Hello Bookworms! I hope you are all having an amazing May!! I still havent finished The Crown of Gilded bones because I am too afraid of letting go of Kiernan, Poppy and Casteel….I can just see the hangover I’m going to be in when I finally reach that last page….
Today’s blog post is written by our beautiful guest, Isaly from TheSeasonalPages.com. They are a bookish creative with a wonderful online store catering to several niches. I highly recommend checking their site out!
Spring Book Tag
Hello readers of A Novel Idea! I am Isaly, the owner of the stationery store The Seasonal Pages and I am guest blogging to tell you about a few books that I think you will love for this Spring season. May is officially here and you know what that means, it is the last month of Spring. I decided to create a Spring book tag post where I list books using the word Spring that I would like to read!
A great book for the letter S
Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
“Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.
As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.
Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.”
I know.. It sounds shocking that I have not read anything from Leigh Bardugo as of yet. But, my to be read pile has been lengthy and only getting longer. I was reminded of her when her show was released on Netflix for her book Shadow & Bone. I would like to read her book before watching the series. It is a perfect combination of dark and fantasy that I can’t wait to read.
A great book for the letter P
Title: Practical Magic
Author: Alice Hoffman
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
“For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back—almost as if by magic.”
Who has not watched Practical Magic every Halloween season? I had to add this to my list because I recently read another book by Alice Hoffman and loved her writing style. Practical Magic might not be a spring book but it will surely get me into a magical mood.
A great book for the letter R
Title: Rage and Ruin
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
“Half-angel Trinity and her bonded gargoyle protector, Zayne, have been working with demons to stop the apocalypse while avoiding falling in love. The Harbinger is coming…but who or what is it? All of humankind may fall if Trinity and Zayne can’t win the race against time as dark forces gather.
As tensions rise, they must stay close together and patrol the DC streets at night, seeking signs of the Harbinger, an entity that is killing Wardens and demons with no seeming rhyme or reason. Forbidden to be with each other, Zayne and Trinity fight their feelings and turn to unusual sources for help—the demon Roth and his cohorts. But as deaths pile up and they uncover a sinister plot involving the local high school and endangering someone dear to Zayne, Trin realizes she is being led…herded…played for some unknown end. As anger builds and feelings spiral out of control, it becomes clear that rage may be the ruin of them all.”
Jennifer L. Armentrout is an author that has been on my radar for awhile now. I have been wanting to read more fantasy during spring for some reason. I figured why not add her book to the list and see how she writes about half angels or other magical creatures.
A great book for the letter I
Title: Illuminae
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
“This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.
Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.”
I have seen Illuminae on every type of Bookstagram and lets just say the cover and the plot had me intrigued. I wonder what the world would be like in 2575 especially with a war going on. Have you read Illuminae before?
A great book for the letter N
Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Magical
Synopsis:
“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 Rêves, 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.”
I haven’t read anything with a Circus plot in such a long time. I had to add The Circus Night to my list. From the romance to the magic, I can’t wait to read this book and see how the circus transforms with Celia and Marco.
A great book for the letter G
Title: The Gilded Ones
Author: Namina Forna
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
“Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in Otera, a deeply patriarchal ancient kingdom, where a woman’s worth is tied to her purity, and she must bleed to prove it. But when Deka bleeds gold – the colour of impurity, of a demon – she faces a consequence worse than death. She is saved by a mysterious woman who tells Deka of her true nature: she is an Alaki, a near-immortal with exceptional gifts. The stranger offers her a choice: fight for the Emperor, with others just like her, or be destroyed.”
The Gilded Ones sounds so amazing and gave me a splash of empowerment and fantasy mixed together. I was drawn in by the cover and stayed because of the plot. I really can’t wait to read this book and see how the main character comes into her own about who she is.
Discussion
Even though May is the last full month of spring, I love talking about books during the spring time — from new beginnings to fresh starts. What do you plan on reading this spring? Do you have a book that you really want to read before spring ends? Thank you so much for reading about my Spring chosen books. You can find me at The Seasonal Pages Stationery Shop anytime by visiting my website TheSeasonalPages.com. or my Instagram page: instagram.com/theseasonalpages. Happy Reading!
The Seasonal Pages is a stationery shop for bookish and creative souls.
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