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11 Anticipated Young Adult Releases of May 2021

April 28, 2021April 10, 2026by wren @ wingsandfables11 Comments

Hey, everyone! Today I’m sharing my most anticipated young adult releases for May 2021. I was trying to narrow it down to 10 but it became impossible so here are 11 of the books I’m looking forward to releasing in the upcoming month. Hopefully you’ll find a new book or two to add to your to-read list!

1. Sunkissed by Kasie West

Publication: May 4th 2021 by Delacorte Press

A lighthearted and swoony contemporary YA romance by fan-favorite author Kasie West about a girl who finds that a summer spent at a family resort isn’t as bad as she imagined…and that falling in love is filled with heartache, laughter, and surprises!

After being betrayed by her best friend, Avery is hoping for a picture-perfect summer. Too bad her parents have dragged her and her sister to a remote family camp for the entire summer. And that’s not even the worst part. Avery also has to deal with no internet, a cute but off-limits staff member, and an always-in-her-face sister. But what starts as a disaster turns into a whirlwind summer romance as Avery embarks on an unexpected journey to figure out what she truly wants and who she wants to be.

Note: I am part of the blog tour and have received an ARC of this book so please look forward to my stop and review (+ a book-inspired playlist!) on May 6th 2021!

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Top 5 Tuesday

Top 5 Tuesday: Graphic Novels

April 27, 2021April 24, 2021by wren @ wingsandfables10 Comments

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Bionic Book Worm and is now hosted by Meeghan Reads. This week’s topic is Top 5 Graphic Novels.

Admittedly if we’d been limited to only graphic novels for this week, I wouldn’t have been able to participate. BUT since we’re able to also include comics and webtoons, I definitely have a few to share!

1. The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way; Art by Gabriel Bá; Color by Dave Stewart

I’ve read both the first and second volumes of The Umbrella Academy but have yet to read the third. I also haven’t watched the Netflix show yet which is probably a cardinal sin since even people who haven’t read the comics enjoyed the show. Regardless, it’s such an interesting series filled with complex characters born with unique abilities who work as superheroes and who have a supremely dysfunctional family relationship with each other. The first volume has such a twist with who the villain turns out to be and so far the second volume has been my favorite which focuses on the Kennedy assassination as a backdrop for the story.

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Reviews

Review: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

April 24, 2021April 23, 2021by wren @ wingsandfables8 Comments

“na razrusha’ya. i am not ruined. e’ya razrushost. i am ruination.”
leigh bardugo

Series: Shadow and Bone #3

Release Date: January 17th 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Genre: Young Adult Fiction | High Fantasy | Romance | Adventure

Page Count: 422

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives. Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

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Discussions, Let's Talk Bookish

Let’s Talk Bookish: How Reading Affects Mental Health

April 23, 2021April 23, 2021by wren @ wingsandfables4 Comments

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion. This week’s topic was suggested by Kristin @ Lukten Av Trykksverte and is How Reading Affects Mental Health.

In what ways does reading affect your mental health? Does it affect your mental health positively or negatively at certain times, and why?

For me, reading positively affects my mental health. It gives me a place to escape to when I need a break from the world and I love being able to make connections with characters. It can be so powerful to find pieces of yourself in a character and to be able to relate to their struggles. It helps you feel like you’re not so alone in the darkness sometimes. And watching your favorite character grow through the book or series can be an encouragement to work on yourself too in your own struggles or give you the courage to speak out about things you need to or things you know need more attention by the public. I also love being able to lose myself in characters’ romances. Living vicariously through them can bring such a huge smile to my face or even make me cry. The only time reading affects my mental health negatively is when I have too many review books to read. I’ve definitely gotten myself into trouble on NetGalley before and over-requested only to be granted more books than I had anticipated. The deadlines got to be very stressful for me and I had terrible FOMO (fear of missing out) when I saw friends reading new releases and I had commitments I needed to fulfill before being able to join them. I’m much more careful now about requesting books!

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Reviews

Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

April 21, 2021April 24, 2021by wren @ wingsandfables9 Comments

“why won’t you leave me alone?” i whispered one night as he hovered behind me while i tried to work at my desk….”because i’d be alone, too,” he said.
leigh bardugo

Series: Shadow and Bone #2

Release Date: June 4th 2013

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Genre: Young Adult Fiction | High Fantasy | Romance | Adventure

Page Count: 432

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: Darkness never dies. Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long. The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

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Top 5 Tuesday

Top 5 Tuesday: Debut Novels

April 20, 2021April 21, 2021by wren @ wingsandfables6 Comments

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly series created by Bionic Book Worm and is now hosted by Meeghan Reads. This week’s topic is Top 5 Debut Novels.

This topic has really blown my mind in a few ways as there are so many books I thought I could include on my list and it turned out that the author’s debut novel was not the one I thought it was! Google really saved me this week.

1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder was the first book that popped into my head when reading this week’s topic. I think it’s so cool that it started out as a Nanowrimo project—talk about a success! This book absolutely captured my heart and it’s still one of my favorite series to date. I haven’t had a chance to read Meyer’s other novels yet apart from this series, but I have purchased them and will eventually get to them on my lengthy to-read list.

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Reviews

Review: A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer [Spoilers!]

April 17, 2021April 21, 2021by wren @ wingsandfables4 Comments

“yield to yourself. yield to forgiveness. yield to happiness. yield to this moment. it’s not hers. it’s yours. it’s mine. it’s ours.”
brigid kemmerer

Series: Cursebreakers #3

Release Date: January 26th, 2021

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Genre: Young Adult Fiction | High Fantasy | Romance

Page Count: 408

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: Face your fears, fight the battle. Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone—even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace. Fight the battle, save the kingdom. Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. But after enjoying decades of peace once magic was driven out of their lands, some of her subjects are angry Lia Mara has an enchanted prince and a magical scraver by her side. As Grey’s deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions if she can be the queen her country needs. As the two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and a dangerous enemy returns, in this stunning conclusion to bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker series.

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