en-US Tue, 29 Apr 2025 14:46:35 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 219268963 She knows the taste of death. He'll stoke her hunger for it.

Eighteen-year-old Sarai doesn't know why someone tried to kill her four years ago, but she does know that her case was closed without justice. Hellbent on vengeance, she returns to the scene of the crime as a Petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, and is assigned to work with Tetrarch Kadra. Ice-cold and perennially sadistic, Kadra is the most vicious of the four judges who rule the land - and the prime suspect in a string of deaths identical to Sarai's attempted murder.

Certain of his guilt, Sarai begins a double life: solving cases with Kadra by day and plotting his ruin by night. But Kadra is charming and there's something alluring about the wrath he wields against the city's corruption. So when the evidence she finds embroils her in a deadly political battle, Sarai must also fight against her attraction to Kadra - because despite his growing hold on her heart, his voice matches the only memory she has of her assailant...

A dazzling Ancient Rome-inspired romantasy debut, This Monster of Mine is a bloodbath of manipulation, deception, and forbidden love.]]> 416 Shalini Abeysekara 145495809X Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.27 2025
author: Shalini Abeysekara
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/29
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]]> 29397486
Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the worldā€™s most secretive election.

They are holy men. But they have ambition. And they have rivals.

Over the next seventy-two hours one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth.]]> 288 Robert Harris Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 4.03 2016
author: Robert Harris
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
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]]> 7054123 The Poisoner's Handbook Blum draws from highly original research to track the fascinating, perilous days when a pair of forensic scientists began their trailblazing chemical detective work, fighting to end an era when untraceable poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime.

Drama unfolds case by case as the heroes of The Poisoner's Handbookā€”chief medical examiner Charles Norris and toxicologist Alexander Gettlerā€”investigate a family mysteriously stricken bald, Barnum and Bailey's Famous Blue Man, factory workers with crumbling bones, a diner serving poisoned pies, and many others. Each case presents a deadly new puzzle and Norris and Gettler work with a creativity that rivals that of the most imaginative murderer, creating revolutionary experiments to tease out even the wiliest compounds from human tissue. Yet in the tricky game of toxins, even science can't always be trusted, as proven when one of Gettler's experiments erroneously sets free a suburban housewife later nicknamed "America's Lucretia Borgia" to continue her nefarious work.

From the vantage of Norris and Gettler's laboratory in the infamous Bellevue Hospital it becomes clear that killers aren't the only toxic threat to New Yorkers. Modern life has created a kind of poison playground, and danger lurks around every corner. Automobiles choke the city streets with carbon monoxide; potent compounds, such as morphine, can be found on store shelves in products ranging from pesticides to cosmetics. Prohibition incites a chemist's war between bootleggers and government chemists while in Gotham's crowded speakeasies each round of cocktails becomes a game of Russian roulette. Norris and Gettler triumph over seemingly unbeatable odds to become the pioneers of forensic chemistry and the gatekeepers of justice during a remarkably deadly time. A beguiling concoction that is equal parts true crime, twentieth-century history, and science thriller, The Poisoner's Handbook is a page-turning account of a forgotten New York.]]> 319 Deborah Blum 1594202435 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.00 2010
author: Deborah Blum
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2010
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/17
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]]> 214333691 When youā€™ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitchā€™s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. Heā€™s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend whoā€™s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands heā€™s been set up to fail. But thereā€™s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 400 Suzanne Collins 1546171479 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 4.65 2025
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/26
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]]> 90202302 ā€œThe first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.ā€ ā€”Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War Collegeā€”Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violetā€™s already wondering how sheā€™ll get through. Itā€™s not just that itā€™s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that itā€™s designed to stretch the ridersā€™ capacity for pain beyond endurance. Itā€™s the new vice commandant, whoā€™s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she isā€“unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violetā€™s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone elseā€™s, she still has her witsā€”and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive wonā€™t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War Collegeā€”and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.]]> 623 Rebecca Yarros 1649374178 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 4.33 2023
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/03/26
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]]> 201763206
When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favorite fantasy series. Ģż

She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional the Once and Forever Emperor. Heā€™s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale. Ģż

So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.

THIS IS A TALE FOR EVERYONE WHOā€™S EVER FALLEN FOR THE VILLAINā€¦]]> 464 Sarah Rees Brennan Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 on-hold 4.13 2024
author: Sarah Rees Brennan
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: on-hold
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]]> 218275897
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when sheā€™s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.

Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether sheā€™s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom sheā€™ll saveā€¦ and which kingdom sheā€™ll destroy.

Passionate and violent, The Bridge Kingdom is a seductive fantasy perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 354 Danielle L. Jensen 1733090304 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.21 2018
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: to-read
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]]> 209813409 Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And donā€™t fall in love.

When Opheliaā€™s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prizeā€”a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Opheliaā€™s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldnā€™t trust him. Blackwell doesnā€™t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heartā€¦

A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent.]]> 428 Kaylie Smith 1835251412 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 on-hold 4.15 2024
author: Kaylie Smith
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: on-hold
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]]> 12992927 The Devil All the Time follows a cast of characters from the end of World War II to the 1960s. Thereā€™s Willard Russell, tormented veteran of the carnage in the South Pacific, who canā€™t save his beautiful wife, Charlotte, from an agonizing death by cancer no matter how much sacrifiĀ­cial blood he pours on his ā€œprayer log.ā€ Thereā€™s Carl and Sandy Henderson, a husband-and-wife team of serial killĀ­ers, who troll Americaā€™s highways searching for suitable models to photograph and exterminate. Thereā€™s the spider-handling preacher Roy and his crippled virtuoso-guitar-playing sidekick, Theodore, running from the law. And caught in the middle of all this is Arvin Eugene Russell, Willard and Charlotteā€™s orphaned son, who grows up to be a good but also violent man in his own right.]]> 320 Donald Ray Pollock 0307744868 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.16 2011
author: Donald Ray Pollock
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/26
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]]> 209668781 Discover the instant #1 New York Times bestseller! TV series now in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordanā€™s Outlier Society.

Accolades for Fourth Wing
Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 ā€¢ Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 ā€¢ Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 ā€¢ NPR "Books We Love" 2023 ā€¢ Audible Best Books of 2023 ā€¢ Hudson Book of the Year ā€¢ Google Play Best Books of 2023 ā€¢ Indigo Best Books of 2023 ā€¢ Waterstones Book of the Year finalist ā€¢ ĄĻ»¢»śĪČÓ®·½·Ø Choice Award Winner ā€¢ Newsweek Staffersā€™ Favorite Books of 2023 ā€¢ Paste Magazineā€™s Best Books of 2023 ā€¢ TikTok Book Awards UK and Ireland Book of the Year (International) 2024

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows thereā€™s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, itā€™s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she lovesā€”her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can findā€”the truth.

But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.

The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Fourth Wing
Book #2 Iron Flame
Book #3 Onyx Storm]]> 758 Rebecca Yarros 1649376944 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 currently-reading 4.42 2025
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 204802999 Rebecca Yarros Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.43
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/05
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]]> 61431922 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding generalā€”also known as her tough-as-talons motherā€”has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when youā€™re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons donā€™t bond to ā€œfragileā€ humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her motherā€™s daughterā€”like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

Sheā€™ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agendaā€”because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die]]> 517 Rebecca Yarros 1649374046 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 oh i get it now 4.56 2023
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves:
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oh i get it now
]]> 206166371 Draculaā€™s Lucy Westenra like youā€™ve never seen her In this retelling from critically acclaimed author Julie C. Dao, the perfect woman bites back.

Lucy Westenra is beautiful, rich, loved by three menā€”every inch a lady. But beneath this sparkling, flirtatious facade, she is fascinated by death, which has stalked her throughout her short life. For her, the dead do not slip away easily, as they do for her best friend, Mina; they linger.

When Lucy departs for Whitby, her nightly sleepwalks introduce her to the mysterious Vlad, who seems to see parts of her she has never let show before. Vlad makes her an Every century, he seeks out the ā€œperfect woman of the age,ā€ who embodies all the values of her society, to live with him in immortalityā€”and Lucy could very well be this woman. For the first time, she feels herself able to share her darker side with someone. Thinking herself dreaming, she agrees to cheat death with him.

When Vlad finally appears in the light, it is aboard a ship covered in corpses. He toys with Lucy and mocks her in Minaā€™s presence. And one night, he drains a corpse dry right before her eyes. He is a vampire, a monster ready to take her. He expects a good Victorian lady, appalled by his darkness, a victim. But Lucy is only enraptured. When Vlad reacts with violence, Lucy has no choice but to fight for her agency, even if it means giving up her humanity. And her tormentor will soon find she is no easy opponent . . .

The first book of a duology that retells Dracula from the point of view of Lucy Westenra, this gothic romance is perfect for fans of Penny Dreadful and Danielle L. Jensen.]]> 305 Julie C. Dao 1039457460 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.89 2024
author: Julie C. Dao
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/27
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]]> 207611566 Thereā€™s power in a bookā€¦

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And theyā€™re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. Thereā€™s Rose, a hippie who insists sheā€™s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows sheā€™s going to go home and marry her babyā€™s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything theyā€™re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know whatā€™s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and itā€™s never given freely. Thereā€™s always a price to be paidā€¦and itā€™s usually paid in blood.

In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a ā€œhorror masterā€ (NPR).]]> 482 Grady Hendrix 0593548981 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.99 2025
author: Grady Hendrix
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/27
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]]> 54627213
In the middle of the night, Creusa wakes to find her beloved Troy engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of brutal conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over, and the Greeks are victorious. Over the next few hours, the only life she has ever known will turn to ash . . .

The devastating consequences of the fall of Troy stretch from Mount Olympus to Mount Ida, from the citadel of Troy to the distant Greek islands, and across oceans and sky in between. These are the stories of the women embroiled in that legendary war and its terrible aftermath, as well as the feud and the fatal decisions that started it allā€¦

Powerfully told from an all-female perspective, A Thousand Ships gives voices to the women, girls and goddesses who, for so long, have been silent.

In A Thousand Ships, broadcaster and classicist Natalie Haynes retells the story of the Trojan War from an all-female perspective.]]> 366 Natalie Haynes Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 did-not-finish 4.09 2019
author: Natalie Haynes
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: did-not-finish
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]]> 59060468
Best of #Booktok

#1 in Historical Fantasy

#1 Greek and Roman Myth and Legend

Barnes and Noble Blog Top Five Indie Fave

Lady Lyriana Batavia is third in line to the Seat of Power in a position of wealth and privilege, but not safety. Bamaria falls under the rule of the Lumerian Empire, survivors of a celestial war whose island sank in the Drowning. Now all Lumerians submit to the Emperor and his strict laws about magic. He decides what magic can be practiced and what powers remain forbidden. He decides who will die for possession of forbidden magic.

Lyr's own cousin was executed for wielding the wrong kind. And for years, Lyr has sworn to protect her older sisters, helping them conceal their own illicit magic.

But when Lyr must participate in the ceremony that reveals her power, she uncovers something else entirely. Something that means banishment from the Empire.

Faced with death in exile, and leaving her sisters behind, Lyr has no choice but to accept a deadly contract. She has seven months to train as a warrior and pass the Emperor's brutal test of strength, without magic.

But when she's forced to train with Lord Rhyan Hart, the man she's secretly loved since she was a girlā€”a feared warrior in exile himself, forbidden to her in every wayā€”she's in danger of losing far more than her family, life, and country.

Rebel forces, and an invading army, are destabilizing Bamaria, just as her family's secrets threaten to reveal themselves.

Surviving the training, and saving her sisters may mean sacrificing her own heart.]]> 454 Frankie Diane Mallis 1957014016 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.81
author: Frankie Diane Mallis
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.81
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/25
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]]> 822835 316 Wilfrido D. Nolledo 1564780678 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.78 1970
author: Wilfrido D. Nolledo
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1970
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> 209469799 640 Shelby Mahurin 0063419394 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.99 2023
author: Shelby Mahurin
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves: to-read
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]]> 268437 368 John M. Ford Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.76 1983
author: John M. Ford
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1983
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/29
shelves: to-read
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]]> 76715522 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people ā€• but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve is unraveling with each passing dayā€¦

With Aelin captured, friends and allies are scattered to different fates. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever. As destinies weave together at last, all must fight if Erilea is to have any hope of salvation.

Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an explosive conclusion as Aelin fights to save herselfā€•and the promise of a better world.]]> 984 Sarah J. Maas 1639731067 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 5 4.74 2018
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/10/27
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]]> 126060933
As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?]]> 704 Sarah J. Maas 1619636085 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 5 4.72 2016
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.72
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/27
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]]> 123004979 A glorious empire. A desperate quest. An ancient secret.

Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea's last hope. But they have also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold.

After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child at the hands of Adarlanian soldiers, Yrene Towers has no desire to help the young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need, and she will honor it. But Lord Westfall carries his own dark past, and Yrene soon realizes that those shadows could engulf them both.

Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene will have to draw on every scrap of their resilience to overcome the danger that surrounds them. But while they become entangled in the political webs of the khaganate, long-awaited answers slumber deep in the mountains, where warriors soar on legendary ruks. Answers that might offer their world a chance at survival . . . or doom them all.

The final battle looms in this sixth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series.]]> 675 Sarah J. Maas Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 5 4.44 2017
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 220446160 Victoria Aveyard Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.75 2026
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.75
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62994279 She's his opposite in every way...and the greatest temptation he's ever known.

Reserved, controlled, and proper to a fault, Kai Young has neither the time nor inclination for chaosā€”and Isabella, with her purple hair and inappropriate jokes, is chaos personified.

With a crucial CEO vote looming and a media empire at stake, the billionaire heir canā€™t afford the distraction she brings.

Isabella is everything he shouldnā€™t want, but with every look and every touch, heā€™s tempted to break all his rulesā€¦and claim her as his own.

***

Bold, impulsive, and full of life, Isabella Valencia has never met a party she doesnā€™t like or a man she couldnā€™t charm...except for Kai Young.

It shouldnā€™t matter. Heā€™s not her typeā€”the man translates classics into Latin for fun, and his membership at the exclusive club where she bartends means heā€™s strictly off limits.

But she canā€™t deny that, beneath his cool exterior, is a man who could make her melt with just a touch.

No matter how hard they try, they canā€™t resist giving into their forbidden desires.

Even if it costs them everything.

King of Pride is a steamy opposite attract, forbidden billionaire romance. It's book two in the Kings of Sin series but can be read as a standalone.

Contains explicit content and profanity. Recommended for mature readers only. ]]> 358 Ana Huang Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 on-hold 3.92 2023
author: Ana Huang
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: on-hold
review:

]]> 50009069 The first novel in the First Law Trilogy and debut novel from New York Times bestseller, Joe Abercrombie.

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian -- leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.

Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.

Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood

Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.

First Law Trilogy
The Blade Itself
Before They Are Hanged
Last Argument of Kings

For more from Joe Abercrombie, check

Novels in the First Law world
Best Served Cold
The Heroes
Red Country
]]> 536 Joe Abercrombie 0316387339 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 fantasy, to-read 4.33 2006
author: Joe Abercrombie
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: fantasy, to-read
review:

]]> 24999714
Celaena Sardothien has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Everyone Aelin loves has been taken from her. Everything she holds dear is in danger. But she has the heart of a queen-and that heart beats for vengeance.

In this fourth book in the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series, no one will escape the queen's wrath.]]> 653 Sarah J. Maas Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 4.67 2015
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/16
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 176623687 Discover where Celaena Sardothien's thrilling saga began.

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no-one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishesā€”and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutchesā€”and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives...

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers listeners a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthrallingā€”and deadlyā€”world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire]]> 451 Sarah J. Maas Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 4.26 2014
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/15
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 55630828 A new edition of the Sailor Moon manga, for a new generation of fans! Featuring the updated translation and high page count of the Sailor Moon Eternal Edition in a more affordable, portable edition, perfect to go wherever you or the magical guardian in your life want to take it.

Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she's never gotten good grades, and, well, she's a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon! The original Sailor Moon in a new, affordable edition.]]> 286 Naoko Takeuchi 1646512014 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.41 2013
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 320361 There is a great disturbance in the Force. . . . From the sleek ships of the glimmering Coruscant skyscape to the lush gardens of pastoral Naboo, dissent is roiling. The Republic is failing, even under the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, elected ten years earlier to save the crumbling government. Separatists threaten war, and the Senate is hopelessly divided, unable to determine whether to raise an army for battle or keep the fragile peace. It is a stalemate that once broken, could lead to galactic chaos.

Mischievous and resolved, courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin Skywalker has come of age in a time of great upheaval. The nineteen-year-old apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi is an enigma to the Jedi Council, and a challenge to his Jedi Master. Time has not dulled Anakinā€™s ambition, nor has his Jedi training tamed his independent streak. When an attempt on Senator PadmĆ© Amidalaā€™s life brings them together for the first time in ten years, it is clear that time also has not dulled Anakinā€™s intense feelings for the beautiful diplomat.

The attack on Senator Amidala just before a crucial vote thrusts the Republic even closer to the edge of disaster. Masters Yoda and Mace Windu sense enormous unease. The dark side is growing, clouding the Jediā€™s perception of the events. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, a slow rumble is building into the roar of thousands of soldiers readying for battle. But even as the Republic falters around them, Anakin and PadmĆ© find a connection so intense that all else begins to fall away. Anakin will lose himselfā€”and his wayā€”in emotions a Jedi, sworn to hold allegiance only to the Order, is forbidden to have.

Based on the story by George Lucas and the screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales, this intense and revealing novel by bestselling author R. A. Salvatore sheds new light on the legend of Star Warsā€”and skillfully illuminates one of our most beloved sagas.]]> 344 R.A. Salvatore 0099410575 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 star-wars, fiction, to-read 3.76 2002
author: R.A. Salvatore
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: star-wars, fiction, to-read
review:

]]> 40333989 Get ready for Samantha Shannon's new novel, A Day of Fallen Night, coming in February 2023!The New York Times bestselling "epic feminist fantasy perfect for fans of Game of Thrones" (Bustle).NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR AMAZON (Top 100 Editors Picks and Science Fiction and Fantasy) * CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY * BOOKPAGE * AUTOSTRADDLEA world divided.A queendom without an heir.An ancient enemy awakens.The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction--but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.Across the dark sea, TanĆ© has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.]]> 849 Samantha Shannon 163557028X Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 fiction, to-read 4.22 2019
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: fiction, to-read
review:

]]> 20658347 568 Sarah J. Maas Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 4.53 2014
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/09
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 200555208
BOW DOWN WITCHES

Itā€™s 1536 and the Queen has been beheaded.

Lady Grace Fairfax, witch, knows that something foul is at play ā€“ that someone had betrayed Anne Boleyn and her coven.

Wild with the loss of their leader ā€“ and her lover, a secret that if spilled could spell Graceā€™s own end ā€“ she will do anything in her power to track down the traitor.

But thereā€™s more at stake than revenge: it was one of their own, a witch, that betrayed them, and Grace isnā€™t the only one looking for her. King Henry VIII has sent witchfinders after them, and theyā€™re organized like theyā€™ve never been before under his new advisor, the impassioned Sir Ambrose Fulke, a cold man blinded by his faith. His cruel reign could mean the end of witchkind itself.

If Grace wants to find her revenge and live, she will have to do more than disappear.

She will have to be reborn.

In this gripping, propulsive, sultry novella, Juno Dawson takes us back to the bloody beginnings of Her Majestyā€™s Royal Coven to show us the strength, steel and sacrifice it takes to make a sisterhood.
Ā©2024 Juno Dawson (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers]]> 224 Juno Dawson 0143138340 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 3 3.63 2024
author: Juno Dawson
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/06
date added: 2024/10/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 46222867 Bestselling author Astrid Scholte, returns with a thrilling adventure in which the dead can be revived...for a price.

Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet five hundred years ago, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn't food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister's life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn't a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.

But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn't want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn't commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents' death and mend their broken bond. But they're pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea's time is up--and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.]]> 432 Astrid Scholte 0525513965 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 on-hold 3.71 2020
author: Astrid Scholte
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: on-hold
review:

]]> 48560296 FUTURISTIC MECHA MEETS PHILIPPINE FOLKLORE.
ENTER THE BRAVE, NEW WORLD OF TABLAY. SYNOPSIS MANILA, A HUNDRED YEARS INTO THE FUTURE. Beyond the hyper-technological fortress city of New Intramuros, a century-old war rages on between the Philippine Mech Force and hostile machine life called aswang.

As mech pilot Anya Valerio discovers a dark secret about the enemy, she and her partnerā€”the reserved but brilliant engineer, Chino Joseā€”must stop the creation of a mega-weapon called Bakunawa before the consequences are irreversible.

Tablay is Filipino for electric charge. It is the soul of the city, the mover and shaker of machines, and the spark between two hearts. It asks what good is technology and progress if it is made at the expense of our humanity? It tells history might have dictated the present, but the future is what we decided it to be. PRAISE FOR TABLAY ā€œMecha - based on Pinoy myths! Government conspiracies! Techno-organic aswang! Secret missions! And a young mech pilot trying to dodge and weave through it all. TABLAY is a fun mash-up of mech and myth!ā€ - Budjette Tan, co-creator of Trese

ā€œI am one of the delighted passengers into Kat's mind and her world, "Tablay". A magnificent mix of monsters, mech and mayhem.ā€ - Berlin Manalaysay, creator of Combatron

ā€œI should shoot myself for not thinking of this concept first. Clever. Imaginative. Grounded. It looks back to our past and reimagines our future.ā€ - Juan Ekis, BroadwayWorld Award Winner, Director of A Play of the Decade

ā€œStrap yourselves tight folks, when that twist is revealed, you'll be blown out of your socks. Tablay, hands down, is one of the best Filipino sci-fi books ever.ā€ - Bambi Eloriaga-Amago, Author of Doobiedoo Asks]]> 169 Katrina F. Olan 6210208991 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 3.94 2019
author: Katrina F. Olan
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at: 2023/11/07
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 13133725 Alternative Alamat gathers stories, by contemporary authors of Philippine fantasy, which make innovative use of elements of Philippine mythology. None of these stories are straight re-tellings of the old tales: they build on those stories, or question underlying assumptions; use ancient names as catalysts, or play within the spaces where the myths are silent. What you will find in common in these eleven stories is a love for the myths, epics, and legends which reflect us, contain us, call to us-and it is our hope that, in reading our stories, you may catch a glimpse of, and develop a hunger for, those venerable tales.

Alternative Alamat also features a cover and interior illustrations by Mervin Malonzo, a short list of notable Philippine deities, tips for online and offline research, and in-depth interviews with two people who have devoted much of their careers to the study of Philippine folklore and anthropology, Professors Herminia MeƱez Coben ("Explorations in Philippine Folklore" and "Verbal Arts in Philippine Indigenous Communities: Poetics, Society, and History") and Fernando N. Zialcita ("The Soul Book" and "Authentic but Not Exotic").]]> 174 Paolo Chikiamco 9719942150 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 maybe-reads 4.14 2011
author: Paolo Chikiamco
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: maybe-reads
review:

]]> 209439468 In this new standalone, Hugo Award-winning author Nghi Vo introduces a beguiling fantasy city in the tradition of Calvino, Mieville, and Le Guin.

A demon. An angel. A city that burns at the heart of the world.

The demon Vitrineā€”immortal, powerful, and capriciousā€”loves the dazzling city of Azril. She has mothered, married, and maddened the city and its people for generations, and built it into a place of joy and desire, revelry and riot.

And then the angels come, and the city falls.

Vitrine is left with nothing but memories and a book containing the names of those she has lostā€”and an angel, now bound by her mad, grief-stricken curse to haunt the city he burned.

She mourns her dead and rages against the angel she longs to destroy. Made to be each otherā€™s devastation, angel and demon are destined for eternal battle. Instead, they find themselves locked in a devouring fascination that will change them both forever.

Together, they unearth the past of the lost city and begin to shape its future. But when war threatens Azril and everything they have built, Vitrine and her angel must decide whether they will let the city fall again.

The City in Glass is both a brilliantly constructed history and an epic love story, of death and resurrection, memory and transformation, redemption and desire strong enough to burn a world to ashes and build it anew.]]> 216 Nghi Vo 1250348277 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.74 2024
author: Nghi Vo
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 11506091 Two starcrossed magicians engage in a deadly game of cunning in The Night Circus, the spellbinding bestseller that has captured the world's imagination.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des RĆŖves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.]]> 401 Erin Morgenstern Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 4.11 2011
author: Erin Morgenstern
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/08
shelves: fiction, fantasy, did-not-finish
review:

]]> 22078596 Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.Translated from the German by John E. Woods.]]> 276 Patrick SĆ¼skind 0804152977 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.83 1985
author: Patrick SĆ¼skind
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 34948440 Of course I want to be like them. Theyā€™re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy himā€“and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.]]> 385 Holly Black Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 3.99 2018
author: Holly Black
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves: young-adult, fantasy, startonyourshelfathon-tbr, maybe-reads
review:

]]> 13623848 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062060624.

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.]]> 408 Madeline Miller Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 5 4.30 2011
author: Madeline Miller
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/24
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: startonyourshelfathon-tbr, fiction, fantasy, 2020-reads, read-for-startonyourshelfathon, planned-rereads
review:

]]> 124941442 Godkiller in this thrilling sequel to the #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut, where Kissen and her companions must navigate lands of gods and demons to unravel a dark truth at the heart of their world.

Professional godkiller Kissen and her companionsā€”young noble Inara and knight Elogastā€”return in a winding adventure in a world overflowing with magic, beauty, and danger.]]> 370 Hannah Kaner 0008521514 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.87 2024
author: Hannah Kaner
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58690308 One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....

Nora Stephensā€™ life is booksā€”sheā€™s read them allā€”and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sistersā€™ trip awayā€”with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who sheā€™s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that theyā€™ve met many times and itā€™s never been cute.

If Nora knows sheā€™s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows heā€™s nobodyā€™s hero, but as they are thrown together again and againā€”in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allowā€”what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories theyā€™ve written about themselves.]]> 377 Emily Henry 0593334833 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 did-not-finish 4.09 2022
author: Emily Henry
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> 150260823 What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvyā€™s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. Itā€™s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy canā€™t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvyā€™s murder for the showā€™s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friendā€™s murder, even if she is the one that did it.]]> 338 Amy Tintera Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.23 2024
author: Amy Tintera
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 22840421
EDWARD ist der Kƶnig von England. Doch er liegt auch im Sterben, was ungĆ¼nstig ist, da er erst sechzehn ist und viel lieber seinen ersten Kuss planen wĆ¼rde, als darĆ¼ber nachzudenken, wer einmal seine Krone erben wird.
JANE ist Edwards Cousine und viel mehr an BĆ¼chern als an Romantik interessiert. Zu Janes UnglĆ¼ck hat Edward ihre Hochzeit arrangiert, um die Thronfolge zu sichern. Allerdings ist an ihrem Verlobten etwas seltsam ā€¦
GIFFORD ist ein Pferd. Das heiƟt, er ist ein EĆ°ian (eth-y-un, fĆ¼r die Uneingeweihten). Jeden Tag bei Tagesanbruch wird er zu einem edlen Hengst, doch dann ā€“ bei Einbruch der Dunkelheit ā€“ wacht er stets mit einem Mund voller Heu auf. Das ist alles sehr wĆ¼rdelos!
ABER SO RICHTIG ZUR SACHE GEHT ES, als Edward, Jane und G in eine gefƤhrliche Verschwƶrung hineingezogen werden. Da das Schicksal des Kƶnigreichs auf dem Spiel steht, mĆ¼ssen unsere Helden selbst ein paar Verschwƶrungen anzetteln. Aber kƶnnen sie ihren Plan durchziehen, bevor sie noch ihren Kopf verlieren?]]> 474 Cynthia Hand 0062391798 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 did-not-finish 4.00 2016
author: Cynthia Hand
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> 18846563
After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. But Calaena is far from loyal to the crown. Keeping up the charade - while pretending to do the king's bidding - will test her skills in an entirely new way. And it certainly isn't the only point of confusion for the young girl. Because though she's made her choice between Dorian and Chaol, the ways of the heart are never simple...]]> 361 Sarah J. Maas Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 5 4.49 2013
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/13
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 49826643
Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.

Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.

The Ordersā€™ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her futureā€¦ or the downfall of them both.

But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Ordersā€™ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.

Even if it means wielding death itself.

Fans of epic romantic fantasy like Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy will devour this tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance, and redemption.]]> 520 Carissa Broadbent Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.03 2020
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 22608576 Maybe the most stunning presentation of this book in 3300 years: For the first time in 3,300 years, The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day: The Papyrus of Ani is showcased in its entirety in seventy-four magnificent color pages.

Egyptian mythology: Upon death it was the practice for some Egyptians to produce a papyrus manuscript called the Book of Going Forth by Day or the Book of the Dead. A Book of the Dead included declarations and spells to help the deceased in the afterlife. The Papyrus of Ani is the manuscript compiled for Ani, the royal scribe of Thebes. Written and illustrated almost 3,300 years ago, The Papyrus of Ani is a papyrus manuscript with cursive hieroglyphs and color illustrations. It is the most beautiful, best-preserved, and complete example of ancient Egyptian philosophical and religious thought known to exist.

Egyptian mysteries of life and death: The Egyptian Book of the Dead is an integral part of the world's spiritual heritage. It is an artistic rendering of the mysteries of life and death. For the first time since its creation, this ancient papyrus is now available in full color with an integrated English translation directly below each image.

One of humanity's earliest and finest spiritual treasures: The Chronicle Books edition of The Book of Going Forth by Day was first published in 1994, revised in 1998, and now with this third revised edition, the entire corpus of this critical work is given its most accessible and lavish presentation ever.

This twentieth anniversary edition of The Egyptian Book of the Dead has been revised and expanded to include:


Significant improvements to the display of the images of the Papyrus
A survey of the continuing importance of ancient Egypt in modern culture
A detailed history of Egyptian translation and philology since the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799
And, a state-of-the-art Annotated Bibliography and Study Guide for Ancient Egyptian studies]]> 192 Anonymous 1452144389 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 4.28 -1500
author: Anonymous
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.28
book published: -1500
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read, ancient-egypt, ancient-history
review:

]]> 56690323 Returning to the dark and glamorous 19th century world of her New York Times instant bestseller, The Gilded Wolves, Roshani Chokshi dazzles us with the final riveting tale as full of mystery and danger as ever.

In love they breathed. In destiny they believed. In the end, will divinity be their demise?

After SĆ©verin's seeming betrayal, the crew is fractured. Armed with only a handful of hints, Enrique, Laila, Hypnos and Zofia must find their way through the snarled, haunted waterways of Venice, Italy to locate SĆ©verin.

Meanwhile, SĆ©verin must balance the deranged whims of the Patriarch of the Fallen House and discover the location of a temple beneath a plague island where the Divine Lyre can be played and all that he desires will come to pass.

With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself...but at a price they may not be willing to pay.]]> 400 Roshani Chokshi 1250144620 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 4.17 2021
author: Roshani Chokshi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/04
date added: 2024/08/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 50161981 They are each other's fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.

SĆ©verin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost -- one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, SĆ©verin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumoured to grant its possessor the power of God.

Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.

As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.

A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.]]> 416 Roshani Chokshi 1250144590 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 4.15 2020
author: Roshani Chokshi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/02
date added: 2024/08/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 55513738
Published in 2020.]]> 228 Gideon Lasco 9715509932 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.33
author: Gideon Lasco
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 212924091 To stop a vicious demonā€™s conquest, nightmares and humans will band together in book one of a heart-stopping new dark fantasy series.Ģż

Wren is a nightmare, a deadly manifestation of the frightening dreams of humans. She is forever bound toĢżthe insidious Para Warwick, the only night creature who can cross the boundary between the dream and waking realms. When she fails to retrieve information on a weapon that could finally end Warwickā€™s reign and is severely punished, she makes a snap decision toĢżaid the growing rebellion in finding it. Here, she meets Alaric, another nightmare hell-bent on atoning for his sins. Though wildly suspicious of one another, they form a tentative pact to take down Warwick once and for all.Ģż

The waking world is no better off. Prince Caine Fallon, Warwick's ignorant human son, prepares to wed Ila Enevoldson, the young queen from a neighboring kingdom. But Ila is more than she seems. She is a weaver, a protector of the ancient Boundary that separates the realms, and she has lost a precious weapon entrusted to her. She will do anything to retrieve it, including agreeing to an engagement with the son of her sworn enemy.ĢżĢż

When Caine catches Ila opening a portal to the dream realm and follows her through, he finds himself in a universe stranger than he could have imagined, where his father is more monstrous than he could have fathomed. Their destinies collide with those of the two lethal nightmares, and they are forced to band together to stop the vicious dictatorā€”and prevent the very fabric of reality from unravelling.Ģż

From TikTok sensation Sophia Slade (@theneonvulture), a stunning new voice in epic fantasy, comes thisĢżdark, romantic tale about a world split in two and the four misguided souls who must come together save it, for fans of Holly Black and Hannah Whitten.Ģż]]> 544 Sophia Slade 0316580457 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 maybe-reads 4.10 2022
author: Sophia Slade
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: maybe-reads
review:

]]> 123004704 Lethal. Loyal. Legendary.

Enter the world of Throne of Glass with the first book in the #1 bestselling series by Sarah J. Maas.

In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not come to kill him. She has come to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three murderers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a faraway country will befriend her. But something rotten dwells in the castle, and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying mysteriously, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival-and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Thrilling and fierce, Throne of Glass is the first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series that has captivated readers worldwide.]]> 428 Sarah J. Maas Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 5 fiction 4.24 2012
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/28
date added: 2024/07/28
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> 50552928 FINAL VOLUME! The guardians in sailor suits return in this definitive edition of the greatest magical girl manga of all time! Features all-new cover illustrations by creator Naoko Takeuchi, a glittering holographic coating, an extra-large size, premium paper, French flaps, and a newly-revised translation!

Ages 13 and up.

Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she's never gotten good grades, and, well, she's a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon! Experience the Sailor Moon manga as never before in these extra-long editions (about 300 pages each).]]> 304 Naoko Takeuchi 1632365979 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.48 2014
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 48612618
Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, sheā€™s never gotten good grades, and, well, sheā€™s a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon! Experience the Sailor Moon manga as never before in these extra-long editions (about 300 pages each).]]> 286 Naoko Takeuchi 1632365960 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.43 2014
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50008890 The guardians in sailor suits return in this definitive edition of the greatest magical girl manga of all time! Features all-new cover illustrations by creator Naoko Takeuchi, a glittering holographic coating, an extra-large size, premium paper, French flaps, and a newly-revised translation!

Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she's never gotten good grades, and, well, she's a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon! Experience the Sailor Moon manga as never before in these extra-long editions (about 300 pages each).]]> 352 Naoko Takeuchi 1632365952 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.35 2014
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 45445231 334 Naoko Takeuchi 1632365944 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.45 2014
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 42264835
Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she's never gotten good grades, and, well, she's a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon! Experience the Sailor Moon manga as never before in these extra-long editions (about 300 pages each).]]> 400 Naoko Takeuchi 1632361566 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.55 2014
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 43836003
Ages 13 and up.

Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she's never gotten good grades, and, well, she's a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon! Experience the Sailor Moon manga as never before in these extra-long editions (about 300 pages each).]]> 402 Naoko Takeuchi 1632365936 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.46 2014
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 37913585 346 Naoko Takeuchi 163236154X Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.32 2013
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 41010024 320 Naoko Takeuchi 1632361558 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.31 2013
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36277211 The guardians in sailor suits return in this definitive edition of the greatest magical girl manga of all time! Features all-new cover illustrations by creator Naoko Takeuchi, a glittering holographic coating, an extra-large size, premium paper, French flaps, and a newly-revised translation!

Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she's never gotten good grades, and, well, she's a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon! Experience the Sailor Moon manga as never before in these extra-long editions (about 300 pages each).]]> 343 Naoko Takeuchi 1632361531 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.50 2013
author: Naoko Takeuchi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 48509205 A story about a dangerously curious young undergraduate whose rebelliousness leads her to discover a shocking secret involving an exclusive circle of students . . . and the dark truth beneath her schoolā€™s promise of prestige.

You are in the house and the house is in the woods.
You are in the house and the house is in you . . .

Catherine House is a school of higher learning like no other. Hidden deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, this crucible of reformist liberal arts study with its experimental curriculum, wildly selective admissions policy, and formidable endowment, has produced some of the worldā€™s best minds: prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices, presidents. For those lucky few selected, tuition, room, and board are free. But acceptance comes with a price. Students are required to give the House three yearsā€”summers includedā€”completely removed from the outside world. Family, friends, television, music, even their clothing must be left behind. In return, the school promises its graduates a future of sublime power and prestige, and that they can become anything or anyone they desire.

Among this yearā€™s incoming class is Ines, who expects to trade blurry nights of parties, pills, cruel friends, and dangerous men for rigorous intellectual disciplineā€”only to discover an environment of sanctioned revelry. The schoolā€™s enigmatic director, ViktĆ³ria, encourages the students to explore, to expand their minds, to find themselves and their place within the formidable black iron gates of Catherine.

For Ines, Catherine is the closest thing to a home sheā€™s ever had, and her serious, timid roommate, Baby, soon becomes an unlikely friend. Yet the Houseā€™s strange protocols make this refuge, with its worn velvet and weathered leather, feel increasingly like a gilded prison. And when Babyā€™s obsessive desire for acceptance ends in tragedy, Ines begins to suspect that the schoolā€”in all its shabby splendor, hallowed history, advanced theories, and controlled decadenceā€”might be hiding a dangerous agenda that is connected to a secretive, tightly knit group of students selected to study its most promising and mysterious curriculum.]]> 318 Elisabeth Thomas 0062905805 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 3.25 2020
author: Elisabeth Thomas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves: fiction, mystery-thriller, maybe-reads
review:

]]> 42201995
Then Mr. Fakhri, with a keen instinct for a budding romance, introduces Roya to his other favorite customerā€”handsome Bahman, who has a burning passion for justice and a love for Rumiā€™s poetryā€”and she loses her heart at once. Their romance blossoms, and the little stationery shop remains their favorite place in all of Tehran.

A few short months later, on the eve of their marriage, Roya agrees to meet Bahman at the town square when violence eruptsā€”a result of the coup dā€™etat that forever changes their countryā€™s future. In the chaos, Bahman never shows. For weeks, Roya tries desperately to contact him, but her efforts are fruitless. With a sorrowful heart, she moves onā€”to college in California, to another man, to a life in New Englandā€”until, more than sixty years later, an accident of fate leads her back to Bahman and offers her a chance to ask him the questions that have haunted her for more than half a century: Why did you leave? Where did you go? How is it that you were able to forget me?

A poignant, heartfelt new novel by the award-nominated author of Together Teaā€”extolled by the Wall Street Journal as a ā€œmoving tale of lost loveā€ and by Shelf Awareness as ā€œa powerful, heartbreaking storyā€ā€”explores loss, reconciliation, and the quirks of fate.]]> 312 Marjan Kamali 1982107480 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.22 2019
author: Marjan Kamali
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199798217 An ā€œevocative read and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activismā€ (People) set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iranā€”from nationally bestselling author Marjan Kamali.

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her motherā€™s endless grievances, Ellie dreams for a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homaā€™s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions of becoming ā€œlion women.ā€

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girlsā€™ high school in Iran, Ellieā€™s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellieā€™s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.

ā€œReminiscent of The Kite Runner and My Brilliant Friend, The Lion Women of Tehran is a mesmerizing taleā€ (BookPage) of love and courage, and a sweeping exploration of how profoundly we are shaped by those we meet when we are young.]]> 327 Marjan Kamali 1668036584 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.47 2024
author: Marjan Kamali
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61420120 Sly, surprising, and razor-sharp, Natural Beauty follows a young musician into an elite, beauty-obsessed world where perfection comes at a staggering cost.

Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can. She employs a technique she learned from her parentsā€”also talented musiciansā€”who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future for a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City.

Holistik is known for its remarkable products and proceduresā€”from remoras that suck out cheap Botox to eyelash extensions made of spider silkā€”and her new job affords her entry into a world of privilege and a long-awaited sense of belonging. She becomes transfixed by Helen, the niece of Holistikā€™s charismatic owner, and the two strike up a friendship that hazily veers into more. All the while, our narrator is plied with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin, and lighten her hair. But beneath these creams and tinctures lies something sinister.

A piercing, darkly funny debut, Natural Beauty explores questions of consumerism, self-worth, race, and identityā€”and leaves readers with a shocking and unsettling truth.]]> 272 Ling Ling Huang 0593472926 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 3 3.79 2023
author: Ling Ling Huang
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/17
date added: 2024/07/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 195791479 Save one world. Doom her own.

From the acclaimed author of The Deep Sky comes a thrilling anti-colonial space heist to save an alien civilization.

Maya Hoshimoto was once the best art thief in the galaxy. For ten years, she returned stolen artifacts to alien civilizationsā€”until a disastrous job forced her into hiding. Now she just wants to enjoy a quiet life as a graduate student of anthropology, but sheā€™s haunted by persistent and disturbing visions of the future.

Then an old friend comes to her with a job she canā€™t refuse: find a powerful object that could save an alien species from extinction. Except no one has seen it in living memory, and they arenā€™t the only ones hunting for it.

Maya sets out on a breakneck quest through a universe teeming with strange life and ancient ruins. But the farther she goes, the more her visions cast a dark shadow over her team of friends new and old. Someone will betray her along the way. Worse yet, in choosing to save one species, she may condemn humanity and Earth itself.

--

Content warnings are available at the author's website (see author bio).]]> 312 Yume Kitasei 1250875374 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.63 2024
author: Yume Kitasei
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 38311338 From Olivie Blake, the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes Masters of Death, a story about vampires, ghosts, and death itself!

Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.

Fox Dā€™Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isnā€™t entirely without his usesā€”seeing as heā€™s actually the godson of Death.

When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isnā€™t nearly as distinct as they thought.]]> 349 Olivie Blake Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.64 2018
author: Olivie Blake
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50211894 A deadly competition for the throne will determine more than just the fate of the empire in this duology opener.

Alyssa Farshot has spent her whole life trying to outrun her family legacy. Her mother sacrificed everything to bring peace to the quadrant, and her uncle has successfully ruled as emperor for decades. But the last thing Alyssa wants is to follow in their footsteps as the next in line for the throne. Why would she choose to be trapped in a palace when she could be having wild adventures exploring a thousand-and-one planets in her own ship?

But when Alyssaā€™s uncle becomes gravely ill, his dying wish surprises the entire galaxy. Instead of naming her as his successor, he calls for a crownchase, the first in seven centuries. Representatives from each of the empireā€™s prime familiesā€”including Alyssaā€”are thrown into a race to find the royal seal, which has been hidden somewhere in the empire. The first to find the seal wins the throne.

Alyssaā€™s experience as an explorer makes her the favorite to win the crown she never wanted. And though she doesnā€™t want to be empress, her duty to her uncle compels her to participate in this one last epic adventure. But when the chase turns deadly, itā€™s clear that more than just the fate of the empire is at stake. Alyssa is on her most important quest yetā€”and only time will tell if sheā€™ll survive it.]]> 375 Rebecca Coffindaffer 0062845160 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.11 2020
author: Rebecca Coffindaffer
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 157035866 Jennifer Thorne skewers all-too-familiar family dynamics in this sly, wickedly funny vacation-Gothic. Beautifully unhinged and deeply satisfying, Diavola is a sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.

Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive.

It isnā€™t easy when sheā€™s the only one in the family who doesnā€™t quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much heā€™s practically dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, is so used to everyoneā€”including her blandly docile husband and two kidsā€”falling in line that Anna often ends up in trouble for simply asking a question. Mom seizes every opportunity to question her life choices, and Dad, when not reminding everyone who paid for this vacation, just wants some peace and quiet.

The gorgeous, remote villa in tiny Monteperso seems like a perfect place to endure so much family togetherness, until things start going off the railsā€”the strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the local villagers, and the dark, violent past of the villa itself.

(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)]]> 293 Jennifer Marie Thorne 1250826128 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.84 2024
author: Jennifer Marie Thorne
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 173476065 When any biological matter can be used to create life, stolen celebrity DNA sells to the highest bidderā€”or the craziest stalkerā€”in this propulsive thriller.

With a vivid imagining of the future, _Gattaca _meets Black Mirror in Kira Peikoffā€™s Baby X.

In the near-future United States, where advanced technology can create eggs or sperm from any personā€™s cells, celebrities face the alarming potential of meeting biological children they never conceived. Famous singer Trace Thorne is tired of being targeted by the Vault, a black market site devoted to stealing DNA. Sick of paying ransom money for his own cell matter, he hires bio-security guard Ember Ryan to ensure his biological safety.

Ember will do anything she can to protect her clients. She knows all the Vaultā€™s tricksā€”discarded tissues, used straws, lipstick tubesā€”and has prevented countless DNA thefts. Working for Thorne, her focus becomes split when she begins to fall for him, but she knows she hasnā€™t let anything slipā€”love or not, his DNA is safe. But then she and Thorne are confronted by a pregnant woman, Quinn, who claims that Thorne is the father of her baby, and all bets are off.

Brilliantly plotted and terrifyingly prescient, Baby X is an unpredictable and relentless speculative thriller perfect for fans of Blake Crouch and John Marrs.]]> 326 Kira Peikoff 1639106332 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.82 2024
author: Kira Peikoff
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 156023123
Sheā€™s learning, too.

Doug says he loves that Annieā€™s artificial intelligence makes her seem more like a real woman, but the more human Annie becomes, the less perfectly she behaves. As Annie's relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder whether Doug truly desires what he says he does. In such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?]]> 231 Sierra Greer 0063312697 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 maybe-reads 3.81 2024
author: Sierra Greer
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: maybe-reads
review:

]]> 165940202
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husbandā€™s back.

Freyaā€™s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the regionā€™s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddessā€™s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maidenā€™s fate.

Believing heā€™s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.]]> 419 Danielle L. Jensen 0593599837 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.91 2024
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63106097
The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker, Shan LeClaire has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic, building her network of spies, and gathering every scrap of power she could. Now, to protect her brother, she assassinates their father and takes her place at the head of the family. And that is only the start of her revenge.

Samuel Hutchinson is a bastard with a terrible gift. When he stumbles upon the first victim of a magical serial killer, he's drawn into the world of magic and intrigue he's worked so hard to avoid - and is pulled deeply into the ravenous and bloodthirsty court of the vampire king.

Tasked by the Eternal King to discover the identity of the killer cutting a bloody swath through the city, Samuel, Shan and mysterious Royal Bloodworker Isaac find themselves growing ever closer to each other. But Shan's plans are treacherous, and as she lures Samuel into her complicated web of desire, treason and vengeance, he must decide if the good of their nation is worth the cost of his soul.]]> 432 K.M. Enright 0356521133 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.28 2024
author: K.M. Enright
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 194802722 A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancƩ, Peter, told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it... right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a childrenā€™s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petraā€™s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaoticā€”with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love balladsā€”Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned-up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that sheā€™s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But itā€™s all just for show, of course, because thereā€™s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancĆ©ā€™s new fiancĆ©eā€™s ex... right?]]> 400 Emily Henry Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.21 2024
author: Emily Henry
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 54985743 Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. Sheā€™s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apartā€”sheā€™s in New York City, and heā€™s in their small hometownā€”but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They havenā€™t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but sheā€™s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation togetherā€”lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?]]> 400 Emily Henry 1984806750 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.85 2021
author: Emily Henry
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61244268
Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, they must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favour.

Pursued by demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning ā€“ something is rotting at the heart of their world, and only they can be the ones to stop it.]]> 304 Hannah Kaner 0008521468 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 3.85 2023
author: Hannah Kaner
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/25
date added: 2024/06/25
shelves:
review:

]]> 123201291 The greatest literary landmark of antiquity masterfully rendered by the most celebrated translator of our time.

When Emily Wilsonā€™s translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017ā€”revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was ā€œfresh, unpretentious and leanā€ (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)ā€”critics lauded it as ā€œa revelationā€ (Susan Chira, New York Times) and ā€œa cultural landmarkā€ (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an equally revelatory translation of Homerā€™s other great epicā€”the most revered war poem of all time.

The Iliad roars with the clamor of arms, the bellowing boasts of victors, the fury and grief of loss, and the anguished cries of dying men. It sings, too, of the sublime magnitude of the worldā€”the fierce beauty of nature and the godsā€™ grand schemes beyond the ken of mortals. In Wilsonā€™s hands, this thrilling, magical, and often horrifying tale now gallops at a pace befitting its legendary battle scenes, in crisp but resonant language that evokes the poemā€™s deep pathos and reveals palpably real, even ā€œcomplicated,ā€ charactersā€”both human and divine.

The culmination of a decade of intense engagement with antiquityā€™s most surpassingly beautiful and emotionally complex poetry, Wilsonā€™s Iliad now gives us a complete Homer for our generation.]]> 846 Homer Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 4.45 -800
author: Homer
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.45
book published: -800
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/22
shelves: fiction, fantasy, mythology-and-folklore, to-read
review:

]]> 1768603
Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in lifeā€”having nothing but his own wits to help him along.

Born in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his village's wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man's (very unlucky) son. From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram's new world is a revelation. While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly ("Love -- Rape -- Revenge!"), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role in the Rooster Coop. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one). He also finds a way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.

Balram's eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call centers; the prostitutes and the worshippers; the ancient and Internet cultures; the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create virtue, and money doesn't solve every problem -- but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations.

The White Tiger recalls The Death of Vishnu and Bangkok 8 in ambition, scope, and narrative genius, with a mischief and personality all its own. Amoral, irreverent, deeply endearing, and utterly contemporary, this novel is an international publishing sensation ā€”and a startling, provocative debut.]]> 276 Aravind Adiga 1416562591 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.76 2008
author: Aravind Adiga
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 139397033 Moses Ose Utomi returns to his Forever Desert series with The Truth of the Aleke, continuing his epic fable about truth, falsehood, and the shackles of history.

The Aleke is cruel. The Aleke is clever. The Aleke is coming.

500 years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo, the City of Truth stands as is the last remaining free city of the Forever Desert. A bastion of freedom and peace, the city has successfully weathered the near-constant attacks from the Cult of Tutu, who have besieged it for three centuries, attempting to destroy its warriors and subjugate its people.

17-year-old Osi is a Junior Peacekeeper in the City. When the mysterious leader of the Cult, known only as the Aleke, commits a massacre in the capitol and steals the sacred God's Eyes, Osi steps forward to valiantly defend his home. For his bravery he is tasked with a tremendous responsibilityā€”destroy the Cult of Tutu, bring back the God's Eyes, and discover the truth of the Aleke.]]> 103 Moses Ose Utomi 1250849055 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.10 2024
author: Moses Ose Utomi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50659468
Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she's now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre's hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.]]> 626 Sarah J. Maas 1635575583 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 5 4.65 2016
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2023/09/29
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves:
review:
did i bang my head against the wall that hard in the ER that i actually enjoyed this book?
]]> 49247029
When the scandal sheet reports a sighting of Nicolas St. Ives, the Marquess of Rothbury, climbing out the chamber windows of a house party, Maryann does the unthinkable. She anonymously claims that the bedchamber belonged to none other than Miss Fitzwilliam, tarnishing her own reputationā€”and chances of the dastardly union her family secured for her. Now she just needs to convince the marquess to keep his silence.

Turns out Nicolas allows for the scandal to perpetuate for his own reasonsā€¦ But when Maryannā€™s parents hold fast to their arranged marriage plan, itā€™ll take a scandal of epic proportions for these two to get out of this together.]]> 383 Stacy Reid 1682815196 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.09 2020
author: Stacy Reid
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60784878 Moses Ose Utomi's debut novella, The Lies of the Ajungo, follows one boyā€™s epic quest to bring water back to his city and save his motherā€™s life. Prepare to enter the Forever Desert.

A Library Journal Best Book of the Month!

They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies?

In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother wonā€™t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutuā€™s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself.

The Lies of the Ajungo opens the curtains on a tremendous world, and begins the epic fable of the Forever Desert. With every word, Moses Ose Utomi weaves magic.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 90 Moses Ose Utomi 1250848423 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 4.30 2023
author: Moses Ose Utomi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/10
date added: 2024/05/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 39863498 From New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi comes a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change--one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires...

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier SĆ©verin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, SĆ©verin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, SĆ©verin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.

Together, they will join SĆ©verin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history--but only if they can stay alive.]]> 388 Roshani Chokshi 125014454X Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 4 3.71 2019
author: Roshani Chokshi
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/10
date added: 2024/05/10
shelves: fiction, filipino-authors, wikathon
review:

]]> 22055276 "Here in the Just City you will become your best selves. You will learn and grow and strive to be excellent."

Created as an experiment by the time-traveling goddess Pallas Athene, the Just City is a planned community, populated by over ten thousand children and a few hundred adult teachers from all eras of history, along with some handy robots from the far human future--all set down together on a Mediterranean island in the distant past.

The student Simmea, born an Egyptian farmer's daughter sometime between 500 and 1000 A.D, is a brilliant child, eager for knowledge, ready to strive to be her best self. The teacher Maia was once Ethel, a young Victorian lady of much learning and few prospects, who prayed to Pallas Athene in an unguarded moment during a trip to Rome--and, in an instant, found herself in the Just City with grey-eyed Athene standing unmistakably before her.

Meanwhile, Apollo--stunned by the realization that there are things mortals understand better than he does--has arranged to live a human life, and has come to the City as one of the children. He knows his true identity, and conceals it from his peers. For this lifetime, he is prone to all the troubles of being human.

Then, a few years in, Sokrates arrives--the same Sokrates recorded by Plato himself--to ask all the troublesome questions you would expect. What happens next is a tale only the brilliant Jo Walton could tell.]]> 368 Jo Walton 0765332663 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.77 2015
author: Jo Walton
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50496875
Over a century later, the now abandoned and crumbling Brookhants is back in the news when wunderkind writer, Merritt Emmons, publishes a breakout book celebrating the queer, feminist history surrounding the ā€œhaunted and cursedā€ Gilded-Age institution. Her bestselling book inspires a controversial horror film adaptation starring celebrity actor and lesbian it girl Harper Harper playing the ill-fated heroine Flo, opposite B-list actress and former child star Audrey Wells as Clara. But as Brookhants opens its gates once again, and our three modern heroines arrive on set to begin filming, past and present become grimly entangledā€”or perhaps just grimly exploitedā€”and soon itā€™s impossible to tell where the curse leaves off and Hollywood begins.

A story within a story within a story and featuring black-and-white period illustrations.]]> 640 Emily M. Danforth 0062942859 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.64 2020
author: Emily M. Danforth
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 7314442 340 Kimberly L. Craft 1449513441 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 3.71 2009
author: Kimberly L. Craft
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/21
shelves: biographies, european-history, history, to-read
review:

]]> 2160845 572 Franz Babinger 0691010781 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 3.80 1953
author: Franz Babinger
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1953
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/21
shelves: history, ottoman-history, biographies, mena-history, to-read
review:

]]> 41886271 A son struggling to grasp his violent future,
A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empireā€™s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ā€˜The Sword of Kaigen.ā€™

Born into Kusanagiā€™s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his familyā€™s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigenā€™s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.]]> 651 M.L. Wang Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.46 2019
author: M.L. Wang
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58409712 An epic fantasy ode to martial arts and magicā€”the story of a spoiled hero, an exacting grandmaster, and an immortal god-king from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lives of Tao.

It has been foretold: A child will rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, a cruel immortal god-king, and save the kingdom.

The hero: Jian, who has been raised since birth in luxury and splendor, celebrated before he has won a single battle.

But the prophecy was wrong.

Because when Taishi, the greatest war artist of her generation, arrives to evaluate the prophesied hero, she finds a spoiled brat unprepared to face his destiny.

But the only force more powerful than fate is Taishi herself. Possessed of an iron will, a sharp tongueā€”and an unexpectedly soft heartā€”Taishi will find a way to forge Jian into the weapon and leader he needs to be in order to fulfill his legend.

What follows is a journey more wondrous than any prophecy can foresee: a story of master and student, assassin and revolutionary, of fallen gods and broken prophecies, and of a war between kingdoms, and love and friendship between deadly rivals.]]> 533 Wesley Chu 0593237633 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.04 2022
author: Wesley Chu
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58293284
The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne.Ģż Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protĆ©gĆ©, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire.Ģż When the pair investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: Will they abandon the laws theyā€™ve sworn to uphold, in order to protect the Empire?]]> 496 Richard Swan Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.00 2022
author: Richard Swan
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59364173
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her motherā€™s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called ā€œcalorie restriction,ā€ eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, ā€œYour eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesnā€™t tint hers?ā€ She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In Iā€™m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detailā€”just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly , she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (ā€œHi Gale!ā€), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, Iā€™m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.]]> 320 Jennette McCurdy Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.45 2022
author: Jennette McCurdy
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/04/21
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]]> 59781695
As a half-goddess possessing magic, Yaga is used to living on her own, her prior entanglements with mortals having led to heartbreak. She mostly keeps to her hut in the woods, where those in need of healing seek her out, even as they spread rumors about her supposed cruelty and wicked spells. But when her old friend Anastasiaā€”now the wife of the tsar, and suffering from a mysterious illnessā€”arrives in her forest desperate for her protection, Yaga realizes the fate of all of Russia is tied to Anastasiaā€™s. Yaga must step out of the shadows to protect the land she loves.
Ģż
As she travels to Moscow, Yaga witnesses a sixteenth century Russia on the brink of chaos. Tsar Ivanā€”soon to become Ivan the Terribleā€”grows more volatile and tyrannical by the day, and Yaga believes the tsaritsa is being poisoned by an unknown enemy. But what Yaga cannot know is that Ivan is being manipulated by powers far older and more fearsome than anyone can imagine.
Ģż
Olesya Salnikova GilmoreĢżweaves a rich tapestry of mythology and Russian history, reclaiming and reinventing the infamous Baba Yaga, and bringing to life a vibrant and tumultuous Russia, where old gods and new tyrants vie for power. This fierce and compelling novel draws from the timeless lore to create a heroine for the modern day, fighting to save her country and those she lovesĢżfrom oppression while also finding herĢżtrue purpose as a goddess, a witch, and a woman.]]> 432 Olesya Salnikova Gilmore 0593546970 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.54 2022
author: Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/04/21
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]]> 54711210
But Val has to get on that ship. Her twin brother, Jamie, who has spent two long years at sea, is on board, as is an influential circus owner. Thankfully, there's not much a trained acrobat like Val can't overcome when she puts her mind to it.

As a stowaway, Val should keep her head down and stay out of sight. But the clock is ticking and she has just seven days as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic to find Jamie, audition for the circus owner, and convince him to help get them both into America.

Then one night, the unthinkable happens, and suddenly Val's dreams of a new life are crushed under the weight of the only thing that matters: survival.]]> 368 Stacey Lee 1524740985 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 3.67 2021
author: Stacey Lee
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/04/15
date added: 2024/04/15
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]]> 44767458
When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paulā€™s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muadā€™Dib, he will bring to fruition humankindā€™s most ancient and unattainable dream.]]> 658 Frank Herbert 059309932X Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.33 1965
author: Frank Herbert
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1965
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/04/15
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]]> 61294937 Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one womanā€™s determined quest to seize a final chance at gloryā€”and write her own legend.

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Oceanā€™s most notorious pirates, sheā€™s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when sheā€™s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, sheā€™s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comradeā€™s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her familyā€™s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be Godā€™s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear thereā€™s more to this job, and the girlā€™s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For thereā€™s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more powerā€¦and the price might be your very soul.]]> 483 Shannon Chakraborty Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.25 2023
author: Shannon Chakraborty
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/04/13
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]]> 53138220 The remarkable, little-known story of two trailblazing women in the Early Middle Ages who wielded immense power, only to be vilified for daring to rule.

Brunhild was a Spanish princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave. And yetā€”in the 6th-century Merovingian Empire, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sportā€”these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms for decades, changing the face of Europe.

The two queens commanded armies and negotiated with kings and popes. They formed coalitions and broke them, mothered children and lost them. They fought a years-long civil warā€”against each other. With ingenuity and skill, they battled to stay alive in the game of statecraft, and in the process laid the foundations of what would one day be Charlemagneā€™s empire. Yet after Brunhild and Fredegundā€™s deathsā€”one gentle, the other horrificā€”their stories were rewritten, their names consigned to slander and legend.

In The Dark Queens, award-winning writer Shelley Puhak sets the record straight. She resurrects two very real women in all their complexity, painting a richly detailed portrait of an unfamiliar time and striking at the roots of some of our cultureā€™s stubbornest myths about female power. The Dark Queens offers proof that the relationships between women can transform the world.]]> 384 Shelley Puhak 1635574919 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.09 2022
author: Shelley Puhak
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/04/13
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]]> 60714999 Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always ā€“ always ā€“ guard your heart.

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning wonā€™t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her fatherā€™s crownā€¦ and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But thereā€™s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone ā€“ but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night is the first book in a new series of heart-wrenching romance, dark magic, and bloodthirsty intrigue, perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 504 Carissa Broadbent Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.29 2022
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/04/12
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]]> 41707
September l858: An Antarctic whaler stumbles upon an aged wreck, its grisly frozen crew guarding crates of odd antiquities--and a skull carved from black obsidian.

March 200l: A team of anthropologists gazes in awe at a wall of strange inscriptions, moments before a blast seals them deep within the Colorado rock.

April 200l: A research ship manned by Dirk Pitt and members of the U.S. National Underwater and Marine Agency is set upon and nearly sunk by an impossibility--a vessel that should have died fifty-six years before.

Pitt knows that somehow all these incidents are connected, and his investigations soon land him deep into an ancient mystery with very modern consequences, up against a diabolical enemy unlike any he has ever known, and racing to save not only his own life but the future of the world itself.

The trap is set. The clock is ticking. And only one man stands between earth and Armageddon. . . .

Filled with dazzling suspense and astonishing set pieces, this is Clive Cussler's greatest adventure novel yet.]]> 530 Clive Cussler 0425204030 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 4.00 1999
author: Clive Cussler
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1999
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/04/11
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]]> 22571590 Turn Right at Machu Picchu travels the globe in search of the worldā€™s most famous lost city.Ģż

A few years ago, Mark Adams made a strange discovery: Far from alien conspiracy theories and other pop culture myths, everything we know about the legendary lost city of Atlantis comes from the work of one man, the Greek philosopher Plato. Stranger still: Adams learned there is an entire global sub-culture of amateur explorers who are still actively and obsessively searching for this sunken city, based entirely on Platoā€™s detailed clues. What Adams didnā€™t realize was that Atlantis is kind of like a virus ā€” and heā€™d been exposed.

In Meet Me in Atlantis, Adams racks up frequent-flier miles tracking down these Atlantis obsessives, trying to determine why they believe it's possible to find the world's most famous lost city ā€” and whether any of their theories could prove or disprove its existence. The result is a classic quest that takes readers to fascinating locations to meet irresistible characters; and a deep, often humorous look at the human longing to rediscover a lost world.]]> 307 Mark Adams 0525953701 Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„ 0 to-read 3.62 2015
author: Mark Adams
name: Veronica šŸ‡µšŸ‡­šŸ„„
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/04/11
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