Ooooh look at this: Something new and shiny that you've definitely never seen before on this blog.
I bet you're wondering what this new and shiny thing means. Well, recently I've been a bit of a bookish rut. It's been taking me longer and longer to finish books and it's kind of a struggle to get from one thing to the next.
And it's not that there aren't a ton of book that are already out/are on my shelves/or are about to come out that I'm crazy excited to read. I just feel like maybe I'm getting a little overwhelmed and, in response to this, my brain's just kind of shut down. There are too many titles and books and my poor head is just like: "Gurl, I cannot. PEACE OUT."
So I decided I would start this feature in an attempt to turn reboot my brain and get myself excited about my books again. Basically, I'll be picking a book I have in my possession that I'm super duper excited about. It might be a backlist beauty, a recent release or an upcoming bit of awesome. And just because I'm talking about it doesn't mean it's my next read, but it's something I want to get my brain excited for because I will be reading it soon. (Because, let's be real, sometimes my brain drags its metaphorical feet for reasons unknown.)
Now, which book going to be my first pick of the week?
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.
In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.
[Summary Source: Goodreads]
This book happens to be a backlist beauty. To be honest, I've actually had it on my shelf since last May. I got it in a swag bag at Liza's Rooftop Party during BEA and just never got around to it. This is probably partially because I don't really know what it's about. Like, even that summary does nothing for me. It just makes my tired brain want to shut down even more than it already does. Another possible reason for taking my time getting to this one is that I hadn't heard all of the hype until a bit after BEA wrapped up and it was already off my mental radar.
Anyway, THE ARCHIVED is probably one I'll be reading really, really soon because I'm going to a Victoria Schwab event in the immediate future and I want to be prepared (pray I'm not a serious black sheep on this one, please).
Did I make the right move choosing THE ARCHIVED for my first Pick of the Week? Also, do you guys like this feature? Does it remind you of books (well, a book, so far) you want to read? Feedback in the comments below, please and thank you!
