I posted this at the end of my 2025 wrap-up, but I realize not everyone will read to the end of that post, and I wanted an obvious placeholder for this announcement.

My blogging era is ending.

Over the past year, between writing and personal stuff going on, I haven’t been able to make blogging a priority. I just don’t have the time and mental energy to make room for it anymore. Plus, I’ve had a ton of unexplained technical issues happening recently (way more than I’ve had over the past 13 years), and I don’t honestly think it makes sense for me to spend time trying to fix them.

I’ve been blogging January of 2013, and this blog has quite honestly changed my life. The people I’ve met through the blog have changed my life. But I think the time has come for me to let it go. I haven’t decided yet if that means I’ll let it disappear completely or if I’ll find a really cheap hosting plan to keep it up and running (and give myself the possibility of coming back/future posts). But, for now, it means I won’t be posting.

If you’d like to keep up with me, please sign up for my author newsletter on Substack – I plan to try to post there monthly with an update along the lines of my Sunday Post – which is basically all I was managing to post here lately anyway. I’ll also still be updating Instagram and I’ll be continuing to post reviews to Goodreads, but I think most of you already follow me in those two places.

So, for now, this is a bittersweet goodbye, but who knows what the future holds? I hope it holds more of all of you, in one way or another!

Instead of a Sunday Post this week, I’m posting a year-end wrap-up. Please scroll all the way down for an important announcement.

As I say every year, I’ve adapted the book survey from The Perpetual Page Turner’s End of Year Survey!

2025 READING STATS

Number of Books You Read: 162

This is the most I’ve read since 2019, which is amazing. Of course, it helps that I’ve read a lot more middle grade and graphic novels in recent years, and I listen to a lot of audiobooks. Still, I’m very happy to have read so much because I think reading widely is one of the best things I can do to improve my writing.

Number of Re-Reads: 3

And one of these is my own book because I listened to the audiobook at the beginning of the year! (I needed to listen to it to review it and give a few notes on corrections – but I figured I might as well count that in my Goodreads. LOL!)

I also reread Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton so I could finish the series and read the new book, The Notorious Virtues, but then I apparently … forgot to read the new book? I literally did not realize that until writing this post. Guess I need to fix that!

Finally, I reread Not the Worst Friend in the World by Anne Rellihan when the audiobook was released. Some of you might remember that Anne was my mentee for Author Mentor Match, and I loved her book so much. When it came out on audio, I wanted to revisit it to see if it still struck me as hard as it did the first time. The answer is yes!

Genre You Read The Most From:

I combine fantasy/contemp fantasy for this, but Contemporary wasn’t far behind!  When it comes to age range, there’s no surprise. I read mostly MG these days, since that’s what I’m writing. (Children’s is picture books, which isn’t included in my Goodreads goal numbers, but I still keep track of it in my spreadsheet.)

Books by Month:

I always find it interesting to see what months are good and bad for reading. I read a ton at the end of the year this year, which is unusual for me!

Favorite Covers?

I feel like I’m going all cliche on myself by choosing two purple covers, but just look at these!

The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay is by Mary Averling and the book is just as incredible as the cover – Mary is a lyrically beautiful writer! This was illustrated by Alla Khatkevich. It’s both gorgeous and creepy, a perfect match for the book!

And then there’s The Underwild: River of Spirits by Shana Targosz. Again, the writing even surpasses the beauty of this cover. This pitch-perfect Greek mythology-based fantasy deals with grief in a powerful way, but also feels fun and exciting.The cover is illustrated by Danlin Zhang (and the book has sprayed edges too!).

Favorite Characters?  

I’m going in two very different directions with this one. The first character I’ll mention is Ollie from Ollie in Between by Jess Callans. Ollie’s personal journey toward understanding their gender is thought-provoking and impactful, and they’re a character that stuck with me in a myriad of ways.

On a completely different level, a character who really stands out to me is Vampirita from Vampirita and the Angry Mob by Mariana Llanos (illustrated by Laura Brenlla). This is lower MG, and I just loved Vampirita’s not-so-sunny disposition and her attempts at getting her family driven out of California so she could go back home to Peru. So fun!

Most Relatable MG Reads? 

Capturing all the complexities of the middle grade years realistically and impactfully in a way that feels relatable to MG readers can be tough. Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign by Sara F. Shacter does it beautifully. This is a contemporary that focuses on the ways we’re alike rather than different. Such a worthy message told in a heartfelt way with characters you connect to, so it doesn’t feel didactic at all.

I also think Confessions from the Group Chat by Jodi Meadows manages to capture all the angst of the quest for middle school popularity in a truly honest way.

Favorite Adult Books?

I don’t read many adult titles anymore, so they get their own category. This year, I read just 12 adult books (and this includes writing craft books and a book I read as a Bible study). My favorites were The Husbands by Holly Gramazio and A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen, which I am just now realizing are both sort of sliding door/alternate realities types of books. I’m a sucker for those, so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise these were my favorites!

Best Books Read in 2025 Based on a Recommendation/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

I read Sona and the Golden Beasts by Rajani LaRocca when it was listed as a finalist in the Cybils Awards MG Spec Fic category, and wow, am I glad I did! I absolutely loved this book (and I couldn’t help but notice some themes that are very similar to those in The Song of Orphan’s Garden – always cool to find that connection.)

Similarly, I read Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna after it won the MG category for the Barnes and Noble Children’s & YA Book Awards. Looking forward to continuing this series!

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting in a Book You Read This Year?

The worldbuilding in Where There Be Monsters by Alby C. Williams, a  sci-fi/fantasy mash-up, is incredible and so unique! And An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic by Sarah J. Mendonca is a fantasy heist that has wonderful and intricate worldbuilding.

I’m also going to include Lu and Ren’s Guide to Geozoology by Angela Hsieh here because the living landscapes are what make this graphic novel so utterly enchanting! This graphic novel is so gorgeous – every page is a true work of art!

Most Heartwrenching?

The Things We Miss by Leah Stecher had me heartbroken for the main character. I felt such dread and sympathy for JP, even while I wondered how she would ever climb her way out of the hole she had dug for herself. This is one of those books that makes you feel everything along with the MC.

And Lilac and the Switchback by Cordelia Jensen is utterly gorgeous and both heartbreaking and hopeful. This book is everything a verse novel should be!

Favorite Dystopians?

Dystopians are always a favorite with me, and this year The Flicker by H.E. Edgmon and The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew both really stuck with me for their worldbuilding and main characters I fell in love with.

Best MG Romances? 

I actually had a hard time choosing between these authors’ books for this one. I ended up going with Jodi Meadows’ Bye Forever, I Guess (I used Confessions from the Group Chat for another category, though) and G.F. Miller’s What If You Fall for Me First? (but I was also a huge fan of Not If You Break Up with Me First!)

Books that Put a Smile On Your Face/Were the Most FUN to Read?  

Vote for the G.O.A.T is the second book I’ve read by Ali Terese, and it is just as funny as her first. She just writes MG in such a fun and relatable way!

I also absolutely adored Dracula’s Brunch Club by Brian Gonsar – about vampires who happily live off of blood orange donuts – until they realize another type of blood might be even better?

And the Spellbinders Series by Andrew Auseon is a super fun take on D&D! (The first book is The Not-So-Chosen-One.)

Creepiest/Spookiest Reads?

I’ve got a YA book for this one! Hazelthorn by CG Drews is just as disturbing as Don’t Let the Forest In was. Extremely creepy!

For MG, I’m featuring The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham by Ryan James Black, an atmospheric mix of horror, fantasy and historical fiction. And Ghost Scout’s Honor by Carey Blankenship-Kramer. This truly spooky MG has a Ghostbusters vibe but also deals with mental health in a realistic way. Finally The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan is a paranormal graphic novel with a spooky twist. This one’s so inventive, and it has an intriguing storyline MG readers will love!

Cutest Reads?

Growing Home by Beth Ferry (illustrated by The Fan Brothers) was just utterly adorable. Ferry did a fantastic job translating her picture book sensibilities into a MG for younger readers. Likewise, Cloud Puppy by Kelly Leigh Miller is a super cute introduction to graphic novels for younger readers.

Favorite Historical Fiction Reads?

Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz is a really clever historical fiction book with a touch of fantasy!

And I’ll also include an adult book here (I know, I’m messing with my formula). The Women by Kristin Hannah is gut-wrenching but amazing, and I learned a lot about the Vietnam War while reading it.

Favorite Sports Reads?

I Wish I Was a Baller is a highly entertaining graphic novel memoir by Amar Shah (illustrated by Rashad Doucet). For a very different type of sports book, Rapid City Summer by Connie Richardson focuses on fishing (which I knew basically nothing about.) This is a great romance for in-between MG/YA kids, especially those who love the great outdoors.

And technically I read Bea Mullins Takes a Shot last year, but since Emily Deibert is a fellow 2025 MG debut, I’m going to include it here anyway! It’s a wonderful contemporary LGBT romance

Favorite Mysteries/Puzzlers?

I absolutely loved Final Word by Janet Sumner Johnson. I only planned to listen to the first book in the series before I met Janet at NCTE, but I enjoyed it so much I had to jump right into the second book! The Cassette Tape Secret by Danielle Herzog has two kids solving an intriguing decades-old mystery.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year?

For this, I had to choose The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman. There was so much I loved about this gorgeous tale, but it all came down to the unlikely friendship between the reclusive Clare (the undead fox) and lovable Gingersnipes. Together, they are pure story gold!

And my next choice for this one is the rivalry/sisterly bond between Kennedy and Devon in Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and her Crew of Lady Pirates by Cassandra Federman!

Favorite Verse Novels?

This one’s tough because I’ve read quite a few this year that I loved, but choosing these for both their lyricism and emotional impact: Spark by Chris Baron captures the beauty of nature and the dangers of wildfires. And All the Blues in the Sky by Renee Watson explores loss in a powerful way, while Octopus Moon by Bobbie Pyron deftly handles the topic of depression.

Best Exploration of Tough Topics?

I’ve already mentioned some books I’d put into this category, but there are still a few more I wanted to highlight! Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic by Leslie Adame powerfully explores immigration issues in a fantasy setting – with a very cool magic system! And The Memory Spinner by C.M. Cornwell deals with grief in a unique way, and I love how it plays with the concept of memory. My son listened to this one and told me about a million times how much he loved it.

For more contemporary reads, Werewolf Hamlet by Kerry Madden-Lunsford deals with addiction and its impacts on a family. Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis deals with the topic of abuse. It’s a difficult but powerful read. And, finally, Aarzu All Around by Marzieh Abbas is a lyrical verse novel about a Pakistani girl who dreams of playing cricket in a patriarchal society.

Favorite Re-imagining/Retelling?

Rougarou Magic by Rachel M. Marsh is based on Cajun Folklore, but the story is a truly relatable contemporary fantasy! Nordlys by Malin Falch is a gorgeous graphic novel Norse mythology reimagining of Peter Pan. And Bull by David Elliott is a brilliant verse retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur!

Favorite Old Friends Revisited in a New Way?

I added this category because two classic books I loved as a kid were reimagined as graphic novels, and I read them both this year. Watership Down and Tuck Everlasting were both favorite books when I was young – and the adapters (K. Woodman-Maynard for Tuck and James Sturm and Joe Sutphin for Watership) did an incredible job with both of them!!

I’m also including Aaron Reynolds’ Jasper Rabbits’ Creepy Tales here (specifically, the first book, Troubling Tonsils). Fans of the Creepy Carrots picture books will love this zany dive into chapter books!

Favorite Series Starter, Sequel, and Ender?

Series starter is always the hardest for me to judge for this (and there are several books I’ve already mentioned that I might consider for this slot, but I don’t like to use a book twice). I’m going with Half Bad by Sally Green, which I absolutely flew through.

Sequel is a bit easier: Megan E. Freeman’s Away is an incredible companion to Alone (and I can’t wait for you all to read the third book in this series, coming next year – it is truly phenomenal already, and I’ve only read a draft).

I’ve absolutely loved all of the Greenwild books by Pari Thomson, and the finale, The Forest in the Sky, did not disappoint!

Books I Loved More Than I Expected To?  

I picked up Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson for research purposes – because I’m considering writing a hybrid graphic novel script. I thought it would be cute, but I ended up loving the many characters so much that I had to reall all the books in the series to find out what happened with them!

Same goes for the first Princess Swap book, Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper) by Kim Bussing. Not gonna lie, I expected this just to be a cute read that I wouldn’t remember afterward – but I truly loved this mash-up, and I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series!

Best Indie/Small Press/Self-Pubbed Read?

I think in past years, Fitzroy books have topped this list. But this year, I included those books in other categories, so I’m going with The Oasis by Lorisa D Wiedenheft, which was pubbed by Orange Hat Publishing. This one’s a really lovely, lyrical novel-in-verse about a family in crisis and the community that rallies around them.

Best Non-Fiction?

If you’ve been around my blog for a long time, you know that I’m a Christian. But I’ll confess that, in recent years, I’ve struggled to reconcile my faith with the angry, rant-filled representations of Christianity often seen on social media and in the news. I’ve always believed that Jesus’ core message of “love your neighbor” outweighed and all interpretations of Bibleical truth that choose to other people. This book perfectly captured so many of my thoughts and feelings and helped encourage me in my faith at a time where I was feeling lost.

Favorite Picture Books?

I read a bunch of picture books this year because I’ve been working on writing them. Lots of the ones I’ve read are older, but I’m going to focus on my favorites that were published this year:

What Fish Are Saying: Strange Sounds in the Ocean by Kirsten Pendreigh and illustrated by Katie Melrose is a super fun non-fiction picture book! Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsyth is both utterly gorgeous and wonderfully witty! There’s Something Odd About the Babysitter by Elayne Crain, illustrated by John Ledda is incredibly entertaining! And Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend by Bob Shea is also funny and adorable!

SOME MORE GRAPHS:

Reading a lot more backlist books lately! And my audiobook percentage has gone up even higher, which I’m not surprised about.

As you know, I don’t post about books that would get less than 4 stars from me (this very occasionally includes books that would round up from 3.5 stars), but I do still rate them in my spreadsheet for my own informational purposes. Now you can get a glimpse of those ratings too.

This year, I was truly shocked to see that I didn’t rate anything under three stars (even on my personal spreadsheet that no one but me sees), with about half the books I read getting four. I guess I had a really great reading year!!

Still got most of my books from the library (which is how I get most of the audiobooks I listen to). But look, I also actually read books I bought this year!

Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life in 2025?

My debut book was released in January by Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan! Let’s face it, this was one of the best moments of my life, much less my year.

If you’re reading this right now and had any plans of reading my book, you probably have (or, if you’re like me, you might have it sitting on a shelf somewhere and you reallyn mean to read it soon), so I won’t try to convince you. (But if you just popped by here randomly, it’s a MG fantasy in verse that shows kids coming together in a very divided world!)

Big announcement: My blogging era is ending.

Over the past year, between writing and personal stuff going on, I haven’t been able to make blogging a priority. I just don’t have the time and mental energy to make room for it anymore. Plus, I’ve had a ton of unexplained technical issues happening recently (way more than I’ve had over the past 13 years), and I don’t honestly think it makes sense for me to spend time trying to fix them.

I’ve been blogging January of 2013, and this blog has quite honestly changed my life. The people I’ve met through the blog have changed my life. But I think the time has come for me to let it go. I haven’t decided yet if that means I’ll let it disappear completely or if I’ll find a really cheap hosting plan to keep it up and running (and give myself the possibility of coming back/future posts). But, for now, it means I won’t be posting.

If you’d like to keep up with me, please sign up for my author newsletter on Substack – I plan to try to post there monthly with an update along the lines of my Sunday Post – which is basically all I was managing to post here lately anyway. I’ll also still be updating Instagram and I’ll be continuing to post reviews to Goodreads, but I think most of you already follow me in those two places.

So, for now, this is a bittersweet goodbye, but who knows what the future holds? I hope it holds more of all of you, in one way or another!

Check out my Goodreads Year in Books to see ALL the books I read this year!!

Did you write a 2025 wrap-up? Link me up in the comments! If not, tell me what’s been going on with you in 2025.

The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up is hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.

We’re continuing with a yearly giveaway for this one, just like the Discussion Challenge. We will have two winners: One from the usual Rafflecopter, and one that we will pick out of the folks who link up every month (via random.org, we’ll just list the names and pick that way)! So commenting and linking up still give you great chances to win!

This is the link-up for our December (and any end-of-year!) wrap-up posts.

If you don’t already know about the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up, read the information below:

Every month, at the end of the month, we’ll put up a monthly wrap-up link-up post where everyone can link up their month-end posts. There are no specific requirements for what needs to be in your post, as long as you have a book blog and your wrap-up summarizes your month in some way.

►The round-up will include a giveaway that encourages people to visit YOUR month-end wrap-ups, giving entries for commenting and/or sharing.
►Anyone can participate in the giveaway—you won’t have to actually link up in order to participate.

If you don’t already post a monthly wrap-up and want some ideas on what to include, click here to check out my advice on the topic!

Share with your friends so they’ll know to join us! You can share using #WrapUpRoundUp

DISCLAIMER: We reserve the right to remove posts from the link-up at our discretion. Posts that we feel denigrate others will be removed.

The December (& end-of-year) Link-up

We created this giveaway to encourage people to visit people’s monthly wrap-up posts. There are entries for commenting on the wrap-up posts in the link-up.

The giveaway is open to everyone! You don’t have to link up to the wrap-up round-up to be eligible. But there WILL be an extra prize for people who link up all year!

Sorry, I know Rafflecopter stopped working, which threw a wrench in our plans this year. Shannon and I are still planning to do a giveaway using the link-ups though!!

Font by Word Art World

What’s been happening since my last Sunday Post:

November was crazy busy for me with authorly events, so this is the first Sunday Post I’ve managed to get to in over a month!

Watching the Bulls (lose) – I had to laugh because the last time I posted, the Bulls were playing marvelously, and I was excited for the NBA season ahead. Now they are … not. Pretty disappointing, but not terribly surprising? I’ve actually decided to get an NBA League Pass and start watching the Denver Nuggets and root for them. (Denver is the city I’d live in if I could!) I’ll still watch the Bulls, but I’ll have some non-depressing basketball to watch too. LOL!

Visiting Danielle – In addition to Cincinnati book events (which I talk about below), I also got to visit my daughter, who’s there for a year-long landscape architecture internship. We had some good meals, etc, but also visited the American Sign Museum, which was fun!

Neal Shusterman Event – My mom and I went to see Neal Shusterman at Anderson’s Bookshop for his new book of short stories, Mind Works. Every time I hear Neal speak, I’m blown away by him. He is my all-time favorite author because of the way he thinks about the world (and how he puts those thoughts into books in ways that make the reader think about the world!). And when he speaks, you get just a little glimpse into his brain and his process.

Movies – With my A-List subscribtions I’ve seen these movies since I last posted:

• Now You See Me: Now You Don’t – Not a fan of this one at all. It just felt schmaltzy to me, and the characters reacted weirdly to everything that happened. (I don’t want to say more because of spoilers). I will say that the ending surprised me, though, so that was a plus.
• Wicked: For Good – Loved it! Yes, this one doesn’t have as many good songs as the first movie, but the story gets so much more interesting!
• Rental Family – Really loved this movie, even though there were a few things in it that gave me pause – but I’m pretty sure they were supposed to. (Again, I feel like saying more would be spoilerish.)
• Eternity – Again, excellent. I loved this one a lot more than I was expecting to!
• The Running Man – This movie was pretty much exactly what I was expecting it to be, and I enjoyed the ride!

Book News/Progress:

Book Sales/Signings: I had two local sales/signings in the past month, one at Sturdy Shelter Brewing and one at Blue House Books. Both went great – selling during the holiday season is a lot easier (and I find it much easier to pitch to people too, because you can always start with, “Hey, if you have any 4th-8th graders on your holiday shopping list, I’ve got a great book to tell you about). I actually left Blue House when I got down to my last book, which I left for them to have on the shelf!

IL Reads 2026 Kickoff – TSoOG got chosen for the 2026 IL Reads list, and we had a kickoff at Anderson’s Bookshop. Looking forward to a full year of events for this!

Cincinnati Events: I participated in Bookfest at Northern Kentucky University and Books by the Banks at the Cincinnati Public Library – both events were really fun and a great success!

 

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NCTE in Denver: And my biggest event was the National Council of Teachers of English conference in Denver, where I was on two panels. Both of those were fantastic, but honestly I think the best part of being at the conference was meeting a ton of authors in person who I’ve only known online up to now. Being an author can feel a little solitary sometimes, but meeting with my peers (and some people I’ve looked up to for years) makes me feel more like a “real” author somehow!

(If you’re interested in even more NCTE posts, I have another carousel up on IG too, but here’s one set:)

 

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What I Read:

I’ve been listening to a ton of audiobooks lately, and it’s been a month since I updated you, so it’s a lot!

• I listened to In the End by Demitria Lunetta, a satisfying follow-up to In the After.
• Next I listened to Half Wild and Half Lost by Sally Green. Look at me, actually finishing series! LOL!
• Next up was The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin. Loved the worldbuilding for the magic system in this book!
• After meeting Andrew Auseon at Books by the Banks in Cincinnati, I read the first two books in his Spellbinders Series: The Not-So-Chosen One and Break the Game. These books are great fun, especially if you’re into D&D type games!!
• And I wanted to read books from fellow panelists before NCTE, so I made sure to read Racing the Clouds by Sidney Dunlap, a touching story of the power of forgiveness and reconciliation.
• Another author I was sitting next to at Books by the Banks was Lori M. Lee, so I read the first book in her Rick Riordan Presents Series, Pahua and the Soul Stealer.
• Next I listened to Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman, a powerful read that had been on my TBR for far too long!
• When I started the Emmy and Friends Series by Terri Libenson, I planned on only reading the first couple of books for graphic novel research purposes. But I enjoyed revisiting these characters so much that I just keep reading them! I read Remarkably Ruby, Surprisingly Sarah, Becoming Brianna, and Entirely Emmie. Pretty sure I’ve read the whole series now!
• Growing Home by Beth Ferry, illustrated by the Fan Brothers is another one that I’ve had on my shelf for way too long (I got an ARC months ago). So I decided to listen to it – I can definitely feel Ferry’s picture book background in the book, and that sensibility translates beautifully to a book for younger middle grade readers!
• Then I listened to Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper) by Kim Bussing, (another one I’ve had on my shelf for months – are we sensing a pattern here?). I really enjoyed this twisted Disney tale and definitely plan to read more of them!
• Next up on my list was Unstuck by Barbara Dee. I always love Dee’s books – this one is about a girl dealing with a combination of family issues and writer’s block, both of which I relate to a little too hard! LOL
• I met Erin Soderberg Downing at NCTE and attended a nature-themed panel she was on where she talked about Just Keep Walking. I was intrigued and had to give it a listen! This book is a wonderful contemporary about a girl struggling with her parents’ divorce – with the added element of survivalist/hiking adventures!
• Jessie Ann Foley’s newest book, Severe and Unusual Weather, was chosen for the 2026 IL Reads list along with The Song of Orphan’s Garden, so of course I needed to give it a read! (I plan to read as many of the selected books as possible over the next year.) I was surprised when this story veered into magical realism (pleasantly surprised – I always love a little magic with my realism)!
• When I went to Neal Shusterman’s event, he talked about Game Changer (which I actually had with me for him to sign), and I was left wondering why I hadn’t yet read it! Obviously, I had to fix that. Side note – I listened to this one while I was driving my daughter Jade to the doctor and she got so invested that she had to listen to the rest of it herself (this literally never happens!).
• Next I listened to Mixing Magics by Clare Edge, the sequel to Accidental Demons. I absolutely love Clare’s worldbuilding, and this book was an exciting conclusion to the duology!
• Finally, I read Sixteen Minutes by K.J. Reilly. I love time travel/sliding door stories, and this one was a really interesting take on that.
• Weirdly, I only read one picture book this month – Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Scott Magoon. At least if I was only going to read one, I chose a cute one!

November Posts You May Have Missed:

• December 2025 Discussion Challenge Link-Up & Giveaway!
• November 2025 Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up
• Sunday Post & Book Pre-order Campaigns Galore: 11/9/25 – find out about other November books I read, Booksgiving at Bernie’s Book Bank and more!

NEW Pre-order Campaigns 

Head over to my Pre-Order Campaigns Page to see ALL of the pre-order deals, including pictures!!

Here’s a list of the pre-order campaigns I’ve added to the list since my last Sunday Post:

Pre-order RELIC OF THIEVES by Shana Targosz to receive an exclusive holiday short story! Pre-orders from an indie bookstore will also receive a bookmark, one replica antique key, and a signed bookplate! (Ends 12/15) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order the paperback of AS YOU WISH by Nashae Jones to receive a signed bookplate, a sticker sheet, a letter from the author and more! (Ends 1/5) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order the hardcover box set of THE SCUM VILLAIN’S SELF-SAVING SYSTEM by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù to receive a free acrylic coaster! (Ends 2/16) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order QUEEN OF FACES by Petra Lord to receive a magnetic bookmark! (Ends 2/2) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order THE LIBRARY OF AMORLIN by Kalyn Josephson from Mysterious Galaxy to receive an exclusive sticker sheet and a signed bookplate! (Ends 3/2) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order THE BLOOD COUNTESS by Shelley Puhak to receive an exclusive Elizabeth Bathory sticker! (US/CAN) (Ends 2/16) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order CHERRY BABY by Rainbow Rowell to receive a cherry bag charm! (US only) (Ends 4/13) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order THE STARSEEKERS by Nicole Glover from a participating indie to receive an art print, bookmark, signed bookplate, and astrology-themed stickers! (Ends 1/5) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Lots of good stuff! Have any news? Feel free to share in the comments!

Welcome to the December monthly link-up for the 2025 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight!

• If you don’t know what this challenge is all about or haven’t signed up yet (but want to), head on over to the challenge sign-up page to learn more!
• Even if you’d rather not join, we hope you’ll stop by occasionally to check out the MANY discussion posts that are being linked up here – there are lots of great discussions going on!
• Looking for even more inspiration, or want to see some discussion posts as an example? Check out the discussion posts on Feed Your Fiction Addiction or It Starts at Midnight!

Sorry, I know Rafflecopter stopped working, which threw a wrench in our plans this year. Shannon and I are still planning to do a giveaway using the link-ups though!!

Make sure to link up all your December discussion posts here. This linky will be open until January 7th (to give people a little extra time to link up – just in case you’re disorganized like we are). If, by some chance, you forget to link up a post this month, you can add it to next month’s linky (but no duplicates, please).

DISCLAIMER: We reserve the right to remove posts from the link-up at our discretion. Posts that we feel promote hate or denigrate others will be removed.

Credits for elements used in original button: Clever Monkey Graphics, B2N2 Scraps, Sweet Digi Scraps, Harper Finch

The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up is hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.

We’re continuing with a yearly giveaway for this one, just like the Discussion Challenge. We will have two winners: One from the usual Rafflecopter, and one that we will pick out of the folks who link up every month (via random.org, we’ll just list the names and pick that way)! So commenting and linking up still give you great chances to win!

This is the link-up for our November wrap-up posts.

If you don’t already know about the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up, read the information below:

Every month, at the end of the month, we’ll put up a monthly wrap-up link-up post where everyone can link up their month-end posts. There are no specific requirements for what needs to be in your post, as long as you have a book blog and your wrap-up summarizes your month in some way.

►The round-up will include a giveaway that encourages people to visit YOUR month-end wrap-ups, giving entries for commenting and/or sharing.
►Anyone can participate in the giveaway—you won’t have to actually link up in order to participate.

If you don’t already post a monthly wrap-up and want some ideas on what to include, click here to check out my advice on the topic!

Share with your friends so they’ll know to join us! You can share using #WrapUpRoundUp

DISCLAIMER: We reserve the right to remove posts from the link-up at our discretion. Posts that we feel denigrate others will be removed.

The November Link-up

We created this giveaway to encourage people to visit people’s monthly wrap-up posts. There are entries for commenting on the wrap-up posts in the link-up.

The giveaway is open to everyone! You don’t have to link up to the wrap-up round-up to be eligible. But there WILL be an extra prize for people who link up all year!

Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Font by Word Art World

 

What’s been happening since my last Sunday Post:

There was snow on the ground this morning! Not sure I’m mentally prepared, but it’s happening.

Driving evaluation (sort of) for Noah – My youngest really wants to get his driver’s license. Not gonna lie, we have some reservations about it, just due to the fact that he has some issues with spatial reasoning. But the school told us about a program where they specialize in teaching driving skills to people with disabilities, and we decided that we should find out more. They did an initial evaluation, and they said he’s at least ready for the next step, which is to get his permit – then they’ll be able to do a behind-the-wheel evaluation and tell us more.

SCBWI monthly critique group – On Wednesday night, we had our SCBWI critique group meeting. We’re trying out a hybrid format, which seems to be working well. We have some members who really want to come in person and some who can only meet via Zoom, so we’re hoping this works long-term.

Booksgiving at Bernie’s Book Bank – Bernie’s did their fun fall event, and this year it was Wizard of Oz themed! Check out my Insta post for a 30-second video with the highlights!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nicole M. Hewitt (@nicolefictionaddiction)

Movies & TV – No movies this week, but lately I’ve been watching Being Human and Teen Wolf. (I’m also excited to watch the second season of Maxton Hall, but I haven’t started it yet).

Book News/Progress:

Headed to Cincy! – On Thursday, I’ll be headed to Cincy for Bookfest and Books by the Banks!

What I Read:

• I read Aarzu All Around by Marzieh Abbas. Highly recommend this incredible verse novel set in Pakistan!
• Then I read No More “Us” and “Them”  by Lesley Roessing, an educator who will be moderating one of the NCTE panels I’m going to be on. The book is geared toward teachers, so I was surprised how much I got out of reading it. Lesley’s ideas for the classroom are innovative and inclusive.
• Next I listened to Fault Lines by Janet Sumner Jones, who will also be on my NCTE panel. I was only planning to read one book from each of the authors on my panels, but I enjoyed the first book in this series so much that I had to listen to the second!
• Next up was another verse novel I loved (I’ve been reading some amazing NIVs lately!) – Lilac and the Switchback by Cordelia Jensen. This book is so poignant, exploring themes of family and feeling like you don’t belong, and it’s incredibly lyrical!
• I also read Indigo & Ida by Heather Murphy Capps (another NCTE panelist – but this is my other panel). This book uses a journalism bent to tackle the topic of racism. Such a great read!
• Finally, I listened to In the After by Demitria Lunetta. I’ve had this one on my shelf for years, and when I did my purge awhile I back, I think I got rid of it and put it on my audiobook library list instead? Anyway, glad I read it, and I’m now about to listen to book two.
• Oh, and I realized I’ve been forgetting to include my picture book reads lately! Here’s what I’ve read since I last updated you on 9/14 (starred books are ones I loved so much I bought them!):
  • The Night Market
  • Sketty and Meatball
  • Bob the Vampire Snail
  • Zombie and Brain Are Friends*
  • Broken*
  • Aggie and the Ghost*
  • Benita and the Night Creatures
  • Run, Little Chaski!
  • Luca’s Bridge
  • Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo

Here’s what you may have missed on the blog since my last Sunday Post:

• Nothing new this week!

NEW Pre-order Campaigns 

Head over to my Pre-Order Campaigns Page to see ALL of the pre-order deals, including pictures!!

Here’s a list of the pre-order campaigns I’ve added to the list since my last Sunday Post:

Pre-order MISTAKENLY SAVING THE VILLAIN (NOVEL) Vol. 1 (SPECIAL EDITION) by Feng Yu Nie to receive 4 postcards, a double-sided bookmark, a sticker sheet, and a poster! (Ends when first edition sells out – on sale 11/25!) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Lots of good stuff! Have any news? Feel free to share in the comments!

What’s been happening since my last Sunday Post:

Watching the Bulls – The NBA season is back in full swing! Basketball is the only sport I really enjoy watching, and the Bulls have started out really strong, which is always a plus. It’s obviously, early in the season, but right now they’re at 5-0, and the games have been exciting to watch!!

School Musical – Our local high school performed Les Miserables – I was so impressed!!

Bookstore Visits – I spent the day checking out some local bookstores with my former B&N coworkers. Even people who work at a bookstores like to go to more bookstores!

Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me – Scott and I met up with some friends at a taping of the NPR show Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me in Chicago. It’s always fun to see how a show like this gets made!

Movies – Over the last few weeks, with our AMC A-List subscription, we went to see Good Fortune, a comic angel story starring Keanu Reeves – this movie was really fun. Next, we saw Regretting You, the latest Colleen Hoover flick, which I also enjoyed. It was basically exactly what I was expecting. Finally, we went to see Bugonia – now, that movie was truly a mind trip!

Book News/Progress:

So You Want to Write a Kids’ Book Presentation – I presented at my library about the basics of kidlit writing and publishing. It felt like a great success, and I got really positive feedback on the presentation!

How Now Booking Company – I signed up with How Now Booking Company to help me coordinate school visits! If you know of any teachers or librarians looking for author visits for the 2025/2026 school year, let me know!

Upcoming November Events:

November 14: Bookfest 2025 at Northern Kentucky University

November 15: Books by the Banks – Cincinnati, OH

November 20-23rd: NCTE Conference – Denver, CO
My NCTE panels are:

• The Radical Dream of Rational Optimism: Narrative Writing and Teaching Techniques To Tackle Tough Middle Grade Issues
• Dreaming Together: Readers Theater As a Tool to Encourage Imagination and Enhance Literacy

What I Read:

• I read Tidesong by Wendy Xu, a witchy MG fantasy graphic novel!
• I listened to Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic by Leslie Adame, one of the Middle Grade Escapades authors. This contemporary fantasy is full of excitement and twists and turns, and I highly recommend the audiobook version!
• Next I read Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson, book 5 in the Emmie & Friends Series. I’ve been so much more invested in this series than I expected to be!
• I also read Better Ways to Read the Bible by Zach W. Lambert. This book really spoke to me and echoed many of the thoughts I’ve had about faith and the ways we should be exhibiting love.
• Then I read Spark by Chris Baron, a verse novel about wildfires and hope and rebuilding. So good!!
• I listened to The Supernatural Society by Rex Ogle.  Love the fun voice of the monster narrator of this one.
• Then I listened to The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead. I have a book that I’m probably going out on submission with at the beginning of next year, and I thought this one might be a good fit as a comp title. I definitely think it works, and it’s an incredible book, so I’m so glad I read it!!
• Next I listened to Final Word by Janet Sumner Johnson. I’m going to be doing an NCTE panel with Janet, and I like to try to read panel author’s books if I can! This puzzle-mystery book is so incredible – both the mystery aspect and the themes of family and forgiveness.
• I also read Comics Experience Guide to Writing Comics by Andy Schmidt. I’ve been doing some experimenting with writing in a hybrid format, but I need guidance on writing a graphic novel script. This is the first book I picked up, but I’m also going to read some more!
• Finally, I read Vampirita and the Angry Mob by Mariana Llanos, illustrated by Laura Brenlla. Again, this chapter book is written by one of my fellow NCTE panelists, and it’s so super-cute!!

October Posts You May Have Missed:

• November 2025 Discussion Challenge Link-Up & Giveaway!
• October 2025 Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up
• Sunday Post & Book Pre-order Campaigns Galore: 10/19/25 – find out about other October books I read, movies I went to, a book launch event for Sara Shacter, the AISLE Conference, and Digit’s final week of his Sports Sampler class.
• Bite-Sized Reviews of The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang, The Memory Spinner, The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham, Nordlys, and Dracula’s Brunch Club
• Sunday Post & Book Pre-order Campaigns Galore: 10/5/25 – find out about other October books I read, the drone art show I went to, and the IL State Reads List (TSoOG was chosen!).

NEW Pre-order Campaigns 

Head over to my Pre-Order Campaigns Page to see ALL of the pre-order deals, including pictures!!

Here’s a list of the pre-order campaigns I’ve added to the list since my last Sunday Post:

Pre-order ONLY SPELL DEEP by Ava Morgyn from Murder by the Book to receive a poster and signed bookplate! (Ends 3/16) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order THE HOUSE SAPHIR by Marissa Meyer to receive an art print! (US/CAN only) (Ends 11/3) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order A KISS OF HAMMER AND FLAME by Amy de la Force to receive an exclusive art print and signed bookplate! (US only) (Ends 11/1) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Pre-order CHARMED AND DANGEROUS by Shelly Page to receive a bookmark, 2 art prints, 2 stickers, and a signed bookplate! (US only) (Ends 3/16) CLICK FOR DETAILS

Lots of good stuff! Have any news? Feel free to share in the comments!

Welcome to the November monthly link-up for the 2025 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight!

• If you don’t know what this challenge is all about or haven’t signed up yet (but want to), head on over to the challenge sign-up page to learn more!
• Even if you’d rather not join, we hope you’ll stop by occasionally to check out the MANY discussion posts that are being linked up here – there are lots of great discussions going on!
• Looking for even more inspiration, or want to see some discussion posts as an example? Check out the discussion posts on Feed Your Fiction Addiction or It Starts at Midnight!

This year, we’re sticking with the year-long giveaway, but with multiple winners! They’ll be the following:

Two (2) random challenge participants, chosen from Rafflecopter just like our monthly giveaways were.

One (1) The one participant who has posted the most discussions throughout the challenge (info will be collected from the monthly Linkys).

One (1) participant who has commented on others’ posts (we’ll collect this info via Rafflecopter also–it will be random, but the more you comment, the more chances you’ll have!)

The giveaways will, as always, be international, and each winner will be able to choose any book of their choice of $20 US or under.

Sorry, Shannon and I are still figuring out what to do about the giveaway since Rafflecopter went away. We’ll do our best to update you soon!

DISCLAIMER: We reserve the right to remove posts from the link-up at our discretion. Posts that we feel promote hate or denigrate others will be removed.

Credits for elements used in original button: Clever Monkey Graphics, B2N2 Scraps, Sweet Digi Scraps, Harper Finch

The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up is hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.

We’re continuing with a yearly giveaway for this one, just like the Discussion Challenge. We will have two winners: One from the usual Rafflecopter, and one that we will pick out of the folks who link up every month (via random.org, we’ll just list the names and pick that way)! So commenting and linking up still give you great chances to win!

This is the link-up for our October wrap-up posts.

If you don’t already know about the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up, read the information below:

Every month, at the end of the month, we’ll put up a monthly wrap-up link-up post where everyone can link up their month-end posts. There are no specific requirements for what needs to be in your post, as long as you have a book blog and your wrap-up summarizes your month in some way.

►The round-up will include a giveaway that encourages people to visit YOUR month-end wrap-ups, giving entries for commenting and/or sharing.
►Anyone can participate in the giveaway—you won’t have to actually link up in order to participate.

If you don’t already post a monthly wrap-up and want some ideas on what to include, click here to check out my advice on the topic!

Share with your friends so they’ll know to join us! You can share using #WrapUpRoundUp

DISCLAIMER: We reserve the right to remove posts from the link-up at our discretion. Posts that we feel denigrate others will be removed.

The October Link-up

Sorry, Shannon and I are still figuring out what to do about the giveaway since Rafflecopter went away. We’ll do our best to update you soon!

Font by Word Art World