Weekly Wrap Up | September 27, 2021

Happy Monday and welcome to my Weekly Wrap Up post! I link these posts up with The Sunday Post, hosted by Kimberly over at Caffeinated Reviewer; The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at ReaderBuzz; It’s Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date and a children’s/middle grade version hosted by Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers; Mailbox Monday, hosted by Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Martha of Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf; and Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality. For my Weekly Wrap Ups, I’ll recap what I posted, read, and watched this week, plus I’ll let you know about any current giveaways I have up. I’ll also tell you about recent updates on my TBR and new books I received and/or bought. Okay, time to see what happened this week!

Hi! I missed the last two weeks, oops! Here’s what happened since my last update…

On the Blog

Here are the links for everything that was published the last three weeks on Kait Plus Books:

week one

• Blog Tour: The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland (Aesthetic Board!)
• Top Ten Tuesday | September 7, 2021
• Can’t Wait Wednesday | September 8, 2021
• Blog Tour: Take Me With You When You Go by Jennifer Niven and David Levithan (Excerpt + Giveaway!)
• First Line(s) Friday | September 10, 2021
• The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Blog Tour: The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh (Interview!)

week two

• Top Ten Tuesday | September 14, 2021
• New to the Queue! | September 14, 2021
• Can’t Wait Wednesday | September 15, 2021
• Blog Tour: The Raven Heir by Stephanie Burgis (Interview!)
• First Line(s) Friday | September 17, 2021
• Blog Blitz: The Hideaway by Pam Smy (Spotlight + Giveaway!)
• The Eye of Ra | Interview with Ben Gartner

week three

• Blog Tour: Black Panther: Spellbound by Ronald L. Smith (Excerpt + Giveaway!)
• Top Ten Tuesday | September 21, 2021
• Can’t Wait Wednesday | September 22, 2021
• Blog Tour: Bluebird by Sharon Cameron (Excerpt + Giveaway!)
• Blog Tour: Beasts and Beauty by Somani Chainani (Spotlight + Giveaway!)
• Blog Tour: To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames (Reading Journal!)
• First Line(s) Friday | September 24, 2021
• Blog Tour: The Wolf’s Curse by Jessica Vitalis (Interview!)
• Blog Tour: For All Time by Shanna Miles (Aesthetic Board!)

Off the Blog

• Probably the most exciting thing that’s happened to me lately is going to the YALS conference last week. YALS stands for Young Adult Library Services, aka the YA & Teen Librarians Group! My library recently restructured and now instead of just being a Children’s Room Assistant, I’m a Youth Services Assistant, so I get to help out with the teen stuff and I’m really, really excited about this! I’ll probably have more to say as our new Teen Librarian and I work on some things!
• Okay, I know I just said the YALS conference was the most exciting thing, but that’s because I completely forgot about getting my Daughter of the Deep ARC in the mail! Honestly, reading this book has been the most exciting reading experience I think I’ve ever had. My review is next Monday for those of you who want to read my thoughts!
• Also, yesterday was my best friend’s birthday! Happy Birthday Emily!!! 🙂

Currently Reading: I just started reading The Throwback List by Lily Anderson and I really like it so far!

Currently Listening To: I’m listening to The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah right now. I first read it at the end of 2019, and now I’m on an upcoming tour for book two, The Heart of the Abyss!

Just Finished Reading: I finished Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan a few days ago and OH MY GODS IT IS SO GOOD!!! My review is going up next Monday if you want to read all my thoughts!

Just Finished Listening to: I listened to Yvonne Woon’s If You, Then Me this week and really loved it!

Books: Once I’ve finished listening to The Light at the Bottom of the World, I’m going to start reading book two, The Heart of the Abyss, for an upcoming blog tour!

Audiobooks: Battle of the Bands is next up for audiobooks, then it’s back to scribd!

I have #bookmail to share, I borrowed a couple books from the library, and I added a TON of books to my #tbr(there will be a New to the Queue post coming tomorrow)! Here’s some of what I stacked my shelves with lately:

#bookmail

My Journal About Life by Erin Yun
Published on September 7, 2021 by Fabled Films Press
Genres: Contemporary, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction
Pages: 144
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads

Celebrate the Real You with the Companion Fill-In Journal for Pippa Park Raises Her Game!
Keep tweens entertained for hours with My Journal About Life; an interactive journal of awesome quizzes, listicles and writing prompts inspired by Pippa Park that helps tweens celebrate their individuality and create a time capsule of their lives.
The book is packed with over a dozen different writing activities that are inspired by tween obsessions including family, friends, school, and themselves. Journaling helps tweens increase communication skills, self-esteem, and emotional vocabulary.

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
Published on October 5, 2021 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genres: Fantasy, Neurodivergent, Paranormal, YA
Pages: 400
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, Tumblr

The dead of Loraille do not rest.
Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.
When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.
As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland
Published on September 7, 2021 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, YA
Pages: 400
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram

Jasmine Yap’s life is great. Well, it’s okay. She’s about to move in with her long-time boyfriend, Paul, before starting a nursing program at community college—all of which she mostly wants. But her stable world is turned upside down when she catches Paul cheating. To her giant, overprotective family, Paul’s loss is their golden ticket to showing Jasmine that she deserves much more. The only problem is, Jasmine refuses to meet anyone new.
But…what if the family set up a situation where she wouldn’t have to know? A secret Jasmine Project.
The plan is simple: use Jasmine’s graduation party as an opportunity for her to meet the most eligible teen bachelors in Orlando. There’s no pressure for Jasmine to choose anyone, of course, but the family hopes their meticulously curated choices will show Jasmine how she should be treated. And maybe one will win her heart.
But with the family fighting for their favorites, bachelors going rogue, and Paul wanting her back, the Jasmine Project may not end in love but total, heartbreaking disaster.

Some Faraway Place by Lauren Shippen
Series: The Bright Sessions #3
Published on September 28, 2021 by Tor Teen
Genres: Alternate History, Contemporary, Fantasy, Queer, Superheroes, YA
Pages: 352
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Rose Atkinson’s mother can see the future. Her father can move things he doesn't touch. Her brother Aaron can read minds. And Rose, well, she makes a mean spaghetti bolognese.
Everyone else in her family is Atypical, which means they manifested an ability that defies the limits of the human experience. At nineteen, well past the average age of manifestation, Rose is stuck defending her decision not to go to college and instead working in the kitchen of a local restaurant, hoping to gain the experience she needs to become a chef.
When a rollerblading accident sends her to the hospital, she meets a girl she can't forget and she starts to feel like maybe her life isn't quite so small. But when she starts falling asleep mid-conversation, she thinks, then again maybe I’m doomed to never have good things.
Rose should be happy to learn that she’s Atypical after all—that diving into dreams makes her a part of her family in the way she always wanted. But the more time she spends in the dreamworld, the more complicated her ability becomes. Trying to balance her work, her power, and a girlfriend who doesn’t know about Atypicals, Rose seeks help. But she soon discovers that being Atypical comes with dangers she never could have imagined. Even her carefully constructed dreamworld isn’t safe.
This is the story of Atypical Rose, who discovers that your dreams coming true isn’t always a good thing.

Act Cool by Tobly McSmith
Published on September 7, 2021 by Quill Tree Books
Genres: Contemporary, Queer, YA
Pages: 352
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Aspiring actor August Greene just landed a coveted spot at the prestigious School of Performing Arts in New York. There’s only one problem: His conservative parents won’t accept that he’s transgender. And to stay with his aunt in the city, August must promise them he won’t transition.
August is convinced he can play the part his parents want while acting cool and confident in the company of his talented new friends.
But who is August when the lights go down? And where will he turn when the roles start hitting a little too close to home?

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
Published on October 19, 2021 by Harper Muse
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram

"Where did Narnia come from?"
The answer will change everything.
Megs Devonshire is brilliant with numbers and equations, on a scholarship at Oxford, and dreams of solving the greatest mysteries of physics.
She prefers the dependability of facts—except for one: the younger brother she loves with all her heart doesn’t have long to live. When George becomes captivated by a copy of a brand-new book called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and begs her to find out where Narnia came from, there’s no way she can refuse.
Despite her timidity about approaching the famous author, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with the Oxford don and his own brother, imploring them for answers. What she receives instead are more stories . . . stories of Jack Lewis’s life, which she takes home to George.
Why won’t Mr. Lewis just tell her plainly what George wants to know? The answer will reveal to Meg many truths that science and math cannot, and the gift she thought she was giving to her brother—the story behind Narnia—turns out to be his gift to her, instead: hope.

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
Published on October 5, 2021 by Disney-Hyperion
Genres: Alternate History, Contemporary, Middle Grade, Neurodivergent, Retellings, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Thriller, YA
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram

Ana Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world. Ana's parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family's she's got left is her older brother, Dev, also a student at HP. Ana's freshman year culminates with the class's weekend trial at sea, the details of which have been kept secret. She only hopes she has what it'll take to succeed. All her worries are blown out of the water when, on the bus ride to the ship, Ana and her schoolmates witness a terrible tragedy that will change the trajectory of their lives.
But wait, there's more. The professor accompanying them informs Ana that their rival school, Land Institute, and Harding-Pencroft have been fighting a cold war for a hundred and fifty years. Now that cold war has been turned up to a full broil, and the freshman are in danger of becoming fish food. In a race against deadly enemies, Ana will make amazing friends and astounding discoveries about her heritage as she puts her leadership skills to the test for the first time.

Library haul

Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale
Published on August 25, 2020 by Roaring Brook Press
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, YA
Pages: 304
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There's nothing worse than peaking in high school. Nobody knows that better than Josie Pie.
She was kind of a big deal―she dropped out of high school to be a star! But the bigger you are, the harder you fall. And Josie fell. Hard. Ouch. Broadway dream: dead.
Meanwhile, her life keeps imploding. Best friend: distant. Boyfriend: busy. Mom: not playing with a full deck? Desperate to escape, Josie gets into reading.
Literally. She reads a book and suddenly she's inside it. And with each book, she’s a different character: a post-apocalyptic heroine, the lead in a YA rom-com, a 17th century wench in a corset.
It’s alarming. But also . . . kind of amazing?
It’s the perfect way to live out her fantasies. Book after book, Josie the failed star finds a new way to shine. But the longer she stays in a story, the harder it becomes to escape.
Will Josie find a story so good that she just stays forever?

If You, Then Me by Yvonne Woon
Published on July 6, 2021 by Katherine Tegen Books
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Science Fiction, YA
Pages: 416
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What would you ask your future self? First question: What does it feel like to kiss someone?
Xia is stuck in a lonely, boring loop. Her only escapes are Wiser, an artificial intelligence app she designed to answer questions like her future self, and a mysterious online crush she knows only as ObjectPermanence.
And then one day Xia enrolls at the Foundry, an app incubator for tech prodigies in Silicon Valley.
Suddenly, anything is possible. Flirting with Mast, a classmate also working on AI, leads to a date. Speaking up generates a vindictive nemesis intent on publicly humiliating her. And running into Mitzy Erst, Foundry alumna and Xia’s idol, could give Xia all the answers.
And then Xia receives a shocking message from ObjectPermanence: He is at the Foundry, too. Xia is torn between Mast and ObjectPermanence—just as Mitzy pushes her towards a shiny new future. Xia doesn’t have to ask Wiser to know: The right choice could transform her into the future self of her dreams, but the wrong one could destroy her.

new to the queue

Scout Is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong
Published on April 5, 2022 by Random House Graphic
Genres: Contemporary, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Queer
Pages: 272
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram

When Scout learns that her favorite author is doing an exclusive autograph session at the end of the year, she's determined to be there! She officially needs a plan...and when she finds out that her school's band is heading to the same location for their annual trip, an idea takes shape. Being a band kid can't be that hard, right?
As it turns out, learning how to play an instrument when you can't even read music is much, much, MUCH tougher than expected. And it's even harder for Scout when her friends aren't on board with her new hobby. Will she be able to master the trombone, make new band friends, and get to her favorite author's book signing? Tackling everything seems like a challenge for a supergenius superfriend supermusician--and she's just Scout.

A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee
Published on September 7, 2021 by Feiwel and Friends
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Queer, Retellings, YA
Pages: 432
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Two intrepid girls hunt for a legendary treasure on the deadly high seas in this YA remix of the classic adventure novel Treasure Island.
1826. The sun is setting on the golden age of piracy, and the legendary Dragon Fleet, the scourge of the South China Sea, is no more. Xiang has grown up with stories about the Dragon Fleet and its ruthless leader, a woman known only as the Dragon Queen, all her life. Xiang desperately wants to set sail and explore—mainly to find her father, a presumed dead crew member of the Dragon Fleet. Her only memento of him is a pendant she always wears, a simple but plain piece of gold jewelry.
But the pendant's true nature is revealed when a mysterious girl named Anh steals it, only to return it to Xiang in exchange for her help in decoding the tiny map scroll hidden inside. Rumor has it that the legendary Dragon Queen had one last treasure—the plunder of a thousand ports—hidden away on an island shrouded in mist that only can be seen once in a blue moon.
Xiang is convinced this map could lead to the fabled treasure. Captivated with the thrill of adventure, she joins Anh and her motley crew off in pursuit of the island. But the girls soon find that the sea—and especially those who sail it—are far more dangerous than the legends led them to believe.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
Published on February 4, 2020 by Tordotcom
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy, Futuristic, Queer, Science Fiction, Thriller
Pages: 176
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“That girl’s got more wrong notions than a barn owl’s got mean looks.”
Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her—a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda. The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing.

Fools In Love: Fresh Twists on Romantic Tales by Rebecca Podos, Ashley Herring Blake
Published on December 7, 2021 by Running Press Kids
Genres: Anthology, Contemporary, Queer, Romance, YA
Pages: 288
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Join fifteen bestselling, award-winning, and up-and-coming authors as they reimagine some of the most popular tropes in the romance genre.
Fake relationships. Enemies to lovers. Love triangles and best friends, mistaken identities and missed connections. This collection of genre-bending and original stories celebrates how love always finds a way, featuring powerful flora, a superhero and his nemesis, a fantastical sled race through snow-capped mountains, a golf tournament, the wrong ride-share, and even the end of the world. With stories written by Rebecca Barrow, Ashley Herring Blake, Gloria Chao, Mason Deaver, Sara Farizan, Claire Kann, Malinda Lo, Hannah Moskowitz, Natasha Ngan, Rebecca Podos, Lilliam Rivera, Laura Silverman, Amy Spalding, Rebecca Kim Wells, and Julian Winters this collection is sure to sweep you off your feet.

I’m back on #bookstagram (sometimes, at least)! Here’s what I posted recently:

Ted Lasso is still my favorite show, even though I’m only watching one episode a week now; I binged The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and I LOVED that…. right up until the last few minutes of the season 3 finale. Technically, I didn’t finish because I could see what was coming and didn’t want that to be the last thing I saw before season 4 comes out. I’ll probably do a season 3 rewatch then. I’ve also been watching season 6 of Lucifer with my dad. We still have the finale to watch, but I can definitely say that season 6 is my favorite! Now that fall tv is back, I’ve started watching The Big Leap on Fox, which I’m enjoying, and NCIS on CBS. Whoa. That’s a lot of tv! What have you been watching lately?

The giveaways widget is always the most current and accurate way to tell what giveaways you can find on my blog, but since you’re here…

So that’s everything! What have you been up to the past few weeks? Anything important happen? Did you have any posts that didn’t get a lot of attention? I’d love to check them out! Leave your links in the comments below and don’t forget to have a splendiferous week!