Top 5 Wednesday: Top SFF Books on Our TBRs

Top 5 Wednesday is a group of bloggers, booktubers and bookstagrammers posting on a common topic every (you guessed it) Wednesday. You can find the lists by searching #T5W or Top 5 Wednesday. And you can join the group on Goodreads if you want to participate.

This week's topic is: Top SFF Books on Your TBR

*Booktube SFF Awards Babble Crossover Topic!* 

Gretl's Top 5
These are all books that I actually own, which unfortunately makes me less likely to read them. I tend to prioritize my ARCs since they are more time sensitive and sometimes I don't have time for anything else. But there's some great stuff on my shelves, both physical and virtual.



5. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers
I actually met Becky Chambers at an event last year and I have a signed copy of this book. It bugs me that I haven't gotten to read it yet so I hope to do it soon. Book two is out now so I can even binge.



4. Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Both of my co-bloggers, and the entire internet, loved this book. I bought it on a Kindle Daily Deal, but haven't gotten to read it yet.



3. Aftermath (Star Wars: Aftermath #1) by Chuck Wendig
This is another Kindle deal that's been languishing on my TBR. With Rogue One coming out on DVD this week, I'm thinking it might be about time for a Star Wars marathon.



2. A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1) by Sarah J. Maas
Since I saw Beauty and the Beast a few weeks ago, I've been thinking about how much I need to read this book, another Kindle deal. If I do it soon I can catch up on the series in time for ACOMAF next month.



1. All my Schwab books
I own six or seven books by Victoria Schwab, most of them signed hardcovers, but I've only read A Gathering of Shadows. This one feels like a major fail. I've got to get started on these books.

Rose Red's Top 5

5. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
This book has been on my shelves for several years now. I picked it up because one of my book friends raved about it being Titanic in space. I hope to binge read the whole series soon!

4. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
I've been intrigued with this book ever since I first heard about it. Harry August dies and is reborn each time with complete memories of his previous lives. This book is all about Harry using that knowledge of his past to save the future. I really have no idea why I haven't read this one yet. It sounds like it's totally a Rose Red book.

3. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
I've recently started to watch The Expanse TV show and it's so good! I now want to read the series. I've heard that it's better than the TV show and I'm so excited to get to it soon!

 

2. Invictus by Ryan Graudin
All I know about this book is it's a time-traveling heist novel with a Firefly-esque crew and it has a red panda in it. That's enough to make me want to read it. I'm so excited for it to come out this September!

1. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was one of my favorite books from last year so I can't wait to get to second book in the series! It's a companion novel to Long Way with an AI as the main character! I seriously can't wait to read it! I think the only reason I haven't is because my copy is currently packed in a box in preparation for an upcoming move.

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Release Day Review: Wild Ride by Julie Ann Walker

Wild Ride
(Black Knights Inc. #9)
Julie Ann Walker
Release: April 4, 2017
Goodreads Amazon

The hero we've all been waiting for...

Ethan "Ozzie" Sykes

Former Navy SEAL

Underground operator for Black Knights Inc., the covert government defense firm disguised as a custom motorcycle shop.

In a black-on-black international mission that went seriously sideways, Ozzie was badly injured—now he's stuck at BKI headquarters in Chicago, champing at the bit to get out into the field again. To his disgust, he's tasked with distracting Chicago Tribune ace reporter Samantha Tate, who's been trying to dig up the dirt on BKI for years. Turns out Samantha's beauty, intelligence and sense of humor are a seriously big distraction, and Ozzie's losing his desire to keep her at bay.

Ozzie's tired of hiding, and Samantha may be the best-and worst—person to share his secrets with...

Review:

Julie Ann Walker might be the only non-paranormal author on my auto-buy list. That's how much I love this series. (It's also one of my go to slump busters.) Wild Ride has some great action scenes and wraps up the HEA for two characters that have both been a big part of the series from the beginning.

I was crushed when Ozzie was injured in an explosion in an early book. Seeing him struggle with the pain of his injury still breaks my heart a little bit. But it's nice to see him getting into the action, even it's not on an official mission. I hope this means we'll see him back in the field, maybe in a slightly different role, in the next book.

One thing that's unique about this story is that most of the guys are completely absent. It's normal in the series to have some of the team off on a different mission, but we normally at least see them around the shop. Instead the women of BKI are running things while their husbands are in the field, which is kind of awesome.

I'm a big fan of a friends to lovers story and, like anyone else who's read the BKI series, a big fan of Ozzie. But his romance was painful to watch as they both constantly missed the signs. I also felt like most of the friend part of his relationship with Samantha happened during earlier books and I wish I had seen more of it on the page. It's possible that I have seen more than I remember though. I guess maybe what I needed was context for the references to earlier moments, what the team was doing while they happened, to help me place them in the series.

I also don't remember exactly when Christian joined the team and he's a big part of this story. Christian reminds me of Scotty in Kristen Callihan's VIP series, which is definitely a good thing. And I loved his relationship and his insult banter with Emily, another new addition. It looks like the two of them should be starring in their own book soon, which I'm really looking forward to.

Recommended for fans of: bikers, secret agents, damaged heroes, and beards

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

    

4  stars

March Owlcrate Unboxing and Review

Last year Goldilox and I did a series of subscription box reviews on the blog. I love unpacking these boxes and discovering new bookish vendors! Since it's been a while since we've done one, I'm excited to share my experience with the March Owlcrate box. (We are purchasing all subscription boxes ourselves and are in no way sponsored by any of these services.)

I ordered my first Owlcrate last month because I just couldn't resist the theme, Sailors, Ships & Seas. I was pretty sure I knew what the book would be too. (And I was right.)

I loved Daughter of the Pirate King! It's got lots of action, a little bit of magic, and a treasure hunt. It definitely has the same feel as the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, which I love. It's such a fun book! I highly recommend it. The box also includes a signed bookplate, a tattoo, and a note from Tricia Levenseller.

The other items in the box are:

Octopus notepad from Boygirlparty. This is super cute and something I will definitely use. There are supposed to be two different designs so I'm going to have to check out some other unboxings to find the other one.

Compass pendant necklace from The Geeky Cauldron. The length of this chain is not the best look for me, though the pendant is too big for a shorter one. But this ship's wheel and anchor design is still cute. I think it will find its way into some future bookstagram pics for sure.

These last two items both seem like unusual ones to me, but out of three boxes I've ordered (not all from Owlcrate) this is the second time I've gotten each of them.

Mermaid washi tape from Simply Gilded. I love the purple and gold scale pattern! I was kind of stumped by the other washi tape I got, but I have a really cute idea for making mermaid bangles with this one. If I can find the old bracelets I want to re-cover, I'll post a pic to my Instagram when I finish them.

Kitchen towel from Kitch Studios. It says, "A ship is always safe at shore but that is not what it's built for." I like how the design is centered on this one so you can still see it when the towel is hanging up. (The towel I got in the other box had an all-over pattern that seemed like it might work better as a tapestry or pillow front.)

I opted out of the April Owlcrate box. It's a YA contemp, which is not usually my thing. But I'm trying out the April Whimsify box, so watch for more unboxings soon. 

Do you have a favorite book box?

What's the best thing you've gotten in one?

Month in Review: March 2017

Can you believe that March is already over? How are we already a quarter of the way through 2017? Time flies when you're having fun and reading good books. We've kind of had a slow month blog wise but this is what we've been up to in March.

What We Reviewed

Her True Match (X-Ops #6) by Paige Tyler

Silence Fallen (Mercy Thompson #10) by Patricia Briggs

Etched in Bone (The Others #5) by Anne Bishop

Brother's Ruin (Industrial Magic #1) by Emma Newman

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett
Shadow Run (Kaitan Chronicles #1) by AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller
The Demon Prince (Ars Numina #2) by Ann Aguirre

We Love Lists

Check out the Top 5 Wednesday lists we made this month:
 Fictional Jobs We'd Love to Have
Favorite SFF Books
Books That Betrayed Us
Favorite Angsty Romances

Future Classics

Rose Red also posted her Spring TBR List.

What We're Waiting For

Our most eagerly anticipated April releases:
(Click to add them to Goodreads.)

April 4
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
Gauntlet (Arena #2) by Holly Jennings

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

April 18
The Edge of the Abyss (The Abyss Surrounds Us #2) by Emily Skrutskie
Veiled Menace (Veiled Magic #2) by Deborah Blake
The Hot Shot (Game On #4) by Kristen Callihan

April 25
Blade Bound (Chicagoland Vampires #13) by Chloe Neill
Snared (Elemental Assassin #16) by Jennifer Estep

Skullsworn by Brian Staveley

Review: The Demon Prince by Ann Aguirre

The Demon Prince
(Ars Numina #2)
Ann Aguire
Release: March 23, 2017
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the author

Charming. Irreverent. Haunted.
Alastor Vega is the sole challenger in a brutal battle for succession. Against all odds, he must stop his power-mad brother, Tycho, before he destroys the Numina. Though he never wanted to rule, he must claim the throne and liberate his people, or the consequences will be calamitous. Yet only the surprising support of a beautiful Animari doctor gives him the fortitude to fight.

Focused. Analytical. Solitary.
Dr. Sheyla Halek has always been more interested in research than personal contact, but family ties—and the needs of her pride—keep her in Ash Valley, deferring her dreams. Brusque and abrasive at the best of times, she never expected to bond with anyone, let alone Golgoth royalty. Strangely, Alastor seems to need her as no one has before, and not only for her medical skills.

Their attraction is forbidden, likely doomed beyond the wildness of wartime, but these fires burn too hot and sweet to be contained…

Review:
You might have seen the first book in the Ars Numina series, The Leopard King, in some of my Best of 2016 posts. I'm just in love with this series! The world reminds me a little bit of Anne Bishop's The Others series, but it's a romance so all of you who wished Simon and Meg would just do it definitely want to check this out.

The Demon Prince has a slightly different feel than book one for me since it focuses more on the world's medicine and technology. (And they have some awesome tech like diagnostic microbots and weaponized jet packs.) The story begins in the shifter settlement where the first book took place, but later moves to the city, giving us the opportunity to learn more about the other groups of shifters, as well as the Eldritch, and the Golgoth. It was especially fun to watch the cat shifter heroine Sheyla accidentally courting Prince Alastor, who's used to a completely different set of rules.

I read a tweet from Ann Aguirre the day before I started the book explaining that Sheyla is demisexual. After I googled, that knowledge made it a lot of fun to puzzle out her character. Without it, she would have just seemed like a bookworm and I might have been confused about why she would want to have a threesome. Did I mention that this book is also kinkier than the first one?

But what I enjoyed most is the progression of the series story line, which is building up to a war with Alastor's brother. I liked watching Alastor build alliances and learn about the cultures and abilities of his new friends. And I loved the action scenes which showcase those abilities along with the world's fascinating technology.

I'm really enjoying this series and I can't wait for more!

Recommended for fans of: Anne Bishop's The Others series, shifter romances

    

4  stars

Review: Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller

Shadow Run
(Kaitan Chronicles #1)
AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller
Release: March 21, 2017
Goodreads Amazon

Firefly meets Dune in this action-packed sci-fi adventure about a close-knit, found family of a crew navigating a galaxy of political intrigue and resource-driven power games.

Nev has just joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage as the cargo loader. His captain, Qole, is the youngest-ever person to command her own ship, but she brooks no argument from her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men. Nev can't resist her, even if her ship is an antique.

As for Nev, he's a prince, in hiding on the ship. He believes Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilization, and when her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, Nev resolves to get her to his home planet by any means necessary.

But before they know it, a rival royal family is after Qole too, and they're more interested in stealing her abilities than in keeping her alive.

Nev's mission to manipulate Qole becomes one to save her, and to survive, she'll have to trust her would-be kidnapper. He may be royalty, but Qole is discovering a deep reservoir of power--and stars have mercy on whoever tries to hurt her ship or her crew.

Review:
I'm going to be honest. This book wasn't on my radar until one of my Twitter friends messaged me and told me and I needed to request it because it was "like Firefly and Dune had a book baby that has MURDER DRONES!". Yeah. I requested it real fast after that.

Shadow Run is a fun read from start to finish. It's more heavy on the Firefly than the Dune which made me love it even more. I loved the action which was pretty much non-stop.

The thing that made this book for me was the characters! They were all so amazing! I quickly fell in love with this small band of misfits. The crew really reminded me of the crew from Firefly in how diverse and tight knit it was. It is surprising how much character development actually made it into the story considering that they were in crisis mode most of the book. The diversity in this book was SO refreshing and well-done!

I will say I didn't connect with the captain, Qole, until the second half of the book but I loved that she was a young female captain of a spaceship that collects an energy called Shadow. The worldbuilding combined with Qole's abilities was intriguing. Nev kind of annoyed me from the moment he stepped on the page. He stuck out like the sore thumb when he joined the crew which is to be expected from a prince among orphans and thieves. He acted like a spoiled rich kid most of the time but he did have some likeable and redeeming moments. I will say that I did not like how the crew treated him for the majority of the book. My favorite character though was Basra and I want more. I haven't read a lot of books that feature genderfluid characters like Basra.

The story alternates between Qole and Nev's points-of-view each chapter and I'm not sure if I liked that. There are some noticeable cliches in the book but I overall I didn't mind that much. I did have a few issues with the "romance". Mostly it wasn't there which made the kiss towards the end a bit awkward. Thankfully, it was easy to ignore thanks to all of the action. The story did feel overly wordy and it made the flow of the story feel a bit choppy in places. Also, if violent books are not your cup of tea, I wouldn't recommend picking this one up.

This story overall was okay and I had a good time reading it. In my opinion, Shadow Run is a decent start to a new series but it's not going to be a favorite book. I'm intrigued to see where the authors go from here.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

  

  3 / 5 Stars

Recommended for fans of: 
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
These Broken Stars by Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman 

Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood

Top 5 Wednesday: Future Classics

Top 5 Wednesday is a group of bloggers, booktubers and bookstagrammers posting on a common topic every (you guessed it) Wednesday. You can find the lists by searching #T5W or Top 5 Wednesday. And you can join the group on Goodreads if you want to participate.

This week's topic is Future Classics
These are recent releases that we think will stand the test of time.

5. The Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson is well-known for fantasy books with complex worldbuilding and unique magic systems. In fact, he already has several books that already appear on those "100 Fantasy Books You Need To Read Before You Die" lists. But out of all of his books I feel like his Mistborn series are the most likely to end up as a fantasy classic. It's a heist novel unlike any heist novel I've ever read and the magic system is amazing but it's the characters that make it so loved. It's already 10 years old and I think that it will continue to weather the tests of time.

4. The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian is one of my favorite sci-fi books ever. Mark Watney's story of survival on Mars is both hilarious and heartbreaking. It's not just a survival story though. It's a tale about humanity coming together to get one man home. If that's not a qualifier for a classic, I don't know what is.

3. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

I don't think I really need to say why I think this series as a whole will be counted as a fantasy classic in the future. It's an epic series that changed a whole generation of readers. How could it not become a classic?

2. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
Coming of age stories combined with a magical quest are always a great basis for a book to be named a fantasy classic. Stiefvater takes this premise and sets it in the middle of nowhere Virginia where five teens are hunting for the resting place of a Welsh king. It's unique and original and very beloved. It would make my heart so happy to see this series become a classic in the future.


1. The Shades of Magic Series by V.E. Schwab
My love for this series borders on the line of my gushing becoming word vomit. It takes the portal fantasy set in London trope and turns it on its head. The world and the magic system are both intriguing and unique. Plus, the characters are amazing! Schwab says that this series is her attempt to achieve the same kind of escapism that Harry Potter provided for her and so many of us in our teen years. I definitely think she achieved her goal and nothing would make me happier to see such an amazing series be named a classic and a fantasy must read.

Which SFF books do you think are going to become classics?

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