Update

Looking Back At My 2022 Bookish Goals

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Looking Back At My 2022 Bookish Goals
Looking Back At My 2022 Bookish Goals

We’re coming to the end of the year, so it’s time to start looking back to see if we did what we’d hoped. Admittedly, this sort of post is probably more fun as a video, but I like the idea of writing this. So I shall!

I’ll be honest… I’ve not actually achieved as many of these goals as I’d hoped. I’ll probably have to be a little more realistic with next year’s goals. Or, y’know, repeat some of the same goals and hope I actually do them this time, ha!

Seriously though, I’ve done a lot of reading this year, and it has changed up a bit. I’m definitely becoming more aware of the sorts of books I enjoy reading, and that’s good. I think I am DNFing a little less, and that’s always a good sign. But that’s not a goal I’d want to set, as DNFing is definitely a good thing. I just don’t want to be buying books that I don’t enjoy.

I’m not getting into that here though. So here were my goals for 2022 and whether I met them!

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Adult, ARC, books, Review

Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

As someone forever in search of those rare amazing faerie novels and who has enjoyed Heather Fawcett’s YA and middle grade, I knew I had to pick this one up. I was lucky enough to get an early copy thanks to Orbit books and I know that I’ll be getting as many copies as possible. Yeah, I loved this book that much.

This book follows Emily Wilde, a scholar in a version of early 20th century Cambridge who spends her life travelling and studying the fae. Her plan is to put together an encyclopedia of faeries and to finish it off she needs to meet the hidden ones living in the cold North. But her plans to keep to herself are thrown aside as she winds up having to befriend the locals and help them with their problems and go even further awry after her rival and co-worker Wendell Bambleby turns up.

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Adult, book tag, books, Young Adult

Spotify Wrapped Book Tag 2022!

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books7 Comments on Spotify Wrapped Book Tag 2022!
Spotify Wrapped Book Tag 2022!

2022 is almost over and we’ve had our Spotify Wrapped playlists! This is always a lot of fun, even when you do have a good idea of what you’re gonna get, ha! My playlists have started to change this year so it certainly has made this tag a little more difficult for me.

The idea of this challenge is to put your 2022 playlist on shuffle, and for the first five songs, you need to pick a book you read in 2022 that fits that song. It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit. You just have to explain why you chose that book for that song. Obviously, you will not have a book match for every song, so you can skip if you need to. But the idea is that you at least need to try, even if it is embarrassing. This was a lot of fun last year, and I’m excited to be doing it again. I hope you all will too!

If you want more examples or are just curious, you can find the original post here and the 2021 one too. And if you do this yourself, make sure you tag me somewhere so I can see!

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ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Book Review: This Book Kills by Ravena Guron

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Book Review: This Book Kills by Ravena Guron

Earlier this year I did a Will I Like This Book post on This Book Kills. It was a book that I was curious about, though I wasn’t hugely excited. But when I saw it available to review on NetGalley… Well, I just had to, didn’t I? I knew I wanted to read it for certain, and I wanted to see whether I was right about my opinions.

Jess Choudhary is a scholarship student at a well-esteemed boarding school and is under strict rules to behave herself. Jess always has, but one day when Hugh Henry Van Boren winds up dead, she receives a text message thanking her for the inspiration for how he was murdered. Jess knows she didn’t do it, but she also knows that if she wants to live, she needs to solve this mystery herself.

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Reading, Update

The Netgalley Shelf App Updated???

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books2 Comments on The Netgalley Shelf App Updated???
The Netgalley Shelf App Updated???

Yep, you read that right. The Netgalley Shelf app has been updated. You might have noticed it yourself, but after using it for a few days, I want to talk about it.

The Netgalley Shelf app is one that’s had plenty of complaints. I know many people have problems with the audio pausing – though I never had that issue – and the general accessibility wasn’t that great. Was it a helpful app before anyway? Yeah. I’d been reading e-books on it and requesting audiobooks for a reason.

But this recent update has made some steps forward in accessibility, and since Netgalley really need to take that further? So I thought, why not highlight the positives so those can be improved upon?

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books, Adult, Will I Like This Book?

Will I Like This Book? – A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Will I Like This Book? – A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid
Will I Like This Book? – A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid

Okay, so the title of this book isn’t very me, but when I saw Ava Reid, I knew I had to check this preview out. This is the final sample from my YALC selection, and it’s definitely one that I’m excited about, even though it’s coming out very late next year. Specifically, A Study in Drowning is coming out from Del Rey on 5th September 2023.

I can’t provide preorder links for this book yet as the book isn’t online yet. But I’ll definitely be shouting on social media for people to preorder this one when they can.

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ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Book Review: A Game Of Life Or Death by Triona Campbell

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: A Game Of Life Or Death by Triona Campbell
Book Review: A Game Of Life Or Death by Triona Campbell

I think everyone knows that I love video games by now. I love playing them, and books that feature video games as a plot point are definitely a highlight for me. I’ve definitely had my eye on A Game of Life or Death for that very reason. I’m loving that we’re getting more video game-inspired sci-fi thrillers. Hell yes!

I was lucky enough to be sent an early copy of this book from Scholastic. It was a surprise for sure, and I certainly appreciated it.

A Game of Life Or Death follows 16-year-old Asha Kennedy as she discovers her older sister’s dead body in their flat, and her entire life falls apart. Asha is certain that something suspicious is going on, and with the help of her hacker friends, she begins to look into the hit video games studio Zu Tech where her sister worked. She infiltrates the company through the e-sports tournament for their new game SHACKLE, and through her investigation, she discovers that the game hides a monstrous secret.

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Adult, ARC, books, Review

Book Review: How (Not) To Marry A Duke by Felicia Kingsley

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: How (Not) To Marry A Duke by Felicia Kingsley
Book Review: How (Not) To Marry A Duke by Felicia Kingsley

Every now and then, I stumble across a romance novel on NetGalley that I’ve never heard of but sounds a lot of fun. How (Not) To Marry A Duke was one such book. This was an audiobook that I was happy to get through super quickly, but I will admit…I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped in the end.

Jemma is a struggling makeup artist who, after losing her Grandma, discovers that she could inherit a family fortune. The only problem is she has to marry someone with a title to do so. She’s certain this will never happen as she wants romance. But then she meets Ashford, a duke with no money who Jemma’s lawyer suggests she marry. Eventually, she agrees, but when it gets out to the public that they’re married, they have to pretend to be in love for a year to keep their money.

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ARC, books, new adult, Review

Book Review: You’re A Mean One Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books1 Comment on Book Review: You’re A Mean One Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
Book Review: You’re A Mean One Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky

We love a cheesy queer rom-com in this house, and after reading Never Been Kissed earlier this year, I’ve been desperate to get my hands on this one. I was lucky to get a physical ARC from Martina Pennetta and Sourcebooks Casablanca. I was expecting an e-copy through Netgalley, so that was a very pleasant surprise. This book was filled with queer joy and Hallmark cheese, but it also features a realistic depiction of anxiety, and that makes this a book that can’t be beaten.

Matthew has been exiled to his grandparents’ place with no cards, and no social media. After he bought an island with his parent’s money, he’s told he needs to learn a lesson. But he needs to get back before NYE for his party. He hatches a plan to get out of there but to succeed he’ll need to work with his handsome roommate Hector. But the holiday and town work their magic, and soon even a grinch like Matthew sees the good.

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Uncategorized

Book Review: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Book Review: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Cosy fantasy as a genre is something that’s really starting to catch on. Though it isn’t something that always works for me, the idea of Legends and Lattes is one that intrigued me. A story of a woman wanting to start a coffee shop in a fantasy world? Great! I was hoping for something that could almost be a mix between chick-lit and fantasy. And even though it wasn’t exactly that, it was still super enjoyable and the perfect read for me.

Thanks so much to Black Crow PR and Tor for my copy of this. I’m pleased to be on this tour. This is the perfect pick if you’re looking for a comfortable read to enjoy whilst curled up with a hot chocolate or in your favourite coffee shop.

Viv is an orc barbarian tired of the adventurer’s life. After finding an ancient artefact that she hopes could bring her luck, she decides to settle down in the city of Thune to start a coffee shop. But the citizens there have never heard of coffee, and Viv will have to work hard to make this venture work. But with old and new friends both, Viv is sure she can achieve her dreams.

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