Jeff VanderMeer Author Page

The Story: I saw the movie based off the book, and yeah, it was really great, so I read the books, and they were really fantastic and I enjoyed them! Can't wait to read more of his books!

Website

Series: Southern Reach, Misadventures of Jonathan Lambshead.

Southern Reach: Annihilation and his site, my review, Authority and his site, my review, Acceptance and his site, my review.

Misadventures of Jonathan Lambshead: A Peculiar Peril and his site, my review.

Waiting on Wednesday #472, May 27th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

A Touch of Stone and Snow by Milla Vane
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
Milla Vane returns to her exhilarating A Gathering of Dragons series, into a world of fire, demons, and passion in the midst of a great evil that will bring only death and destruction.

Danger lurks in the western realms. Though an evil king has been defeated, a sorcerer warlord has risen and nobody is safe. This demon-possessed warlord creates magical terrors, attacking nations with the ultimate goal to weaken and demolish them before the Destroyer's imminent return.

When Lizzan leads the Kothan army against these terrors, only to see her soldiers massacred and to emerge as the only survivor, she is called a coward. A disgrace. A failure. Shunned from her home, Lizzan now wanders in solitude through the lands as a mercenary for hire, until she encounters a group of warriors seeking new alliances with the northern kingdoms--a group that includes Aerax, the bastard prince of Koth, and the man who sent her into exile. Though they were former childhood friends, Aerax cannot trust the woman whose failure led to the fall of a kingdom. But when a goddess's demand binds them together, Lizzan and Aerax must find a way to overcome their painful pasts. Or there will be no future for the western realms... 

The Lost City by Amanda Hocking
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking returns to the magical world of the Trylle with The Lost City, the first book in the final Trylle arc.

Nestled along the bluffs of the forested coast lays the secret kingdom of the Omte—a realm filled with wonder...and as many secrets.

Ulla Tulin was left abandoned in an isolated Kanin city as a baby, taken in by strangers and raised hidden away like many of the trolls of mixed blood. Even knowing this truth, she’s never stopped wondering about her family.

When Ulla is offered an internship working alongside the handsome Pan Soriano at the Mimirin, a prestigious institution, she jumps at the chance to use this opportunity to hopefully find her parents. All she wants is to focus on her job and the search for her parents, but all of her attempts to find them are blocked when she learns her mother may be connected to the Omte royal family.

With little progress made, Ulla and Pan soon find themselves wrapped up in helping Eliana, an amnestic girl with abilities unlike any they have ever seen before—a girl who seems to be running from something. To figure out who she is they must leave the city, and possibly, along the way, they may learn more about Ulla’s parents. 

All These Monsters by Amy Tintera
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
From New York Times best-selling author Amy Tintera, a high-stakes sci-fi adventure about a teen girl who will do anything to escape her troubled home--even if that means joining a dangerous monster-fighting squad. Perfect for fans of Warcross and Renegades.

Seventeen-year-old Clara is ready to fight back. Fight back against her abusive father, fight back against the only life she's ever known, and most of all, fight back against scrabs, the earth-dwelling monsters that are currently ravaging the world. So when an opportunity arises for Clara to join an international monster-fighting squad, she jumps at the chance.

When Clara starts training with her teammates, however, she realizes what fighting monsters really means: sore muscles, exhaustion, and worst of all, death. Scrabs are unpredictable, violent, and terrifying. But as Clara gains confidence in her battle skills, she starts to realize scrabs might not be the biggest evil. The true monsters are the ones you least expect.

The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
The Princess Will Save You is a YA fantasy adventure inspired by The Princess Bride, in which a princess must rescue her stable boy true love, from the acclaimed author of Sea Witch, Sarah Henning.

When a princess’s commoner true love is kidnapped to coerce her into a political marriage, she doesn’t give in—she goes to rescue him.

When her warrior father, King Sendoa, mysteriously dies, Princess Amarande of Ardenia is given what would hardly be considered a choice: Marry a stranger at sixteen or lose control of her family’s crown.

But Amarande was raised to be a warrior—not a sacrifice.

In an attempt to force her choice, a neighboring kingdom kidnaps her true love, stable boy Luca. With her kingdom on the brink of civil war and no one to trust, she’ll need all her skill to save him, her future, and her kingdom.

The Crow Rider by Kalyn Josephson
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
Princess Thia, her allies, and her crow, Res, are planning a rebellion to defeat Queen Razel and Illucia once and for all. Thia must convince the neighboring kingdoms to come to her aid, and Res’s show of strength is the only thing that can help her.

But so many obstacles stand in her way. Res excels at his training, until he loses control of his magic, harming Thia in the process. She is also pursued by Prince Ericen, heir to the Illucian throne and the one person she can’t trust but can’t seem to stay away from.

As the rebel group prepares for war, Res’s magic grows more unstable. Thia has to decide if she can rely on herself and their bond enough to lead the rebellion and become the crow rider she was meant to be.

Found by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
Fog rolls into Tulsa, and with it comes Darkness. Zoey knows something is up, and that the something involves Neferet, but Neferet can't possibly be freed, right?

Other Neferet and her companion, Lynette, arrive in Woodward Park to set this world's Neferet free from her grotto prison, and discover there may be those who sympathize with their cause. Meanwhile, Other Kevin and Other Stark are hot on their trail, but how can the new friends travel to this world without invoking Old Magick and paying a costly, perhaps deadly, price?

In 'FOUND', the culmination of the House of Night Other World series, a surprisingly talented fledgling, an immortal, and the unlikeliest of allies will band together with Zoey and the Nerd Herd. Will they be powerful enough to defeat her old nemesis, or will two worlds be destroyed and claimed by Darkness? Find out in the thrilling conclusion to the House of Night Other World series!

Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
The thrilling sequel to SPIN THE DAWN, a magical series steeped in Chinese culture.

Maia Tamarin’s journey to sew the dresses of the sun, the moon and the stars has taken a grievous toll. She returns to a kingdom on the brink of war. The boy she loves is gone, and she is forced to don the dress of the sun and assume the place of the emperor’s bride-to-be to keep the peace.

But the war raging around Maia is nothing compared to the battle within. Ever since she was touched by the demon Bandur, she has been changing . . . glancing in the mirror to see her own eyes glowing red, losing control of her magic, her body, her mind. It’s only a matter of time before Maia loses herself completely, but she will stop at nothing to find Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her country.

YA fantasy readers will love the sizzling forbidden romance, mystery, and intrigue of UNRAVEL THE DUSK. 

Faith by Julie Murphy
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
From Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’, comes the first in a two-book origin story of Faith, a groundbreaking, plus-sized superhero from the Valiant Entertainment comics.

Faith Herbert is a pretty regular teen. When she’s not hanging out with her two best friends, Matt and Ches, she’s volunteering at the local animal shelter or obsessing over the long-running teen drama The Grove.

So far, her senior year has been spent trying to sort out her feelings for her maybe-crush Johnny and making plans to stay close to Grandma Lou after graduation. Of course, there’s also that small matter of recently discovering she can fly….

When the fictional world of The Grove crashes into Faith’s reality as the show relocates to her town, she can’t believe it when TV heroine Dakota Ash takes a romantic interest in her.

But her fandom-fueled daydreams aren’t enough to distract Faith from the fact that first animals, then people, have begun to vanish from the town. Only Faith seems able to connect the dots to a new designer drug infiltrating her high school.

But when her investigation puts the people she loves in danger, she will have to confront her hidden past and use her newfound gifts—risking everything to save her friends and beloved town.

A Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
An epic about three friends on a quest to protect the world from a threat as unknowable as it is terrifying.

Jonathan Lambshead stands to inherit his deceased grandfather’s overstuffed mansion—a veritable cabinet of curiosities—once he and two schoolmates catalog its contents. But the three soon discover that the house is filled with far more than just oddities: It holds clues linking to an alt-Earth called Aurora, where the notorious English occultist Aleister Crowley has stormed back to life on a magic-fueled rampage across a surreal, through-the-looking-glass version of Europe replete with talking animals (and vegetables).

Swept into encounters with allies more unpredictable than enemies, Jonathan pieces together his destiny as a member of a secret society devoted to keeping our world separate from Aurora. But as the ground shifts and allegiances change with every step, he and his friends sink ever deeper into a deadly pursuit of the profound evil that is also chasing after them.

Desolation Road by Christine Feehan
Expected Publication: July 7th, 2020
From Goodreads:
Take the ride of your life with the Torpedo Ink motorcycle club in this thrilling romance novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan. 

Torpedo Ink is Aleksei “Absinthe” Solokov’s whole life. They’re his brothers, his family—his everything. But that doesn't stop him from wanting something that only belongs to him. That’s why the tough biker has spent the last six weeks at the library, reading every book he can get his hands on and watching the prim and proper librarian who makes his blood rush. 

For the past six weeks, Scarlet Foley has been fantasizing about the handsome, tattooed man whose eyes follow her every move. She senses he's dangerous. She wants him to get close enough to touch. She wishes she could let him know the real woman, not the one she pretends to be. But Scarlet has a plan to carry out, and she can’t afford any distractions.

Absinthe is well aware that Scarlet is hiding something. She’s a puzzle he intends to solve, piece by intoxicating piece….

Wow, there's some really great books coming out July 7th! Really excited for these, I've read a few and mostly enjoyed them, and I can't wait for them to be out! What about you guys? Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #364, May 28th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #363
Teaser Tuesday #371
WWW Wednesday #371
WOW #368
Will the Time Come #362
Third Sentence Thursday #353
Random Reads #339
First Lines Friday #367
The Reward Challenge Update #348
Book Blogger Hop #33
How Well I Stuck to It #201
Wrote that Review Update #198

Week 21 Reviews:
Simply Unforgettable
Simply Love
Simply Magic
Simply Perfect
Annihilation
Authority
Acceptance
206 Bones
Aftermath
Face Off
Oh My Goth
Freefall

Random:
#cockygate and My Thoughts
We Have the Cover of Endeavor #1!!!!
We Have the Cover of Charley Davidson #13!!!!

OK, so I got 22 posts in 7 days, I had a good week, and read 3 books on my birthday, so yeah, I had a really great day! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Jane, Unlimited, The Scorpion Rules, The Swan Riders, Spider Bones, and 9 Bodies Rolling.

If you could change your story, would you?

Jane has lived a mostly ordinary life, raised by her recently deceased aunt Magnolia, whom she counted on to turn life into an adventure. Without Aunt Magnolia, Jane is directionless. Then an old acquaintance, the glamorous and capricious Kiran Thrash, blows back into Jane's life and invites her to a gala at the Thrashes' extravagant island mansion called Tu Reviens. Jane remembers her aunt telling her: "If anyone ever invites you to Tu Reviens, promise me that you'll go."

What Jane doesn't know is that at Tu Reviens her story will change; the house will offer her five choices that could ultimately determine the course of her untethered life. But every choice comes with a price. She might fall in love, she might lose her life, she might come face-to-face with herself. At Tu Reviens, anything is possible.

John Lowery was declared dead in 1968—the victim of a Huey crash in Vietnam, his body buried long ago in North Carolina. Four decades later, Temperance Brennan is called to the scene of a drowning in Hemmingford, Quebec. The victim appears to have died while in the midst of a bizarre sexual practice. The corpse is later identified as John Lowery. But how could Lowery have died twice, and how did an American soldier end up in Canada?

Tempe sets off for the answer, exhuming Lowery's grave in North Carolina and taking the remains to Hawaii for reanalysis—to the headquarters of JPAC, the US military's Joint POW/ MIA Accounting Command, which strives to recover Americans who have died in past conflicts. In Hawaii, Tempe is joined by her colleague and ex-lover Detective Andrew Ryan (how "ex" is he?) and by her daughter, who is recovering from her own tragic loss. Soon another set of remains is located, with Lowery's dog tags tangled among them. Three bodies—all identified as Lowery.

And then Tempe is contacted by Hadley Perry, Honolulu's flamboyant medical examiner, who needs help identifying the remains of an adolescent boy found offshore. Was he the victim of a shark attack? Or something much more sinister?

Round and round we go...

Carlotta Wren is still reeling over her parents' return after a ten-year absence. After putting her life on hold for so long, she's not sure how to move forward. Her new reality isn't exactly what she thought it would be, especially considering the altered circumstances of the three men in her life.

Until we all fall down...

But her best gal pal Hannah is always there to cheer her up, and Hannah has taken up a quirky new sport--roller derby! The matches are a colorful spectacle of bodies maneuvering to score, but the fun stops cold when a dead body rolls onto the scene. Carlotta believes the accident is anything but--especially when skaters' bodies begin to pile up--in and out of the ring! Could Hannah be next?

Week 21 Reviews: Annihilation, Authority, Acceptance

From Goodreads:
Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization.

The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer.

This is the twelfth expedition.

Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers — they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding — but it's the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another, that change everything. 

From Goodreads:
For thirty years, a secret agency called the Southern Reach has monitored expeditions into Area X — a remote and lush terrain mysteriously sequestered from civilization. 

After the twelfth expedition, the Southern Reach is in disarray, and John Rodriguez (aka "Control") is the team's newly appointed head. From a series of interrogations, a cache of hidden notes, and more than two hundred hours of profoundly troubling video footage, the secrets of Area X begin to reveal themselves — and what they expose pushes Control to confront disturbing truths about both himself and the agency he's promised to serve.

From Goodreads:
It is winter in Area X. A new team embarks across the border on a mission to find a member of a previous expedition who may have been left behind.

As they press deeper into the unknown — navigating new terrain and new challenges — the threat to the outside world becomes more daunting. 

In Acceptance, the last installment of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, the mysteries of Area X may have been solved, but their consequences and implications are no less profound — or terrifying. 

My Review:
This series was so freaking weird! And I loved it! It also had very dense writing, which was a little hard to read, and I didn't get all the references, but yeah, it was a great quirky quality to these books! They were just so enjoyable!

I heard about this series because I saw a trailer for the movie, and it looked really good, so I watched it and really enjoyed it, so I was really excited to read this series. There were a ton of differences, and basically different stories, but I enjoyed both mediums!

The writing in these books was very, very, very dense. Sometimes I'd have to read something over two or three times, and I still sometimes didn't quite understand what was going on. Maybe that was because the characters didn't know? There were a ton of mysteries, and the ones that were solved, were more answers seen out of the corner of your eye kind of thing.

After the end, I still have a few questions. Like that weird scent that Control smelled in Authority, I think it might've been Whitby, but I'm not totally sure. Was the lot that the Ghost Bird appeared in the same one that the Biologist went to? Was there two different entities like as was suggested, one that created Area X, and one that created the boundary? What happened with the S&SB and the government involvement with Control's mom and grandfather? And what was the Biologist's name?

These books were amazing to read, so weird, and so great!

Author: Jeff VanderMeer
Series: Southern Reach #1, 2, 3
Read: May 22nd, 22nd, 23rd, 2018
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2018 Books! And Acceptance is a End of Series 2018 Book!
Publisher: FSG Originals
Published: February 4th 2014, May 6th 2014, September 2nd 2014

Annihilation:

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Authority:

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Acceptance:

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

WWW Wednesday #371, May 23rd

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme!

I'm reading Acceptance, and yeah, there's a few different POV's, and it's answering so many questions! Love it!

I read Authority, and it was such a fantastic sequel, so much was answered, and then there were more mysteries! Loved it!

I'm going to be reading 206 Bones, and I can't wait, because I really enjoy this series!

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Teaser Tuesday #371, May 22nd

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser comes from Authority by Jeff VamderMeer, page 32.

"Dusty and decaying bits of pinecone trailed across the shelves. A vague hint of a rotting smell, but he couldn't track down the origin."

Well, that sounds very nature-y inside, and that might not be a good thing! What about you guys? Happy reading!