Practically Magic by Jen Calonita

 

“The Hadley sisters of Mystic Hollow are magic. Literally.

But for all the generations of witches behind her, Kat Hadley could swear that she’s utterly invisible to boys.

Then she learns that her perfect older sister, Harriet, cast a curse to protect her from heartbreak. Kat is so furious, she loses control—and it’s not just their sisterhood that shatters. It’s magic itself.

Suddenly, every spell a Hadley witch has ever cast starts reversing. Spells to do good start bringing evil. Curses to repel suddenly attract. And the veil between worlds begins to thin. If Kat and Harriet don’t do something fast, this Halloween might be Mystic Hollow’s last.

As they race to repair the balance of magic—and their relationship—Kat notices that every crush who’s ever rejected her is suddenly magically lovesick. Even her annoying class rival seems to have fallen under her spell. For the first time in her life, she feels practically magic. Who cares if it’s all just a spell? - taken from Goodreads.

This was a cute fall/Halloween. Read about the true meaning of family and sisterly bonds. Kat wants to be responsible for performing the yearly ritual on Sanheim to protect the town of Mystic Hollow. She devises a fictional boyfriend in order for her parents and her aunts to leave town so that she can host a Halloween party at their home. Even though she's never done it before. Her older sister Harry comes back home to ensure that nothing goes wrong. 

What does go wrong is that the sisters get into an epic fight that causes the bonds that protect the town from the paranormal to be shattered. As time counts down to Halloween and the bonds begin to fray, the Hadley sisters must find a way to repair their damaged relationship in order to save the town.

Can the town of mystic hollow be saved? Can the Hadley sisters repair the relationship and work together? What happens when Kat learns about the sacrifice that Harry made?

Visit Jen Calonita’s website.

Immortal Game by Allison Saft

 

“Six years ago, Shea Fury’s sister was whisked away by the High King of the Otherworld, the ruler of the treacherous land of fae. Although Shea has spent the years since dreaming of rescuing her sister from captivity, the Iron Veil that separates the human world from that of the fae has made it only a wish. That is, until an invitation to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime chess tournament in the Otherworld arrives on Shea’s doorstep. The winner of the tournament may ask the High King to grant one wish, and Shea is finally within reach of hers.

But entering the tournament and winning it are two different matters. Dark magic lurks around every corner in the Otherworld, and Shea’s cutthroat opponents are willing to bend the rules to make their own wishes come true. To make it to the end—and to find her sister—she is forced to strike an alliance with her longtime rival, the sharply beautiful fae princess, Ciara of Bri Leith. One wrong move, though, and Shea could lose more than just the competition: She’d lose her sister, her dignity, and maybe even her life.” - taken from Goodreads.

Shea saw her beloved older sister whisked away by the High King of the Fairies six years ago. In that time she has been perfecting her chess game in order to become a grandmaster and to be invited to a tournament in the fairy world. If she can make it through the competition, she will once again be able to face King Midir, in order to secure a boon to bring her sister back by defeating him after her failure 6 years prior.

But once there, it's near impossible for Shea to see her sister. But she does run into several of her current rivals including Midir’s younger sister, Ciara. As the tournament continues, both girls grow closer to one another but each has their own reason for winning the tournament for the opportunity to play against the king. One does not need to know anything about chess in order to enjoy this book.

With romance, friendships and competitive chess tournaments, will she be able to rescue her sister from King Midir? And will she have her heart broken along the way?

Visit Allison Saft’s website.

The Worst is Yet to Come by Trish Lundy

“High school might be officially over, but the real nightmare is just beginning. When two best friends are attacked on graduation night, only one of them makes it out alive.

Left for dead at an abandoned house but determined to find out who killed her best friend, Rose is rescued by former high school quarterback and heartthrob, Jake, who becomes an unexpected ally. . . and maybe something more. But when she learns that seventeen years ago, another girl suffered the exact same fate in the exact same place, she wonders if a murderer might be back with a vengeance. . . or is a copycat killer on the loose?

Time is running out, because whoever the killer is, they’re eager to correct their biggest letting Rose live. As Rose follows the trail of evidence, she’s led down a path of horrors that threatens to expose the insidious secrets at the heart of her community―secrets the killer will do anything to keep quiet.” - taken from Goodreads.

I really enjoyed this mystery of two dead girls 17 years apart. This story is told from Rose's point of view over her best friend's death and her own vicious attack as well as Abigail's former boyfriend telling of his own part in her disappearance leading up to present day. As the two stories converge, can Rose figure out how the two deaths are connected without becoming the next victim? And who is the killer and what was their motivation? Needless to say, the final paragraph of this book will leave you wondering.

Visit Trish Lundy’s website.

The Sixth Faction by Veronica Roth (Sixth Faction; New Divergent book 1)

Spoiler alert: This book would best be enjoyed if you have read the Divergent trilogy first.

“Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives.

She has a plan: she's going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind.

But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changes—her world, her plans, even Beatrice herself.

Her ensuing decision thrusts her into the crosshairs of an underground rebellion, and into the path of a boy with secrets as dangerous as her own—a boy with only a number for a name.

One choice will change everything.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book is what would have happened if Beatrice Prior had not chosen to leave Abnegation to become Dauntless. Perfect for fans of the original trilogy. Warning, some things stay the same but many things are changed based on Tris’s new choice.

Book two in the Sixth Faction duology, The Last Testimony is due out on February 2, 2027.

Devoured by Jordan Stephanie Gray (Bitten book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Bitten, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Welcome back to the Wolf Queen’s Court.

Vanessa Hart is done being a victim. After the brutal winter massacre stole everything from her, she vows vengeance against her enemies once and for all—even if that means killing the boy she once loved...

Vanessa bides her time playing the role of a docile subject. But beneath her mask, she sharpens her powers, embracing the werewolf within while weaving a complicated web of lies, betrayals, and alliances to topple the throne.

Unfortunately, vengeance isn’t easy, and nothing in the Wolf Queen’s Court is ever as it seems. As the darkness of the castle bleeds into human society, it’s clear no one is safe. Cora’s vicious reign grows stronger by the day, Sinclair continues hiding deadly secrets, and Calix—the boy Vanessa might loathe most of all—is threatening her every plan.

With nowhere to run and no place to hide, Vanessa sheds the last of her humanity to play this lethal game of werewolves. And if she doesn’t win, the consequences will destroy her life—and the entire world as she knows it—forever.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was an incredible ending to this story. I don’t want to give too much away but the ending and epilogue were phenomenal. Book two was as good if not better than the beginning of the story.

Visit Jordan Stephanie Gray’s website.

Checking You Out by Jennifer Chen

“Lizzie Wei is a huge book nerd, and proud of it. And when she realizes there is a mysterious reader who has been checking out all of her favorite books from the library, she can’t help but get a crush on someone she’s never even met. Her friends make it their mission to find Lizzie’s long lost book soulmate and convinces her to leave notes for her crush. But what if the person Lizzie is looking for, isn’t at all what she expects?

Dylan Lin loves reading, secretly anyway. Ever since a bullying incident at his last school, he’s hidden his love of fantasy novels, instead leaning into his jock persona. Now he's the tennis team captain, runs every day, and actively avoids reading. So, when he decides to start volunteering at a kitten nursery, and his super cute co-volunteer Lizzie asks if he likes reading, he says no. He never expects the look of complete and utter disappointment on Lizzie’s face.

Lizzie is certain her secret crush isn’t Dylan. It can’t be! But when he accidentally makes an obscure reference to her favorite book during their volunteer shift, she’s not so sure anymore. Can Lizzie forgive Dylan for lying? And can Dylan be brave enough to be himself?” - taken from Goodreads.

Lizzie enjoys two things in life, fantasy books and cats. When she meets the cute athletic Dylan at the cat's shelter, she is immediately disappointed to learn that he hates to read. In actuality, Dylan loves fantasy novels, but after the extreme bullying he took at his old school, he is determined not to let anyone know about his past. 

Lizzie discovers that someone has been checking out her favorite books from the public library. She is determined to find out who they are. The more she works with. Dylan, the more she likes him but Lizzie doesn't know if she can be with someone that isn't a reader. What happens when she discovers who her book soulmate is?

Visit Jennifer Chen’s website.

The Dream Thieves: the graphic novel by Maggie Stiefvater (Book 2)

“Ronan Lynch is made of secrets. His longest kept one? He can pull impossible things out of dreams. It's a secret that's nearly killed him more than once.

Waking the ley line should have led Blue and the Raven Boys straight to Glendower, the Whelsh king rumored to be sleeping beneath the mountains of Henrietta.

But instead, the forest of Cabeswater has disappeared, energy hums and sputters beneath the town, and the Raven Boys' search is at a dead end. Ronan's dreams may be the key to finding Glendower, but none of the Raven Boys are prepared for what will be unleashed in Ronan's desperate attempt to finally control his power.” - taken from Goodreads.

Another great adaptation of the second book in the Raven Cycle.