Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall 2021 To-read List

September 21, 2021


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Artsy Read Girl.
Each week features a book related topic to spotlight your Top Ten.

Topic:
Books on My Fall 2021 To-Read List

Oh, to share the my want to read list. This is one that is hard to narrow down. So many fabulous authors and so many new books. I'm also including books I've been wanting to read, but just haven't gotten to them yet. That list is even longer. 



by Misty M. Beller
by Betsy St. Amant
by Tessa Afshar


by Becky Wade
by Jody Hedlund
by Lori Benton



by Elizabeth Camden
by Heidi Chiavaroli
by Katherine Reay


by Kimberley Woodhouse
by Kate Breslin


This is just a small selection of books I want to read in the fall....not counting what my daughter wants to read on the commutes as well. I forsee a lot of books this coming season. 
What is all on your Fall To Read List?





The Story Raider by Lindsay A. Franklin

September 16, 2021

Title:The Story Raider
Author: Lindsay A. Franklin
Publisher: Enclave Publishing
Length: 10 hrs, 23 mins
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9781683702030
Publication Date: April 30th, 2019

About the Book:
Deceiving an empire is a treacherous game.

Tanwen and the Corsyth weavers race to collect the strands of an ancient cure that might save Gryfelle. But Tanwen has a secret—Gryfelle isn’t the only one afflicted by the weaver's curse.

As Queen Braith struggles to assert her rule, a new arrival throws her tenuous claim to the Tirian throne into question. Braith’s heart is turned upside down, and she’s not sure she can trust anyone—least of all herself.

The puppet master behind Gareth’s rise to power has designs on Tanwen and the story weavers and will stop at nothing to reclaim the throne. A plot to incite the angry peasants of Tir takes shape, and those dearest to Tanwen will be caught in the crossfire. As the fight for Tir consumes the realm, no one can remain innocent. 
My Thoughts:
I'm back with my thoughts on book 2 of the Weavers Trilogy. 

Goodness, Lindsay Franklin really knows how to write a series that makes you want to come back and find out what is going to happen. At the end of book one, we had so many different surprises come at us. Some that made us (my daughter and I) cheer and others that made us go, oh my! It was a fantastic closing of the book, but we couldn't wait to dive into the book 2.

The Story Raider was one book I didn't know what to really expect. Lindsay took us on a huge tour of her world and my goodnes it was something to behold. 

Tanwen and her Weaver friends set off in search for a cure that is only known of through anciant texts. As Tanwen and her friends research, they dive further into the history of the weavers and the powers they possess. 

On the journey we meet new friends, we also learn more about who is battling and plotting against Tanwen and her crew. And as their travel carries them closer to their important destinations, Tanwen battles not only the outside forces, but also her own sickness on the inside. From her perspective, we understand what has happened to Gryfelle.

This book was one of adventure and built off of what was started in book one and it never slowed down. The pacing was pheniminal. I liked how we had different views to give us insight into the different layers. 

Safe to say, diving to book 3 right away is a given. So many answers are needed!

The narrator for this series has been phenominal thus far. Her ability to instill emotions and different voices, really offer a new depth tot he story and it makes you feel more apart. It doesn't feel like your listening to a story, but watching a movie. The narrator is able to convey the story in a way, she makes your mind visualize it easily. 

4 out of 5

The Story Peddler by Lindsay A Franklin

September 8, 2021

Title: The Story Peddler
Author: Lindsay A. Franklin
Publisher: Enclave Publishing
Pages: 332
Length: 10 hrs & 24 min
ISBN: 9781683701361
Publication Date: May 1st, 2018


About the Book:
Tanwen doesn’t just tell stories–she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.

During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king’s guard hunts her down…and they’re not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers she’s not the only outlaw in the empire. There’s a rebel group of weavers…and they’re after her too.

My Thoughts:
For the last year, my daughter and I have been reading (audiobooks) together on the communite. We have already read through several series she was interested in. It was my turn to pose a few suggestions. The Weaver Trilogy has been on my radar for a little while and when the kiddo said, "Yes!" to this series, we jumped right in. Goodness, I'm sad I haven't read it sooner!

The Story Peddler is book one in the Weaver Trilogy. Lindsay Franklin really knows how to build a fantasy world and very deep characters that just catch up and carry you through. 

We are introduced to Tanwen as she tells her stories and creates works of arts with her story weaving talent. She loves telling stories, maybe not the "crowned approved" stories, but she loves sharing her gifts, but also selling her art to make a living. But it isn't all fun with the mentor she travels with. Her mentor is a very surley and mean lady, but she is just one of the few people Tanwen has in her life. Traveling around the country side, Tanwen has dreams of moving away from the farming town she has known and move to the capital city where the king lives and to maybe one day become the royal storyteller. 

However in her storytelling journey, she deals with some issues along the way, these issues confuse her and slowly start to draw attention of others. This wasn't the attention Tanwen was hoping for and now she must use her mind for other things like survival. On the run, Tanwen is thrown into a whole new world.

This story is so rich in detail. The landscapes, the animals, the people, everything is intracitly woven through that just make this story pop a little bit more. Lindsay has such a talent to spin a story and carry you in a direction you had no idea it would go. When you think you will turn left, you spin, do a handstand, and flip to the right, and think, "Holy cow! How did that happen?" Then you keep reading going what else is going to happen. 

As soon as we finsihed The Story Peddler, we jumped right on into The Story Raider. That review will follow shortly.This has just been a fabulous read. 

4 out of 5

Kid's Rating
5 out of 5





The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

September 3, 2021

Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 439
ISBN: 9781338635171
Publication Date: May 19th, 2020

About the Book:
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

My Thoughts:
I've enjoyed the Hunger Games since they came out years ago. I have read and re-read the series multiple times. However, they have sat on my shelves for the last couple of years as I've been reading other books as they have been delivered to the door. That changed when my daughter wanted to read them after we had finished Harry Potter. We made it through The Hunger Games Trilogy, she loved it! She wanted to read the prequel next, so we dove on in. 

I think if we had read the prequel first, it would have definitly changed up the views on the series some, but since we were traveling back in time, it was interesting to see how Suzanne Collins was able to morph this well known story into something new. 

I will admit, I read quite a few reviews on this story before reading it, I had to see what people were saying. I didn't agree with a lot of them. I actually enjoyed looking back on Snow's life. I like seeing what decisions led him to where he went. Granted I like villians too. Snow from the beginning is a guy who knows what he wants, and feel entitled to it. He is smart, he is cunning, and he knows he's good looking and willing to use that and whatever conections, real or fake he has created to get what he wants. 

I actually enjoyed reading through him. It wasn't the action packed books that The Hunger Games were, but it was a tactical book. It was a thoughtful book. How can one person do as much as they did? When you have the mindset and fortitude, and desire, it can be done. 

On the other side, we had Lucy Gray. She was an interesting character for sure, but I didn't like her as much as Snow. She wasn't an innocent girl. She was just as sneaky and underhanded as Snow, just in another way. She knew how to play to people and gain sympothy and attention. 

When you brought the two together, they played well off of each other. Both had weakness and strengths. They each used them to their advantages. And the two of them made the Games into what we know of them. 

Next, we have Sejanus, a classmate of Snow. Overly sympatheitc. He moved to the Capitol when was young, but never became Capitol. It was through his actions, that showed, changes that needed to happen with the tributes, but it was also the changes that he definitly wasn't thinking. He was thought of as district sympathizer. At the beginning I got what he was saying and thinking, however, as the story progressed, he leaned heavily to the extreme, and in all honesty, I agreed with Snow on how Sejanus was acting and where it would lead to. Sejanus focuesed too much on feelings and didn't use his brains to bring around the change he wanted.

I enjoyed this book. I kind of hope that there is another, I liked seeing how the ideas were built off of each other. The new characters that were introduced. There is so much more to this world that can be explored. I also get the ending was a play on the song, but I still want solid answers as well! Give me another book please!


4 out of 5

Take Over Tour: Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDanial (JustRead Tour & Giveaway)

September 1, 2021

Undercurrent of Secrets JustRead Takeover Tour

Welcome to the Takeover Tour for Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Undercurrent of Secrets
Title: Undercurrent of Secrets
Series: Doors to the Past
Author: Rachel Scott McDaniel
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Release Date: September 1, 2021
Genre: Dual Timeline / Romance 

Two women, a century apart, are bound by a haunting secret aboard a legendary steamboat. 

As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others’ dreams come true, even though her engagement had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When the Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to secure the prestigious title with hopes to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn’t planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s. 

A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cook. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie’s determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall’s handsome skin. 

Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & NobleBook Depository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel McDaniel



Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. Rachel can be found online at www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com and on all social media platforms. Her work is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency. Rachel resides in Ohio with her husband and two children.





CONNECT WITH RACHEL:
WebsiteFacebook | Twitter | Instagram

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Undercurrent of Secrets and a $15 Amazon gift card!

Undercurrent of Secrets JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight September 1, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on September 8, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE


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