Maude’s Book Club
Maude’s Book Club
The History Behind ‘The Poppy War’ by R.F. Kuang
The Poppy War became the first notable series for R.F. Kuang as she fused historical fiction with fantasy. The series follows a young girl who chooses to become a soldier rather than be forced into an arranged marriage at fourteen.
Kuang understands the political scope and military strategy in the series because of her studies in the field. Rin possesses a thirst for knowledge because, for Rin, that is the ultimate power early on.
In a way, Rin parallels Kuang’s ability to retain all this information and usefully extract pieces that become relevant at any moment.
‘The Poppy War’ Character Breakdown
Maude’s Book Club is reading their first novel by R.F. Kuang. The Poppy War is a trilogy many have raved about because of the rich historical analysis and the fantasy elements perfectly blending. This has been an exciting BOOK CLUB PICK because of the fast-paced nature of the book and the in-depth political analysis of the class structure within the Kingdom. There is plenty of action, and Kuang’s writing flows through the years passing in the book.
Hot Off The Shelf: March 2024 New Releases
Oh, hi March!
We are three months into 2024 and so great books have been released. Some months are slower than others with releases, but there can also be some surprises. MBC will be looking for the next big Fantasy or Science Fiction novel that will have readers buzzing.
From Romance to Thrillers to Fantasy, March has some highly-rated new releases that should be immediately added to your TBR!
Bonus Book of the Month: ‘The Bite’ by Z.W. Taylor
We can’t wait to sink our teeth into the BONUS BOOK of the month!
Z.W. Taylor is a fun upcoming author to keep an eye on as The Moon Blood Saga has slowly made its way through #BookTok. After the supernatural craze of vampires and werewolves, it seemed those books started to fade. But now, more than ever, the nostalgia of finding books that have those elements are needed.
Book of the Month Preview: ‘The Poppy War’ by R.F. Kuang
Our book choice for March is The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. This has been on everyone’s TBR in MBC for quite some time. And we are all excited to start reading the series. The novel was a nominee for Best Fantasy in 2017 and R.F. Kuang was nominated for Best Debut Author.
Hot Off The Shelf: February 2024 New Releases
Hello February!
It is the shortest month of the year with MANY new releases.
February is the time to celebrate LOVE in all forms. And since we love books so much, we are excited to add these new releases to our TBR. From romance to fantasy to thrillers, there’s something for everyone!
Check out the books being released this month.
Bonus Book of the Month: ‘Network Effect’ by Martha Wells
Well, if you are and in case you didn’t know MBC is obsessed with the series, and the community has chosen Network Effect as the bonus book for February! This month feels extremely short and we have chosen two short books filled with magical world-building and wonderful characters.
Maude Garrett has had Martha Wells on the show to discuss the first two novellas, and it was a great discussion.
Book of the Month Preview: ‘Divine Rivals’ By Rebecca Ross
Hello Romantasy lovers!
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross was released last year and has been on the MBC radar. After winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction, it was a necessity to read this during the month of LOVE!
If you have wanted to read the first book of this Letters of Enchantment duology, come and join us! The MBC community always has fun discussions in our discord and an in-depth analysis during our live book chat on Twitch!
Hot Off The Shelf: January 30th 2024
January is officially over!
We hope you all kept your resolutions and the year started well. Whether you’re starting a new series or continuing one, plenty of books are on the shelves that need to be read. January 2024 has started with a bang because of some awesome releases from our favourite genres.
Check out the books being released in the last week of January.
Hot Off The Shelf: January 16th-23rd 2024
Welcome to 2024, everyone!
The year has started nicely! And it comes with a fresh start. What does a fresh start mean exactly? It means a new reading list and some more books added to your TBR! Whether you’re starting a new series or continuing one, plenty of books are on the shelves that need to be read. January 2024 is starting with a bang because of some awesome releases from our favourite genres.
Check out the books being released in the last two weeks of January.
‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ Courts Breakdown
We know that Fantasy readers LOVE maps. Any map found when opening a book for the first time fills our hearts with joy. It draws the reader directly into the world and gives much-needed structure in visualizing where these characters reside. The map in A Court of Thorns and Roses shows where all the Faes live and the breakdown of the Courts.
‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ Character Breakdown
Maude’s Book Club will FINALLY dive into A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. There will be a total of six books in the series. There is a long list of characters in each court. But Maas breaks down all the courts so well. The world-building is possibly the best aspect of the series because of what Maas created.
The main characters of Tamlin, Rhysand and Feyre keep readers invested in the story and have become household names for Fantasy readers. MBC is thrilled to have these characters in January! And for those reading it for the first time, we’re hoping that our community members would want to continue the series!
Join Maude’s Book Club!
We know that the internet can be a tough space to navigate and that’s why we want to create a safe space for everyone in the reading community to be able to discuss their favourite books with other bookworms.
Not only do community members interact with other book lovers and creator Maude Garrett, but Maude connects with the authors of the books directly so the community can also discuss the book with their favoruite authors.
