Hey guys! ‘Tis a new month, and this means new reads! With summer school behind me, and my vacation starting tomorrow, I’ve got quite a few books lined up. I’ll be spending most of my time tomorrow in an airport and on an airplane, so that’s some good reading time! Also, my friend and I discussed doing a 24 hour readathon together, so if that actually happens, that’ll help me finish some, too. Check it out!

The Final Empire By Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the “Sliver of Infinity,” reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler’s most hellish prison. Kelsier “snapped” and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld’s elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel’s plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she’s a half-Skaa orphan, but she’s lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

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I listened to this book for the first time last year in May/June. It quickly became my favorite book, and it still is a year later. Because of this, I wanted to go back and listen/read it again for the fun of it. Oh wait, did I saw fun? No, I just like to make myself suffer through emotional trauma. But it’s a great book, I swear!

Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Genre: Science Fiction/Historical Fiction

Synopsis: Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far’s birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he’s ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past.

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far’s very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.

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I heard about this book a while back, and the idea of heists and time traveling caught my attention immediately! I mean, a group of time travelers pulling a freaking heist set on the Titanic? Umm, yes please! I can’t tell you how excited I am about this book, and I have to say I’m a little worried it might not live up to my expectations. But this is Ryan Graudin we’re talking about. What could go wrong?

Seasons of Chaos by Elle Cosimano

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Synopsis: As immortal Seasons, Jack and Fleur wielded powerful magic in their roles as a Winter and a Spring. Yet there wasn’t magic strong enough to keep them apart, and they risked everything for their love, for the freedom to live their lives as they choose—together.

That choice came at a cost. Jack sacrificed his Winter magic—and his immortality—to ensure their survival. Although he’d do anything for Fleur, he can’t deny the emptiness he’s felt since. Or the fear that his choice to give up his magic may have doomed them after all.

The world they thought they left behind is still dealing with the fallout of the rebellion they started. With Professor Lyon as the new Chronos, Seasons are free to do as they please. But not everyone is happy with the change in leadership. When an old enemy seeks revenge, the world’s most powerful magic runs wild and unchecked, creating global chaos.

Thrust into the middle of a new war, Jack and Fleur are faced with the aftermath of their choices. But are they strong enough to save the world from a storm that’s spinning out of control.

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Remember when I said I like to make myself suffer through emotional trauma? Well, this is going to be one of those cases. I really don’t know what to expect from this book, but considering what the first one put me through, I know it’s probably going to be nothing good, haha!

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Synopsis: Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

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My friend took me to the wonderful world that is Half Price Books the other day, and I managed to get this one and Caraval (which I’ll talk about in a minute) for cheap! This book has been on my mind for a while, and I’m always up for a piratey adventure, so I am ready for this book!

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Genre: Fantasy

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. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

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As I said, I got this at Half Price Books the other day, but hesitantly. I have heard mixed reviews for this book, which made me keep waiting to get it. I got Stephanie Garber’s other book, Once Upon A Broken Heart, but realized it has loose ties to this one. Also, the cover I found at Half Price Books was one I had never seen before and it is quite beautiful, so that may or may not have influenced my purchase Anyway, I’ll see if I an get to it this month!

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Synopsis: When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty’s resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

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I have been wanting to read these for quite a while, and I hear that the romance is extremely well done in this duology. But the books are BRICKS. Not to mention my sister told me that she’s heard people say they went into reading slumps after these books just because of how good they are and they had to go through a “lost my best friend” phase or something. That makes me a bit hesitant, but I really want to see what the hype is about.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

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I will be honest and say I have no idea if I will actually end up reading this. Like, ever. After suffering through the second book, I don’t know if I want to put myself through more of…whatever that was. As much as I want to see what happens, I think I need to be in the right headspace for it. I spent the second book being incredibly angry at it most of the time. I have never wanted to rip out pages from a book before, so this brought all kinds of new feelings, haha! So I’ll see what happens.

The Thirteenth Problem by Agatha Christie

Genre: Mystery

Synopsis: The Tuesday Night Club is the name for a varied group of guests who challenge each other to solve recent, and not so recent, crimes. It begins one evening when the group gathers at Miss Marple’s house and the conversation turns to unsolved crimes. Over the weeks, we learn about the case of the dripping bloodstains, the thief who committed his crime twice over, the message from the death-bed of a poisoned man who talked of a ‘heap of fish’, the strange case of the missing will, and a spiritualist who warned that ‘Blue Geraniums’ meant death.

Pit your wits against the powers of deduction of the ‘Tuesday Night Club’. But don’t forget that Miss Marple is present. Sometime later, many of the same people are present at a dinner given by Colonel and Dolly Bantry. Another set of six problems. Even later there’s a thirteenth. Can you match Miss Marple’s performance?

The 13 stories are: 1. The Tuesday Night Club, 2. The Idol House of Astarte, 3. Ingots of Gold, 4. The Bloodstained Pavement, 5. Motive v. Opportunity, 6. The Thumbmark of St. Peter, 7. The Blue Geranium, 8. The Companion, 9. The Four Suspects, 10. A Christmas Tragedy, 11. The Herb of Death, 12. The Affair at the Bungalow, and 13. Death by Drowning.

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This will be another audiobook that I will listen to, thanks to my sister finding so many of them, haha! I know there are a collection of shorts stories, but I will mostly likely count them all as one book.

The Time Trials by Jon and Dayna McConnell

Genre: Science Fiction

Synopsis: After the deaths of his parents in a horrific car accident — one that he considers his own fault — Walkman-toting, guitar-playing Finn Mallory would do anything to turn back time…to press “rewind.” When he’s admitted on full scholarship to an elite boarding school, things get more complicated: he becomes an “Unfortunate” in a sea of rich kids whose shoes cost more than his late parents made in a week. An invitation to a boring-sounding history club changes everything, as this team does much more than research and field trips.

Well….they do take field trips. Just not the kind you’re thinking. For Finn, the present was already enough to deal with, but now he finds that he also must reckon with the past, in more ways than one.

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I had never heard of this book before, but it looked interesting, so I ended up getting it. This’ll make two time traveling books in one month…must be in the mood for it! I’m also curious to see what it’s like since it was written by a married couple, and co-authored books are interesting to me. We’ll see!

That’s a longer list than I’ve done in a while, but I’ll see what I can get done! I’ve been in the reading mood lately, so hopefully I can catch up with my goal this month. Wish me luck! And let me know what you’ll be reading this month, I’d love to hear about it!

As always, God bless y’all and have a wonderful week!