Tag: Fantasy

Spotlight Review + Giveaway! The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert

~ Mr Geek ~ 1 Comment

Hello Readers!

After a short hiatus, I’M BACK WITH A BANG! Today’s I’m featuring a book review and giveaway from Flatiron Books featuring Melissa Albert’s latest release, The Bad Ones! Many of you may know Albert from her fantasy duology, The Hazel Wood or her more recent release Our Crooked Hearts. Albert’s writing is compulsively propelling and absolutely un-put-down-able! The Bad Ones is no exception! But enough waffling, let’s get onto the review and, more importantly, the giveaway!

I am a HUGE fan of thrillers, mysteries and horror (I appreciate well done horror but also love the incredibly over the top F-List horror as well). The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert has a little of everything with some YA elements thrown into the mix as well. One winter’s night, 4 people go missing from a small town, leaving nothing behind. We soon meet Nora, our main character, and come to find out her estranged best friend, Becca, was one of those missing people. Nora then makes it her mission to figure out what happened to these missing people. As Nora continues her search, she discovers there’s more to these disappearances than meets the eye. Soon she is thrust headfirst into the dark lore of her town, a legendary Goddess and the childhood games she all but left behind. The Bad Ones starts off as a slow burn but once that fuse is lit, you won’t want to stop until you finish that last page. The blend of thriller, mystery, horror and YA is the perfect blend to keep you hooked! Fans of these genres should absolutely plan on picking up this release! Or better yet! I’ll be giving away a free copy thanks to my friends over at Flatiron Books!

Entering this giveaway is easy – simply leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite read of 2023! Bonus entries will be given if you share this post on Twitter (aka X) – be sure to tag me (@ItsMrGeekToYou) in the Tweet! A winner will be announced on March 18th and I will reach out to the winner directly. Flatiron Books will be sending the winner a finished copy of the book directly. This giveaway is only open to US residents and is limited to the contiguous states only. Purchase not necessary.

Until We Meet Again,
Mr Geek

February ’21 Black History Month TBR

~ Mr Geek ~ Leave a comment

I’ve always loved the idea of a “themed” reading list but I never really committed to trying it. Back in October of last year I decided to fully embrace “Spooky SZN” and read nothing but horror books to get me in the mood for Halloween. It was a great experience – I got into a nice groove, whipped through some excellent reads and really enjoyed it.

I decided to give this reading theme a try for Black History Month (#BHM). Last year, during all of the Black Lives Matter protests, a lot of bloggers / BookTubers were encouraging the reading community to read books by people of color. For me, race and gender are not two traits I typically think about when selecting a book. Basically, if the ploy sounds good, I add it to my TBR. I decided to make my entire February TBR decided to authors of color and I have assembled a GREAT list of books! If you’re not sure what to read next, hopefully my selections will inspire you! Now, let’s get onto the books!

Kicking off the month, I’ll be reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I feel like this book was EVERYWHERE a few years when it was first released (and they made it into a movie, which I picked up over the Holidays to watch after I finish the book). The plot focuses on a young girl (Starr Carter) who witnesses her best friend get shot and killed at the hands of a police officer. The story makes national headlines and things begin to spiral from there. I’ve heard nothing by praise for this novel and I’m hoping it’s a strong start to the month.

Next up, I’ll be reading The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin. The plot of this one is pretty vague but essentially cities are “born.” Whenever this process happens, individuals within the city come to life. The main focus here is New York City and as it’s born, each of its boroughs comes to life and is characterized by a certain person. I’ve heard this is an extremely unique and engaging read. This will also be my first book by N. K. Jemisin. I’ve also heard great things about how other series and writing style, I think she has potential to become one of my new favorite authors.

After that, I’ll be picking up A Song Of Wraiths & Ruin by Roseanne Brown. This was another really popular book earlier this. I’ve seen it features on several YouTube channels and all over Twitter. I believe this also has multiple POVs, which is one of my favorite writing styles (when done right). From what I’ve heard so far, the plot focuses on a princess (Karina) trying to resurrect her mother who was recently assassinated and an assassin (Malik) who’s trying to kill Karina. I believe this also includes some sort of competition (which I am a sucker for).

Rounding out the month will be Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. This is the first book in the Legacy of Orisha trilogy. It follows our main character Zelie, who lives in a world that no longer has magic. It has been trampled out by their ruthless King. When Zelie is given the chance to bring back magic and strike down the monarch, she must decide what her future holds.

This is a father aggressive TBR but I’m feeling good about all of these books! Have you read any of the books I’ve mentioned? What did you think? Be sure to follow me here or on Twitter (@ItsMrGeekToYou) for updates on my reading journey!

Until Next Time,
Mr Geek