Weekly Reading List #252 - Cyn's Workshop

Happy Sunday readers! I hope everyone is doing well. Working at a movie theater is tough right now. I’m a FT Manager and this week I’m only working 24 hours. I should be thankful I have a job, and I am, but it is starting to get tough. With no movies coming out no one is encouraged to go back to the movies. And worse of all I have employees who have maybe 1 shift. It is terrible.

I know Covid-19 is real, once again my husband had it and was incredibly sick, but with all the safety measures in place, the movie theater is okay to go to. I’m not saying rush out there, if you don’t feel comfortable, then definitely stay home, your mental and physical well-being should always come first.

All I’m saying is Hollywood needs to release movies. They don’t because no one is coming but I get guests all the time asking when movies are coming out. Without new movies, no one is even encouraged to go to the movies. But that’s just my opinion on the matter. Sorry to vent to you all, it is just starting to get stressful again because I’m worried if I will even have a job next week. I’m worried about my employees who need income or who have already exhausted their unemployment as I have.

But as always I’m looking at the bright side which is more time with my son and husband and more time to read!

Just wanted to keep you all updated. I hope all of you are staying safe and sound. Now, on that note, check out my latest reading list, a sneak peek into reviews coming this week.

1. Set Fire to the Gods

by Sara Raasch & Kristen Simmons

Ash is descended from a long line of gladiators, and she knows the brutal nature of war firsthand. But after her mother dies in an arena, she vows to avenge her by overthrowing her fire god, whose temper has stripped her country of its resources.

Madoc grew up fighting on the streets to pay his family’s taxes. But he hides a dangerous secret: he doesn’t have the earth god’s powers like his opponents. His elemental gift is something else—something that hasn’t been seen in centuries.

When an attempted revenge plot goes dangerously wrong, Ash inadvertently throws the fire and earth gods into a conflict that can only be settled by deadly, lavish gladiator games. The fights put Madoc in Ash’s path, and she realizes that his powers are the weapon her rebellion needs—but Madoc won’t jeopardize his family, regardless of how intrigued he is by the beautiful warrior.

But when the gods force Madoc’s hand, he and Ash uncover an ancient war that will threaten more than one immortal—it will unravel the world.

2. Broken Wish

by Julie C. Dao (Goodreads Author)

Sixteen-year-old Elva has a secret. She has visions and strange powers that she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about what happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. She’s heard the terrible things people say about the Witch of the North Woods, and the malicious hunts that follow.

But when Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror and its owner-none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it’s too late.

The Mirror: Broken Wish marks the first book in an innovative four-book fairy-tale series written by Julie C. Dao, Dhonielle Clayton, Jennifer Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney, following one family over several generations, and the curse that plagues it.

3. In the Study with the Wrench

by Diana Peterfreund(Goodreads Author)

The thrilling sequel to the book that Kirkus Reviews called “ingeniously plotted and vastly entertaining,” inspired by the classic board game CLUE!

In the aftermath of Headmaster Boddy’s murder, Blackbrook Academy has been thrown into complete disarray. Half the student body hasn’t bothered to return to campus–but those who have include Orchid, Vaughn, Scarlett, Peacock, Plum, and Mustard, now warily referred to by the other students as the Murder Crew. When another staff member is found dead and an anonymous threat begins to target the group, each of the teen’s opportunistic reasons for sticking around come to light. Orchid’s identity comes under question while Vaughn’s family life takes a turn; Finn and Mustard grow closer; and Scarlett and Beth struggle to turn over new leaves. All of this comes to a dramatic head at Tudor House, with a cliff-hanger that will leave readers eager for the final installment in the series.