Bookworms,

It’s been quite a while since I did one of those, isn’t that right? Again.  I have been practising restraint and it’s been working great for my reading and stress, that’s not to say that it’s not always tempting to just request a bunch of books because they seem cool. (Thanks, Netgalley for being there, tempting as always)

I currently have only two books that are nearer to the release date and another one which is in 2021 so I am not going to talk about that quite yet.

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The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn by Tyler Whitesides

“I’m hiring you to steal the king’s crown.”

Ardor Benn is no ordinary thief. Rakish, ambitious, and master of wildly complex heists, he styles himself a Ruse Artist Extraordinaire.

When a priest hires him for the most daring ruse yet, Ardor knows he’ll need more than quick wit and sleight of hand. Assembling a dream team of forgers, disguisers, schemers, and thieves, he sets out to steal from the most powerful king the realm has ever known.

But it soon becomes clear there’s more at stake than fame and glory -Ard and his team might just be the last hope for human civilization.

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Okay, so I requested this one because it sounds fun and one of my favourite bookstagrammers was really enjoying it. It sounds like a romp and from what I have read so far, it really is!

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These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

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If I am being honest, it’s not the Romeo & Juliet retelling that sold me with this one, it’s the retelling set in 1920s China with magic that sold me. I can’t wait to read this one. I have read some truly glowing reviews/reactions so far.

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And those are the books I wanted to talk about today. There are more books I have on my Kindle and I will definitely be talking about them soon enough. I have also kind of accepted myself and my tastes a little. I have been trying to read more broadly across genres and all but if I am being honest, there’s a couple of genre that really catch my fancy and outside of that, I don’t really tend to enjoy the books I read. So I am going to be trying my best to make myself happy. While I understand that broadening one’s horizon is a good thing but I can’t force myself to read the books I am not thoroughly enjoying. So, here’s to hoping that I enjoy more books simply because they are to my tastes and not because I am forcing myself to read different genres.

Do you mind that you might have some set genres that you aren’t quite ready to go out of? Or are you the kind who’d read anything that comes your way? Tell me about it all in the comments, please, so I can see how people feel about this sort of thing. I am ever curious.