I love finding out what the rest of the team is currently reading! As far as I am concerned, your TBR list can never be too long, but perhaps that’s because I like to read a few books at a time.

This month, we have a fabulous mix. Some of us are deeply caught up in magical worlds, some are solving murders, while others are upgrading their historical knowledge. I, on the other hand, have realized that I would absolutely not last five minutes in most of the novels I read!

So if you have finally gotten your TBR list under control, don't worry, we’re here to help make it delightfully out of control again. TBR lists should never be manageable 🙂

Logan: The Boundless by Anna Bright

“I'm currently reading book two in The Beholder duology! The first book was a little slow at the beginning, but by the end of it, I had to grab the second one immediately. It's a phenomenal historical fantasy that blends fairy tales into real life.”

About the Book:

The Boundless is the breathtaking sequel to The Beholder, taking readers into a darkly sparkling fairy tale world perfect for fans of The Selection and Caraval. When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she would have to leave him behind.

The Beholder’s true mission has been kept secret from Selah: transporting weapons to rebels fighting against the brutal tsarytsya. With the shadow of Shvartsval'd ahead and her heart still hanging in the balance, Selah is no longer the frightened girl who left Potomac. She is determined to see the Beholder’s dangerous quest through to the end.

Sydney: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

“I'm really enjoying this fun Agatha Christie style mystery, the characters are so well-written and realistic! A woman spends her whole life trying to prevent her foretold murder based on a psychic prediction, only to be found dead 60 years later, leaving her great-niece to solve the mystery. I definitely recommend this one on audiobook, the narrator is great!”

About the Book:

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a dual-narrative, feel-good mystery set in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll. In 1965, seventeen-year-old Frances is warned by a fortune teller that she will one day be murdered. A year later, her best friend Emily goes missing, and Frances spends the rest of her life gathering information on everyone around her.

Nearly sixty years later, Frances is murdered exactly as she always feared. Her great-niece Annie arrives in Castle Knoll and discovers Frances’s diary from 1965. Soon, Annie is pulled into her great-aunt’s investigations, searching for justice for Frances, and maybe Emily too.

Teri: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

“A girl wakes up in the world of her favorite fantasy novel, and it is NOT a safe and happy place. This story is really making me realize that I would not survive in the worlds of most of the books I read.”

About the Book:

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me begins when Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and very much not at home. She quickly realizes she is in Kair Toren, a city from the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she has been obsessively reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Maggie’s only advantage is her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, setting, characters, and the terrible fates awaiting them. She soon discovers she cannot be killed, though many will try. But the same cannot be said for the people she begins to care about, including a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier.

Ryan: ILY by Cora Rose and EM Lindsey

“Leaf is a former ASL interpreter/new farmer who is being terrorized by a Groundhog and Thorne is a deaf FBI agent looking into Leaf after he goes on the black market looking for TNT in order to get rid of said groundhog. Thorne's misunderstanding and confusion about what's really going on is super cute and funny.”

About the Book:

ILY follows Leaf, a burnt-out former interpreter who decides to take over his late aunt’s farm. Unfortunately, farm life is not quite the peaceful fresh start he imagined. There is an orchard full of fruit he is allergic to, equipment he does not know how to use, and a vindictive groundhog named Michael who seems determined to ruin his life.

In his quest to deal with Michael, Leaf catches the attention of Thorne, a mysterious and very attractive man with a mission and a secret. What follows is a strangers-to-lovers rom-com filled with misunderstandings, hidden motives, farm chaos, and one groundhog who may know far more than anyone realizes.

Tristan: The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman

“I'm loving this historical fiction about a female pilot who enters a race from CA to Hawaii. It's based on the real Dole Derby, and I'm having a lot of fun learning about early aviation.”

About the Book:

The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West is inspired by real events and follows Olivia “Livy” West, a fearless young pilot in 1927 with a love of adventure and a dream of crossing oceans. When she hears about the Dole Air Race, a high-stakes contest to make the 2,400-mile Pacific crossing from the West Coast to Hawai'i, she is determined to qualify.

But it becomes clear that only men will make the cut. In a final attempt to take part, Livy becomes a navigator for one of the pilots and sets out on a dangerous journey. Decades later, Wren Summers inherits land on the Big Island and uncovers clues to a forgotten piece of aviation history.

The Final Chapter Check-In

And there we have it: the lovely, chaotic little bookshelf of our team’s current reads. That’s why I love finding out what the team is reading. Everyone brings something different to the table, and suddenly, our TBR lists feel a little more adventurous, a little more mysterious, and quite possibly a little more out of control. Which, obviously, is exactly how we like it.

Happy reading from all of us at Once Upon a Book Club!