tea!

6.) The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab
So if you haven’t read this one by now you are probably wondering to yourself “Is it worth the hype?” and I am here to tell you YES, YES, 1000% YES! I went into this book with high expectations and every single one of them were not only met but exceeded. My heart was torn into pieces and then rebuilt from chapter to chapter. I should be mad at this book for making me so emotional but I really can’t. The writing, characters, setting, etc. are just all perfection. I also love how it is both historical fiction and contemporary at the same time. This book truly makes you think about how we experience life and the world around us, I can’t recommend it enough!

5.) Namesake by Adrienne Young
I was blessed with an ARC of this tale (shoutout to Wednesday Books!) but I also pre-ordered a copy of this book because I love this series so so much. While it was bittersweet watching this duology come to an end, it was extremely satisfying. Adrienne Young paints such a vivid picture of the rich world Fable lives in but also makes the characters so incredibly believable that you feel for them, laugh with them, cry with them. If you look at my list of sHeros, Adrienne Young is on there for creating stories led by strong women in worlds so rich it is hard to snap back into reality.

4.) Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Talk about believable characters and stories. I feel like Reid is the reigning queen of making a story seem so real you find it hard to believe it is fiction. This was the first book I read by this author and it sparked a total obsession for me. I was completely sucked into the drama, heartbreak, joy, etc. that I audibly gasped several times. I will say that I have ready both the audiobook and hard copy of this book – I can’t recommend the audiobook enough. It is told by a cast of amazing actors and snippets of their music play, it totally adds to the immersive experience that is this story.

3.) Fable by Adrienne Young
How could I put Namesake on this list and not talk about my absolute love for Fable? While I found Namesake to be amazing, Fable was out of this world. I was also gifted an ARC and I also preordered it the second I put the ARC down. I completely devoured this story. The world is unlike any other world I have experienced. It’s like everything I loved from Pirates of the Caribbean elevated to a whole other level filled with emotion and pure magic. I have never rooted harder for a character than I have for Fable. I could just keep going on and on about how much I love this book but then I would be taking up more of your time when you could be READING THIS BOOK…LIKE…NOW!!

2.) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
After devouring Daisy Jones, I had a thirst for more books by Reid and WOW did this one quench my thirst. As a matter of fact, this gave me one of the biggest book hangovers I have ever experienced in my life. If we are being honest, this book took a little part of me when I finished it. I can’t tell you how many times I cried during this story. There are so many lessons we could all take from this story and it is one that will stick with you for a while, I haven’t even been able to post my review of this yet because it is pretty impossible to sum up how much I really really love this story.

1.) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
This book destroyed me. It tore my heart of my chest and served it up on a silver platter. This may be my favorite book of the year but it also is in my top 3 of all time. When I finished this story I cried for almost an hour and had to remind myself to breathe. It was hard to move on from such an epic story. It is hands down the most beautiful story I have ever read in my entire life and yet it is also the most brutal, heartbreaking, unforgiving story I have ever read in my entire life. I don’t know what else to say other than this book is the love of my life and if you don’t love it too then I’m sorry but we can’t be friends (jk but really…)

Book Hauls

Barnes & Noble #BookHaul Blow-Out Sale Haul

August 26, 2019August 25, 2019 thebookishpuff4 Comments

Happy Monday, my fellow bookworms! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I caught up on some much needed R&R, this summer heat is just sucking the dang life out of me. I can’t wait for that colder weather! But other than getting some much needed rest I did pop over to my local Barnes & Noble for their epic #BookHaul Blow-Out Sale. If you haven’t heard the news yet the sale entailed a ton of amazing books being on sale for 50% OFF! So of course, I just had to go. I picked up way more than I had anticipated but who was I trying to fool? If you say “Book Sale”, you know I am going to be there making my wallet cry hahah! So here are the details on everything I picked up this past weekend!

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Goodreads Community Rating: 3.95 Stars Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic.

So…I am fully aware I am late to the game on this one. I have kept telling myself “I am going to read this next” but other books keep getting in the way. Next month I AM READING IT! I promise!

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Goodreads Community Rating: 3.94 Stars Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller

Synopsis:

Tonight, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed… again.

It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden – one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party – can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.

The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath…

So this is one of those books that I have been seeing everywhere and I am going to say “Bookstagram made me buy it” and that is just a fact. The cover is super intriguing but also the synopsis just sounds amazing. I just love a good murder mystery!

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Goodreads Community Rating: 4.55 Stars Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Synopsis:

Spensa’s world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what’s left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa’s dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with that of her father’s—a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa the daughter of a coward, her chances of attending Flight School slim to none.

No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.

I have been meaning to snag this book for quite some time as Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors. He is able to create these highly immersive unique worlds that you just can’t get enough of. I have a feeling this book is going to be no different than his others as I have heard nothing but good things. I can’t wait to dive into this one!

The Witch’s Kind by Louisa Morgan

Goodreads Community Rating: 3.92 Stars Genre: Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Barrie Anne Blythe and her aunt Charlotte have always known that the other residents of their small coastal community find them peculiar — two women living alone on the outskirts of town. It is the price of concealing their strange and dangerous family secret.

But two events threaten to upend their lives forever. The first is the arrival of a mysterious abandoned baby with a hint of power like their own. The second is the sudden reappearance of Barrie Anne’s long-lost husband — who is not quite the man she thought she married.

Together, Barrie Anne and Charlotte must decide how far they are willing to go to protect themselves — and the child they think of as their own — from suspicious neighbors, the government, and even their own family…

Can you tell I am so ready for fall with this pick? I just love a moody dark witchy read. The description reminded me ALOT of The Wicked Deep meets Practical Magic which is like…MY JAM! Okay…now I need a PSL and to watch some Halloween movies ASAP!

The Chef by James Patterson

Goodreads Community Rating: 3.58 Stars Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

Synopsis:

In the Carnival days leading up Mardi Gras, Detective Caleb Rooney comes under investigation for a murder he is accused of committing in the line of duty–as a Major Crimes detective for the New Orleans Police Department. Has his sideline at the Killer Chef food truck given him a taste for murder?

While fighting the charges against him, Rooney makes a pair of unthinkable discoveries. His beloved city is under threat of attack. And these would-be terrorists may be local.

As crowds of revelers gather, Rooney follows a fearsome trail of clues, racing from outlying districts into city center. He has no idea what-or who-he’ll face in defense of his beloved hometown, only that innocent lives are at stake.

So I brought my mom along with me to the sale as she is also a big lover of books, her and my grandmother are the reason I am such a big bookworm, and I told her to go ahead and pick out a book that she would also enjoy reading so she could borrow it after she is done with her current read. This was her choice! She loves James Patterson (who doesn’t?) and we both agreed this one seemed so interesting!

Chocolate Creampie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Goodreads Community Rating: 3.59 Stars Genre: Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Synopsis:

When The Cookie Jar becomes the setting of a star-studded TV special about movies filmed in Minnesota, Hannah hopes to shine the spotlight on her bakery—not the unsavory scandal swirling around her personal life. But that’s practically impossible with a disturbing visit from the shifty character she once believed was her one and only love, a group of bodyguards following her every move, and a murder victim in her bedroom. Now, swapping the crime scene in her condo for her mother Delores’s penthouse, Hannah and an old flame team up to solve a case that’s messier than an upended chocolate cream pie. As suspects emerge and secrets hit close to home, Hannah must serve a hefty helping of justice to an unnamed killer prowling around Lake Eden . . . before someone takes a slice out of her!

Okay, so I am only on book #2 of this series (and this is #24!!!) but I just LOVE it so far. I can tell I won’t be able to get enough and when I had to opportunity to buy another book in this series I just had to! Plus it is an exclusive edition that is SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR show how could I pass this up!? I just had to snag it!

And that concludes my book haul! See anything you have read or want to read? Let me know in the comments below. I can’t wait to chat!

Always,

Alicia

Book Hauls

Asheville Book Haul

June 17, 2019June 16, 2019 thebookishpuffLeave a comment

Good Morning, my fellow bookworms! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a happy Fathers Day! I apologize for being M.I.A on the blog for the last week or so. I was actually taking some much needed time off and decided to unplug for a little bit. My boyfriend and I went up to Asheville, North Carolina for a couple of days for my 27th birthday. We ate, drank, and got to go to some VERY awesome places but I will be doing a full trip re-cap in my upcoming bookish travel guide blog post coming soon!

However, I did want to share my full list of books that I picked up during our travels.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Goodreads rating: 3.71 Stars

Description: Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you’ve got the recipe for this delicious new mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her mouth and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up.

Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother’s attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden’s most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah’s famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can’t get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn’t watch her back, Hannah’s sweet life may get burned to a crisp.

This book was actually recommended to me by my friend Julie who is also a book blogger and aspiring author! Recently I just started getting into cozy mysteries and wanted to pick up something that was going to be good, I highly trust Julie’s opinion since she is a mystery expert!

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Goodreads rating: 3.62 Stars

Description: When Cora Seaborne’s brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was not a happy one. Wed at nineteen, this woman of exceptional intelligence and curiosity was ill-suited for the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space in the wake of the funeral, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive eleven-year old son, Francis, and the boy’s nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend.

While admiring the sites, Cora learns of an intriguing rumor that has arisen further up the estuary, of a fearsome creature said to roam the marshes claiming human lives. After nearly 300 years, the mythical Essex Serpent is said to have returned, taking the life of a young man on New Year’s Eve. A keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, Cora is immediately enthralled, and certain that what the local people think is a magical sea beast may be a previously undiscovered species. Eager to investigate, she is introduced to local vicar William Ransome. Will, too, is suspicious of the rumors. But unlike Cora, this man of faith is convinced the rumors are caused by moral panic, a flight from true belief.

These seeming opposites who agree on nothing soon find themselves inexorably drawn together and torn apart—an intense relationship that will change both of their lives in ways entirely unexpected.

So this book was actually a “Blind Date With A Book”, you can check out my Instagram post with all the details HERE I absolutely love this concept and hope that my local bookshop will incorporate it into their store soon because it is just too much fun!

Into The Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo (ARC)

Goodreads rating: 3.97 Stars

Description:

The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive.

Tavia, a busker ready to pack up her dark-magic wares and turn her back on Creije for good. She’ll do anything to put her crimes behind her.

Wesley, the closest thing Creije has to a gangster. After growing up on streets hungry enough to swallow the weak whole, he won’t stop until he has brought the entire realm to kneel before him.

Karam, a warrior who spends her days watching over the city’s worst criminals and her nights in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself.

And Saxony, a resistance fighter hiding from the very people who destroyed her family, and willing to do whatever it takes to get her revenge.

Everything in their lives is going to plan, until Tavia makes a crucial mistake: she delivers a vial of dark magic—a weapon she didn’t know she had—to someone she cares about, sparking the greatest conflict in decades. Now these four magical outsiders must come together to save their home and the world, before it’s too late. But with enemies at all sides, they can trust nobody. Least of all each other.

This one is actually an ARC that doesn’t come out until October 8th 2019, I was able to pick it up at Malaprops Bookshop for free because I had spent over $50 and they have a designated bookshelf filled with ARCS for people to pick out their own. Such a brilliant idea!

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Goodreads rating: 4.53 Stars

Description: For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

I know, I know! I am so late to the game on this book. It has been recommended to me so many times I can’t keep track and I have had it on my TBR list for months. I was finally able to pick it up and I can’t wait to dive into it!

Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Georgia Hardstark and Karen Gilgariff

Goodreads rating: 4.44 Stars

Description: Sharing never-before-heard stories ranging from their struggles with depression, eating disorders, and addiction, Karen and Georgia irreverently recount their biggest mistakes and deepest fears, reflecting on the formative life events that shaped them into two of the most followed voices in the nation.

In Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, Karen and Georgia focus on the importance of self-advocating and valuing personal safety over being ‘nice’ or ‘helpful.’ They delve into their own pasts, true crime stories, and beyond to discuss meaningful cultural and societal issues with fierce empathy and unapologetic frankness.

As a longtime murderino I just had to pick this one up. I had pre-ordered the audiobook and could not wait to get my hands on a physical copy! I plan on doing a full review and comparing both formats here on the blog very soon.

Well that wraps it up!! What did you think of my selection? Have you read any of these books before? If so, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Always,

Alicia