Treat Yo Shelf: January 2019 Recap

January 2019: Monthly Recap

Welcome to my monthly recap post, in which I highlight the books I read in the last month, bookish items I acquired, book events I attended, bookish news, and/or subscription boxes I received this month.

★★★
Check out my review here. 

★★★
Check out my full review here!  

★★★
Check out my full review here.

★★★
I should have a review up soon. This book was such a cute contemporary.

★★★★
Gah! I loved this book. I’m still on the fence between a 4 to 5-star read, but you guys, the SWOONS, and the PIE, and realistic relationship awkwardness was just perfect. I will be posting a full review at the end of February.

 

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As a lot of you may know, I am a huge fan of Jenn Bennett and her contemporary books. A few weeks ago, a publicist at Simon Pulse emailed me regarding an early copy of Serious Moonlight and I freaked out and immediately said “yes, please.” You guys, I devoured this book and I cannot wait to share my thoughts soon. 

Books for Trade on Twitter came to the rescue again. I adored Margaret Rogerson’s An Enchantment of Ravens, so I was so excited when someone offered to trade their ARC of Sorcery of Thorns through the hashtag. I cannot wait to read it.

January Book Haul

January’s Uppercase Box

January’s #YAWRC2019 Book Pick

As an #YAWRC2019 Ambassador,I received the January pick, The Gilded Wolves, from BookSparks . I am slowly savoring this book, so a review will hopefully be up before the end of the month. 

How did you treat your shelves in January?

Raving Review of Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith

Title: Bloodleaf
Author:  Crystal Smith
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★

Synopsis:

Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her.

But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life?

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Crystal Smith’s debut novel Bloodleaf is a unique fantasy that integrates an intricate magic system, familial bonds, a root-worthy romance, and a story of survival and sacrifice. From the first chapter, the story sucks you in with forbidden magic that has been bombarded by politics and a full-out witchhunt. 

Aurelia, the main character, is not only a fierce and determined heroine in the novel, but her constant ability to analyze every situation she is thrown in allows her to mature throughout the chapters. I love that she wears her heart on her sleeve and is always protecting the people she deeply cares about. She is cautious but friendly. Aurelia is a protector, a fighter for justice, and a survivor. She is so straightforward and honest with everyone she encounters. Additionally, I love her interactions with the other well-developed side characters. 

As Aurelia explores her magical abilities, she is thrown into many twists and turns. Her journey throughout the novel is to survive multiple assassination attempts and save her kingdom, which all leads to some surprising secrets. However, as her well-paced story unfolds, I found some of the plot twists to be predictable (or I’m just really good at picking up on very subtle clues). 

Overall, if you are in the mood for a new fantasy trilogy filled with royal politics, a slow-burn romance, and NO CLIFFHANGER (that’s right, there’s no cliffhanger . . . YASS), then definitely pick up Bloodleaf. You will gasp, laugh, cry, and cheer throughout Aurelia’s story as she learns to control her magic and help those that she loves. 

Note: Thank you to HMH for providing me an e-arc of this book to read and review. I was not compensated for this review. All statements and opinions in this review are mine.

Waiting on Wednesday: Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Title: Bloodleaf
Author: Crystal Smith
Publication date: March 5, 2019
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis

Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her.

But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life?

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