a GREAT read

Can't Wait Wednesday #271

2026-10-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The gods took everything from Hades. Now he's coming to collect.

For once, I'm not the mortal condemned to face a series of deadly trials. Hades is.

To reclaim the powers that are rightfully his, the King of the Underworld must compete against the gods of Olympus-and survive a contest designed to bring even immortals to their knees.

I've lost count of how many impossible choices I've survived. I should be relieved to watch from the sidelines. Except the god I love is risking his life with every trial, and someone known only as the Deceiver is determined to destroy Team Underworld.

As ancient deception spreads across Olympus, the foundations begin to fracture from within. Hades and I must expose our hidden enemy before the gods turn against one another-and the world pays the price.

But while Hades battles the gods, I'm fighting to control the power awakening inside me. It's growing stronger. Wilder. And I'm no closer to understanding what it wants from me.

The gods think this is another game.

They're wrong.

This is war-and if anyone tries to take Hades from me, I'll show them what divine wrath really looks like.

I have enjoyed this series thus far--yes, I AM actually caught up! It's unbelievable! I plan to road trip to see Abigail and two other authors in November! It was kind of perfectly placed for a road trip signing and since there will be two other authors there, I deemed it worth the drive! Lol.

TITLE: The Wrath Gods Reap
AUTHOR: Abigail Owen
PUBLISHER: Red Tower Books
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: November 17, 2026

A tense, gripping novel about a mother whose child begins to change in ways she can’t explain, from the national bestselling author of The Place Where They Buried Your Heart.

Nora Pacetti is a new stay-at-home mother, tired but coping while caring for her happy, healthy baby Olivia. But then one morning, something that looks like a feather starts growing out of Olivia's arm. Or at least, that’s what Nora’s mother, Giulia, thinks. Nora thinks her mother has probably spent too much time watching conspiracy videos on YouTube.

Nora’s husband thinks Olivia needs tests, specialists, hospitals. But Nora senses that whatever is happening to her daughter needs to be concealed—and a mother’s intuition is never wrong. Soon sinister people begin asking questions about Olivia, and Nora starts to wonder if there really is something wrong with her baby. But she’s determined discover the truth about her daughter…no matter the cost.

Looooove Christina's books! The past few years she has written more standalones with horror/thriller vibes and they are just awesome! So I am definitely looking forward to this one AND I am contemplating another road trip to see her in November. Haven't quite landed on it yet if I will or won't as I did just see her last year, but it's on the backburner! We'll see what that week looks like weather-wise because you never know what you're gonna get in the Midwest...it's like a box of chocolates! Lol.

TITLE: Pinfeathers
AUTHOR: Christina Henry
PUBLISHER: Berkley
GENRE: Horror
RELEASE DATE: November 17, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday #700

2026-10-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Things That Make Up My Perfect Day

*in no particular order

10. FAMILY
9. WEATHER UNDER 80 DEGREES
8. THE FIRST DAY HALLOWEEN DECOR COMES OUT IN STORES
7. FRESHLY BAKED COOKIES--right after some cookie dough! Lol.
6. REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
5. AN AUTHOR SIGNING
4. A SHINY NEW BOOK THAT ARRIVES ON TIME!
3. GOING TO THE BOOKSTORE
2. READING--of course!
1. DISNEY WORLD--the only thing I willingly give up a week of reading for! Lol.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2026-10-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

The Emperor's Enemy by Jasmine Mas (5 stars)

Currently Reading:

The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn

What I Plan to Read Next:

Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesday #699
Can't Wait Wednesday #270
Books from the Backlog #207
Book Blogger Hop #433
Stacking the Shelves--The Before Edition

Stacking the Shelves--The Before Edition

2026-10-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Reading Reality.

Another week in the books. Man this one was rough! I swear, every time I start to think work might be finally slowing down we're bombarded with a huge wave of requests and it's nuts. I peeked at my inbox on Friday afternoon after I was already gone and saw I had a HUGE request that I would need to do on Monday. Me being Me, I started doing some lowkey setting up. Basically filling out the documents I know will need to be filled out before I can request anything and that let me check to make sure things looked "good" before I get into the meat of things. So yeah. Fun times. I did attend one signing this week! Elizabeth Kostova came to St. Louis. You're probably thinking...what on earth was I doing there? Lol. Well, a million years ago, or what feels like it, I read The Historian! Back in those dark, lonely days where I could not find a vampire (or werewolf, or ghost, or witchy or fantastically magical) read I would pick up random like titles and The Historian was one of them! It had an essence of vampire at least and I still had my worn out copy I bought in paperback at Target ever so looooong ago and I wanted to get it signed! Then I spontaneously preordered Mystery Play, her new book at the last B&N preorder sale as it takes place in the same world with a loose connection to things that happened back in The Historian. Granted I read that mammoth too long ago to remember anything but Elizabeth said you don't have to have read that one to enjoy this one so I'm going for it...one day! Lol.

Here's what I got this week:

Love You to Death by Jenna Levine
White Mountain by Ruby Jean Cottle
A Darker Act by Amy Goldsmith
Monstera by Delilah S. Dawson
Mystery Play by Elizabeth Kostova--SIGNED!

And then I also got my Fairy Loot book for this month! I had forgotten that this particular title was the month's pick, which is fine! I was interested in it anyway! The cover is interesting and the edges are vibrant. I can't decide if I love or not. It's one of those odd kind of ones but yeah, still cool!

And then after a long wind of being very good about not requesting any ARCs, I broke down and requested something and got it right away! It sounded too good to pass up.

Forsaken Crown by Jenna Wolfhart (ARC)

THANK YOU Red Tower Books!

And then finally, as promised here are a few pictures of my new home...of course, none of the rooms look like this anymore! Lol. So this is basically the before pictures. We've ripped out the carpet to be replaced and then we're redoing the kitchen and the flooring on the main level as well. We originally weren't going to but then my dad thought we should and it was good that we did as we found a small patch of mold on the bare floor beneath. We've since attacked it with bleach and it's pretty much gone. We'll probably do one more round and then paint over it just to be safe as it wasn't that much. We think the water heater might have leaked at one point but all is good now. So hopefully sometime this year I might be able to move in! Lol.

So starting at the top from left to right, we have the main bedroom where we started ripping up carpet before I realized I forgot to take my before pictures! Lol. The carpet looks "nice" as it was vacuumed recently, but it was still a bit smelly and there was still dog hair all over the place and it was rather worn out in the main areas. So it needed to go.

Then we have a smaller room which I plan to turn into my office.

A spare bedroom.

My kitchen is the next two. It's small, but I'll make it work. The hard part is figuring out where I'll store my "backup" supplies of stuff.

The living room.

And finally the basement. We plan to fix this up a bit so I can store all my books down here where it's a little cooler and such. There's AC throughout the house and it's essentially the biggest room in the house, so the library it will be! Lol. I'm also pondering if I can wrap fairy lights around the ceiling banisters or whatever you call them! Just have to follow the trail to see where they'd plug in and if it's accessible. We're kind of making the updates from top to bottom, so to speak, so my library room will likely be last. But one always saves the best for last anyway! Lol.

There will be bookcases scattered throughout the house as well, wherever I manage to fit one or two. Already thinking about putting three in the spare room as I wanted to make that a "reading/sitting" type room, but my mom suggested a daybed and I've reluctantly agreed. lol.

I'll definitely share all the after pictures once we finish the updates and I get moved in and have everything setup. Might be awhile until that happens since we are approaching the holidays but finished pictures will come along...eventually!

And that was it for me this week! What all did you get?

Book Blogger Hop #433

2026-10-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: If you designed a book-themed escape room, what puzzles would be part of it?

MY ANSWER: Oh man! I am bad at puzzles like this! I can't always remember my trivia questions either! I guess it would kind of depend on if I made it a specific theme, like towards one book/series/author. But in the general bookish sense I would maybe have players arrange a book series in order, like a nice long running one! Or a match the author name to their pen name for the ones who write under more than one name. Or a book that's been reprinted multiple times and you have to put the covers in publishing order, like which is the OG followed by the first reprint, then the second, and so on! Random things like that but then of course it will only be doable if people know said authors/books. Lol. You put me in a similar room with similar games but with authors I've never heard of and I ain't getting out! Lol.

Books from the Backlog #207

2026-10-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. This is a fun meme hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books!

The dazzling conclusion to #1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead's The Glittering Court series.

Meet Tamsin, the Glittering Court's hard-angled emerald. Her outsized aspirations make her a fierce competitor, rising to the top of the ranks. But when the ship she boards for the New World is tragically lost at sea, she is quite literally thrown off-course.

I added Richelle Mead's The Emerald Sea to my TBR pile in June of 2018, so when it released! I remember she toured here for the book so I was able to get the rest of my collection by her signed which was awesome! But alas! I STILL have not finished this trilogy! I read the first book and liked it well enough, I think I missed the paranormal vibes but if I recall there was still some sort of magic vibe to this...or maybe it was just mysterious? I can't recall! I still want to finish it as I believe it's still the last book Mead wrote. Which I vaguely remember her mentioning she wasn't under contract for anything so she was going to explore other worlds or stories and see what comes to her. Something like that. But I'm thinking, it's been eight years and I haven't seen anything from her lately. Sigh....and yes, I am getting sad about this when I still have 2 more books of hers to read! Lol.

Review--The Emperor's Enemy by Jasmine Mas

2026-10-14T11:41:52.211-05:00

When the hunter is hunted… who becomes prey?

The Emperor’s Enemy is an addictive true enemies-to-lovers dark romantasy with a heroine who doesn’t need saving, an enemy she can’t escape, and a war neither of them plans to lose.

Welcome to the Unsurvivable Love Duet, the all-new series by Jasmine Mas, bestselling author of Blood of Hercules. The limited deluxe edition features beautifully designed sprayed edges, a foil-stamped case, and full-color character art endpapers—available while supplies last!
Zora Ravenal didn’t join the Crimson Army to be a hero. She joined to destroy the empire.

A skilled hunter hardened by loss with a concerning capacity for stubbornness, Zora claws her way into becoming a Knight Mage: the Commonwealth’s deadliest defense against the Empire’s storm magic and her people’s only hope.

It almost works.

Now she’s stuck in a war she can’t walk away from, hiding dangerous secrets, and shoved into very close quarters with the one man she should never be alone with.

He’s a Royal Mage with a body count, a temper, and an unsettling obsession… with her.

Now they’re partners.

Sort of.

If “partners” means being forced to train together, trust each other with their lives, and somehow not kill each other in the process.

But the Royal Mage isn’t just dangerous—he’s paying attention. And the longer they’re forced to remain in each other’s orbit, the more twisted everything becomes. Who’s hunting who?

Oh my! The Emperor's Enemy by Jasmine Mas was purely epic! This was my first book by the author and I am definitely continuing this series because it was fantastic! Life naturally got in my way immediately upon starting this one and kept trenching onto my reading time so it took me longer than usual to get through this one but it was in no way the book's fault! This was a lovely escape from reality and I cannot wait for the next installment!

I want to address the setting of this one first, it's fantasy...but yet...is it? I felt like we had a few nods to more modern "things" whether weaponry or clothing or some other such thing. I always find this FASCINATING! I love a good fantasy that feels somewhat modern. It breaches the fantasy/dystopian lines and it just makes for entertaining reading for me at least!

Zora has long wanted to be a Knight so that she may be able to fight for her country/kingdom can't recall the exact term we used for home location. When she passes the test and reveals that she is far more powerful than anticipated, the Marshal wants to use her for secret covet missions. Ever since she caught Tarantula, the (evil) Emperor's assassin, she has gained a bit of notoriety. Since she captured him, he's been her prisoner ever since and now the Marshal thinks Zora should have him train her to enhance her skills.

I can see how this book might not be for everyone. The pacing is a tad on the slow side, yet it was the character dynamics that kept me going! I LOOOVED the hate relationship between Zora and Tarantula, because you pretty much know what's going to happen between them given the context of the story and how the book is being marketed. That being said, the romance doesn't play a huge part in the story itself, or perhaps because it takes a very long time to develop. Then the question also becomes, is it truly romance?

But truly the shining light of this book was Squire, Zora's animal companion who is a talking Owl and he is just so cute and funny! Any heated or intense or dire moment is broken up into hysterics with his little quips! I love a good animal companion/sidekick and Squire truly takes the cake!

This book was a rollercoaster of an adventure! From start to finish I was fairly hooked its in grasp and I did not want to put it down despite the demands of reality! While the ending is somewhat cliffhangery in the terms of it being a "duet," I feel like it stopped at a fairly decent pause! Of course, every duology cliffhanger is a bit difficult to endure, I feel like this one wasn't as bad as it could have been! Still eagerly awaiting the next installment!

If you're wanting a read that blends fantasy and possibly dystopian in some extreme terms, then The Emperor's Enemy might just be up your alley! It is an action packed read filled with magic and nefarious characters that makes you wonder who you ought to be rooting for! I can't wait to see how it will continue!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Can't Wait Wednesday #270

2026-10-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

For most of her life, eighteen-year-old Lana thought she was ordinary. But when fractured childhood memories resurface, she remembers the Lana is a Chapel, heir to one of the most powerful and feared magical families in existence.

In a world where magical families rule from the shadows, the Velascos, the Chapel family's oldest rivals, have warred with them for generations. But when a new, bloodthirsty magical family threatens to wipe them both out, the Chapels and Velascos are forced into a desperate alliance. And Lana must bind her magic with Gage Velasco, her sworn enemy.

The binding was supposed to be an Enmity spell, designed to unite their hatred into strength. Instead, it becomes an Eros binding - one rooted in love. Worse still, binding is one of the Seven Deadly Spells, and the only way it can be broken is for one of them to die.

But as the lines blur between duty and desire, Lana must protect her legacy or follow her heart into ruin.

I remember reading Weatherly's Angel trilogy ages ago and really liking it! It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I was hooked! Not sure how I lost touch with her books as I am seeing she did have a few more release after that so now I have some decision making to do! This one does sound good though, so it's definitely on the list!

TITLE: Seven Deadly Spells
AUTHOR: L.A. Weatherly
PUBLISHER: Tempest
GENRE: YA Paranormal
RELEASE DATE: November 6, 2026

Brigid Kemmerer returns with the sizzling, high-stakes sequel to the #1 international bestseller Warrior Princess Assassin—where the betrayals are deeper, the magic burns brighter, and love might be the most dangerous weapon of all.

CAPTIVE. Asher has always sworn loyalty to Jory, the princess he’s loved from afar—but now the King of Incendar has claimed a place in his heart too. Someone wants them both dead, and only Asher’s blade can keep them safe. Yet his past won’t let him go, and he must decide if he can break free—or remain prisoner to his old scars.

TRAITOR. Princess Jory of Astranza agreed to marry the King of Incendar to secure peace, but betrayal runs closer than she ever imagined. With her own brother unmasked as her enemy, two kingdoms teeter on the edge. To protect her people, she must take the throne. But there are still dark secrets to unravel that will force Jory to confront where her true allegiance lies.

KING. Maddox Kyronan has discovered trust—and something more—with his reluctant bride and her deadly protector, but the fragile alliance between their nations threatens to unravel. His people are starving. His enemies are circling in. Torn between the crown and his heart, Ky risks losing it all.

As buried truths surface and tensions reach a breaking point, Jory, Asher, and Ky must confront the desires that could save their kingdoms—or shatter them forever.

While I am still not super big on this Why Choose trope, I do enjoy Kemmerer's writing and while the romance aspects can be eyeroll worthy at times ) I am still intrigued by the rest of the story! Maybe this second installment will help change my mind on the Why Choose...not super likely, but we'll see! Lol. Still want to read it!

TITLE: Captive Traitor King
AUTHOR: Brigid Kemmerer
PUBLISHER: Avon
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: November 3, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday #699

2026-10-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

This week's topic is: Top Ten Book Covers with Autumnal Colors (submitted by Wordy Witterings)

*in no particular order
**going with red, orange, and yellow covers for this one!

10. SHADOW REAPER by Lynette Noni
9. SEASONS OF FLESH AND FLAME by A.G. Howard
8. THE TEMPTATION OF MAGIC by Megan Scott--more gold than yellow, but right part of the colorwheel!

7. THE MIST THIEF by L.J. Andrews
6. SECONDHAND LUCK by Kim Harrison
5. THE MEDIATOR: Twilight by Meg Cabot

4. THE LAST RAVEN by Helen Glynn Jones
3. IRON FLAME by Rebecca Yarros
2. REALM BREAKER by Victoria Aveyard--I could've used Fourth Wing, obviously, but I like to challenge myself by not using multiple covers from the same series! Sometimes author, but I usually let myself if they are different series! Lol.

1. TO CAGE A WILD BIRD by Brooke Fast

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2026-10-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (4 stars)

Currently Reading:

The Emperor's Enemy by Jasmine Mas

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn

Other Posts of Interest:

Top Ten Tuesday #698
Can't Wait Wednesday #269
Books from the Backlog #206
Book Blogger Hop #432
Stacking the Shelves--Super Tired Edition

Stacking the Shelves--Super Tired Edition

2026-10-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Another long week done. Seriously counting down the days to November as that's just about when we start to slow down at work. It's still been pretty nuts this week. I just can't wait for this busy season to be over. Incredibly grateful to have a job after we lost people, but this busy season has been rough with two less on our team. Yesterday was the busiest day of all! I woke up super early to head to the library where they host the annual St. Lous Teen Author Book Festival. It's been in December the past several years but they moved it to October this year. I lined up early, because you never know what the crowd will be like. I was dismayed to learn that one of the two authors that I wanted to meet had to pull out at the last second. The other author I did get to meet was Ayana Gray! I still need to read Hawk & Sparrow, but it was nice to get my FL copy signed! Then after spending all day there, I went to join my parents for our monthly volunteer work at our local American Legion where we work in the kitchen during Bingo night. I'm writing this post after a very long day, so I am wiped out. I promise pictures of my new house in its "before" stage are coming. I just have so little energy right now that it's taking everything I have left to write this post with bleary eyes.

Anyway...onto the books! More preorders came in, then I had an impulse order that I legit did the day before B&N's sale which aggravated me, so I even more impulsively purchased a random book from my list to get some double point action! Yeah...I've got problems. Lol.

A Masterpiece in Blood by Megan Scott--I think this one was a duology? My brain is overtired, so I can't remember how long the series was or is projected to go. This was a B&N preorder sale pick so it showed up this week!
Reap & Sow by Charlotte B. Plumb
Little Red Death by Alexandra Benedict--randomly found this one the old fashioned way and had to get it!
The Stolen Crown by L.J. Andrews--my very, very bad addiction of buying books to a series I still need to start...someone talk me out of doing this! I don't know what my problem is! Lol
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return by Amy Jo Johnson--so I started listening to the Boy Meets World podcast a few months ago and I listened to a random interview they had with Amy as I LOVED the Power Rangers and particularly Amy's character and it was through this that I learned she helped to create this comic book series (4 issues) of the 90s Power Rangers some years later. It just sounded SO cool and I had to get it!
Dive Bar At the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong
Devoured by Jordan Stephanie Gray
Devoured by Jordan Stephanie Gray--Target edition!
The Sixth Faction by Veronica Roth--cannot wait to read this one! But likely will be waiting until next year when I have the second installment in hand!
Hollow's Hauntology by Evelyn Hollow--odd that Goodreads has the title wrong on its image. But I stumbled upon this one somewhere and marked it on my list so when the B&N sale popped up I just ordered this randomly because I really wanted double points! Lol. Plus it does sound like an intriguing read! Like a book Sam & Dean would find helpful!

And that was it for me this week! Definitely got more than I remembered ordering. And I even did good at avoiding Target's Buy 2, Get 1 Sale. I mean, I looked...but ultimately talked myself out of it! Lol.

What did you get this week?

Book Blogger Hop #432

2026-10-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: Do you run more than one blog? If so, how do you manage your time?

MY ANSWER: Absolutely not! Lol. A long, loooong time ago, I dallied with having a movie review blog as well. Like in 2010 or 2011? Something like that and I was just going to post different movie reviews as in a pre-Covid world, I went to the movies A LOT! Since Covid I rarely go. Just because the prices are so high, that I feel like waiting for the DVD or streaming to see it cheaper.

I think that blog lasted less than a year...probably less than 6 months, maybe even less than 3 months. I can't remember. There was probably less than 10 reviews. Because it did just feel like too much. And I was thinking I just don't want to do this. What on earth that url/domain was, I have no clue. I think I was trying to keep it in line with a GREAT watch...a GREAT movie??? Something that was GREAT in the title! Lol.

But yeah, whatever that blog was called, I didn't keep it up for long at all because it was too much and I was having more fun with my book blog! So I decided if I wanted to review a movie, I'd just review it here! Which I rarely do that anymore either because I rarely go to the movies and when I finally see those movies I wanted to see when they were initially in theaters it's been like a year. Seriously, I still have a stack of Black Friday deal DVDs that I need to watch from I don't know how many years! Granted I may only need to watch 1 or 2 for the first time and the others were just deals that I wanted or was in that buy 2 get 2 or something like that deal.

Books from the Backlog #206

2026-10-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Betrayal. Sacrifice. Survival.
Welcome to the Extinction Trials.

In Stormchaser and Lincoln's ruined world, the only way to survive is to risk everything. To face a contest more dangerous than anyone can imagine. And they will do anything to win.

But in a land full of monsters - human and reptilian - they can't afford to trust anyone. Perhaps not even each other...

I've been meaning to read S.M. Wilson's The Extinction Trials since I added it to my TBR pile in June of 2018 which is pretty much when it released! It sounded SOOO good and I remember reading a review for it that made me want it asap! The pitch The Hunger Games meets Jurassic Park made me need it! Lol. Never read either, but loved the JP movies, so yes, I needed it! Still haven't read it and there are two more books to the series that I am hoping I can still find eventually!

Can't Wait Wednesday #269

2026-10-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Torn from her home and forced to train at the brutal Forge as a child, Thalia Marrow has only ever known the life of a Scion—one sworn to guard the Library of Curses. But on the night she crosses paths with an enigmatic Fae, the Library is ransacked, and her brother is taken by demons, leaving Thalia as one of the last Scions still alive.

Desperate to find her only family, Thalia follows the bloody trail to the mysterious Soren—a ruthless warrior who was cursed and banished from the Fae world. Everything about him is dangerous. Everything about him calls to her.

Bound by necessity, the warrior librarian and the Fallen Fae must now work together to uncover what happened at the Library and unmask the shadowy new demon leader unleashing curses across the realm. But in the decadent, treacherous city of Delfs, not all is as it seems. As the threat of war rises and Thalia’s feelings for Soren grow, so too does the truth of his bloody past—and the curse that could destroy them both.

I loved Christo's first book I read ages ago and have been meaning to read her other books pretty much ever since. I know I didn't get into her sophomore duology, but I've added her last two after that to my TBR pile! And just look at those edges!

TITLE: Cursekeeper
AUTHOR: Alexandra Christo
PUBLISHER: Atria Books
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: November 3, 2026

With an unputdownable plot, incredible twists, and an extraordinary high fantasy world filled with court intrigue, heart-racing action, a unique magic system, and sizzling chemistry, Sharpest Court is the thrilling sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller, Thorn Season.

Alissa Paine has fled her home, the Kingdom of Daradon – forced to say goodbye to her old old life in order to escape the clutches of both the cruel, tyrannical King Erik to whom she was once betrothed, and the Hunters who persecute Wielders like Alissa.

But she has not left Daradon empty-handed, and Alissa has in her possession an object that Erik greatly desires – a mysterious and ancient spellmade compass which has the potential to reshape the world, if Alissa – or Erik – can unlock its secrets.

Seeking refuge in the Ansoran Empire, Alissa is able to demonstrate her Wielding powers openly for the first time in her life. But Ansora is not a safe haven, and Alissa is quickly forced to navigate the rules and customs of another dangerous ruler. And even with her former ally, Kiel Arcus, by her side, Alissa soon learns that, while she may have been raised in the kingdom of thorns, she is yet to enter the sharpest court….

Perfect for fans of Powerless, Six of Crows, and The Rose Bargain, Sharpest Court is an extraordinary return to the world of Thorn Season.

Of course, I still need to read the first book of this series! But this is another I am hoping I am right in thinking I will love it! Plus this cover is so pretty! Lol.

TITLE: The Sharpest Court
AUTHOR: Kiera Azar
PUBLISHER: Storytide
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: November 3, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday #698

2026-10-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

This week's topic is: Top Ten Books That Conjure Up Happy Memories

*in no particular order

10. THE FORIDDEN GAME by L.J. Smith--this was probably the first "compilation" book I ever found and definitely the first one I read! A whole series in one binding was mind-blowing to me and I loved having Smith's retro cover!
9. THE OUTLAW DEMON WAILS by Kim Harrison--I remember begging my mom to drive me to Naperville to meet Kim Harrison! I had bought one of her tour t-shirts as it might have been one of the first times she ever went on tour and I was too scared to drive myself that far! So my mom drove me! And she even bought the first book of the series and had Kim sign it to "the coolest Mom ever!" or something like that! And my Mom still is that!
8. STRAY by Rachel Vincent--this book finally convinced me that you can find Urban Fantasy books in the Romance shelves at Borders! Lol. Plus it was this series that led me to the OG Pride discussion board and was the catalyst for starting this blog...two books later!

7. HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost--more of the same from the last number! Another amazing Urban Fantasy series that was shelved in Romance. This is one of the last books I can viscally remember re-reading before the TBR mountain started!
6. POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder--one day Amazon recommended a book called Magic Study to me and it caught my eye. Immediately I discovered it was a book 2 and I was like Amazon you dolt! I need to read the first book first! So I get myself a copy of that and was IN LOVE! And it soon started a great friendship with Maria herself!
5. BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE by Annette Curtis Klause--an older book I discovered when it was old itself! Pretty sure this was my first werewolf book and I ATE IT UP! It was SOOOO good! Decades later they would make a movie out of it and the two were as different as night and day.

4. OLD MAGIC by Marianne Curley--my first witchy and time traveling fantasy book and omg I fell in love with this one! So hard! Lol. I re-read it dozens of times during those Dark Days. It was just pure magic!
3. ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll--namely THIS edition! My 4th grade teacher had this in his classroom library and it was one I kept going back to! I loved the illustrations and it was the first time I read the book of the movie I watched dozens of times and I LOVED it! Then I remember in 5th grade I stopped by his room one day asking to borrow it and he said he'd have to look for it because it wasn't where he thought it was. A day or two later it was on my desk in my classroom with a note that said I could keep it! I wish I kept that note, but alas, I did not. But I still have this worn out used book all these years later!
2. DEMON IN MY VIEW by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes--you never forget your first love! This was my introduction to vampires and I pretty much never looked back! Lol.

And you all already know what's coming next...

1. CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber--naturally! This book was one I devoured and was devoured happily in return! Ironically, its essence reminded me vaguely of The Forbidden Game, but not as deadly! Lol. This would be a series and a world and an author who imprinted on my soul and I just love it! I love it all!

Review--The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson

2026-10-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Return to the world of Truly Devious as Stevie Bell and her friends travel to New York to solve a murder in the next standalone mystery from New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson.

Stevie might be the greatest teenage detective Ellingham Academy and the world has ever seen, but even she can’t figure out what happened with her boyfriend, David. What she needs is a distraction: a good old-fashioned murder. Stevie is much happier dealing with dead people. They’re a lot less confusing—they don’t send cryptic texts and make out with other girls in British pubs.

But then Stevie gets exactly what she wanted when a dead body turns up in the middle of a Manhattan apartment complex, and this one is . . . complicated. Caught in a web of messy alive-people feelings, Stevie finds herself questioning all human connection. Is magnetism only manipulation? Can you trust anyone? Does anyone realize that they’re joining a cult—before it’s too late? And are things with David really over?

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Maureen Johnson returns to her Truly Devious story with The Velvet Knife, a new mystery for Stevie to solve while she battles the heartbreak she incurred from David. This was yet another engaging mystery and I was happy to be back in Stevie's world! It was a fun and engaging mystery that kept me guessing all the way through and honestly, it left me a bit shocked with its answers.

Stevie is dealing with heartbreak over the holidays. Her parents want her to come home and spend the holidays with them, but she's not ready to deal with them and all the questions that would come about David. So she goes with Nate to an apartment his editor sent him to in order to finish his book by his deadline or else. It's not long before Stevie meets some of the other residents in the apartment complex and just kind of drifts around for awhile.

To help get the mystery going, we are treated to the occasional flashback to a young girl in the 1970s who gets taken in by new "friends" and is given the new name, Blue. Blue finds herself surrounded by love and a family of her own creation. But all is not what it seems and if you pay attention to the cover of this one, you soon learn that Blue has gotten herself into very deep trouble. Trouble that will soon play a role in the current events.

Much like with any Truly Devious book, Stevie uncovers a murder when she goes to visit Helen, one of the residents in the apartment complex when her bird starts making very distressful cries. It's then that Stevie finds Helen dead and foul play is suspected. Stevie being Stevie, soon finds herself solving yet another mystery, one that is deeply rooted in the past.

This book was quite a surprise! It's been four years since we last had a new release in this series so coming back to the current events was a little rough. I vaguely remembered that the last book ended with a breakup happening. And the breakup does continue to play a role in the story as David isn't as out of the picture as one might think. Stevie takes their breakup hard, and soon a mystery of what happened between them starts to come up and it's yet another thing for Stevie to deal with.

I liked this balance of murder mystery and the sort of "mystery" of what happened between her and David. I couldn't remember the reasonings behind their breakup in the last book, but the little bits I did remember did leave you wondering. Of course, the answer wasn't as exciting as I had hoped for. Or maybe the reasoning just wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. It's a personal debate if you think Stevie should get back together with him or not as I had mixed feelings about that whole thing!

The mystery itself was pretty good though! A cold case from decades ago unfolds through the flashbacks and it gives chilling vibes. It was kind of like an episode of said show, but alas, the aftermath of having solved the whodunit gets swept under the rug. I wish we could have seen more about that, even if it was just a few sentences. Something to show if justice was served or not. But alas, we are left to our own imaginations.

The ending of this book was nice, if troubling. I say troubling, because it's not clear if Johnson is saying goodbye to Stevie or not. That part is definitely left open-ended. On the one hand, I think, maybe it is goodbye...but then it's not overtly clear if it is or not. So I guess time will have to tell if this was Stevie's last true mystery or if the itch will strike again in the future!

All in all, this was a fun read! Very much a young adult version of that detective drama show on TV. Lol. I kind of liked that in a sense that we got these flashbacks to tell the story but the mystery in the present day still needs its own solving. Will you be able to figure out whodunit? I for one, did not come even close to getting the answer right, but I loved it all the same!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2026-10-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Children of Ash by Jaye Wells (4 stars)

Currently Reading:

The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Emperor's Enemy by Jasmine Mas

Other Posts of Interest:

Top Ten Tuesdays #697
Can't Wait Wednesday #268
Books from the Backlog #205
Book Blogger Hop #431
September Wrap-up
Stacking the Shelves--Ending September with a Bang! Edition

Stacking the Shelves--Ending September with a Bang! Edition

2026-10-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Another week in the books! Work was a little intense this week. I feel like things have been rough this last month since we lost two of our team members due to layoffs and it's almost a little unpleasant, but I think we're trying to work through things. I don't know. It's also hard since we're all remote and things are still busy. I feel like some of our teamwork has dwindled. Now it's just a "can someone else do this for me" instead of "can I get some help on this thing" or "can someone trade me this for that?" I feel like losing 1/3 of our team during our busy season was not helpful to us.

Outside of the work realm...things were good. The renovations on my new place are chugging along. We're basically working it one floor at a time in multiple stages. We've torn out all the carpet from the top floor and took out all the flooring on the main level. The basement was unfinished so we gave that a decent cleaning. I think we landed on doing a basement floor paint and giving the walls some paint to brighten things up. My kitchen has been demolished as the cabinets weren't of great quality and my parents wanted me to have a little something better since my home wasn't built with extra storage in mind. Essentially the house is a good size for me, we just need to make a few improvements so I can definitely maximize my storage and being able to get all the things I've accumulated for my household into my house. Might be awhile until I can actually move in, but at least I'm not in a rush to move in.

I also got the rest of my UK copies of The Mirror of Infinite Endings! From what I ordered for myself I got 3/4 covers and a friend in the UK helped me to get the Tesco edition which has my final cover! So I am all set! Just have to wait to arrange shipping and payment with her once she's able to get it mailed out! Such a relief to have all 4 in my collection. I ultimately ordered 6 copies--1 was Goldsboro, 1 was the standard and 4 were Waterstones. I think next time I might just go with 5 (keeping the Goldsboro in that number). I definitely need to get on some site so I can try selling some of my extras from years past! I just need to set my account up to sell and take allllll the pictures and load them up and all that good jazz. Especially with a house to take care of and pay for, I am going to need a little extra funds. It will help once I can go through all my books again and see if there are other special editions I no longer need.

But anyway onto the goods of the week!

Don't Fall by B.B. Reid
Cursed City by Kate Golden
Death by Kristin Cast
Land of Oz edited by Marie O'Regan & Paul Kane
The Emperor's Enemy by Jasmine Mas--B&N edition. Yes, I still need to read this one but I had a compulsion to buy all three before they disappeared! Plan on reading it next, which breaks my duology rule, but I am super excited for it!
Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros
Escape Me by Tahereh Mafi
The Lost Spectacular by Zoe Duhaime
The Dreamless by Jen Williams

The Mirror of Infinite Endings by Stephanie Garber--Waterstones edition with the Hourglass
The Mirror of Infinite Endings by Stephanie Garber--Standard edition with the Broken Heart
The Mirror of Infinite Endings by Stephanie Garber--Goldsboro edition, #232 and it was the Pie!

Not pictured are two more Waterstones that ended up being duplicate hidden covers.

Then I received my Fairy Loot edition of The Thorn Queen! Decided I'd rather have a matching UK FL set than a US one!

The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith--Fairy Loot edition

And then at long last...I received my LitJoy Crate editions of the Caraval series!! I ordered these over a year ago but they were worth the wait!

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
Finale by Stephanie Garber
Spectacular by Stephanie Garber

Then for review from the publisher I received:

The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson

THANK YOU HarperCollins!!

And that was it for me this week! I was going to share pictures of my house in its "before" stage, but then I saw how much I had going on in this post so I thought I'd better save that for next week! I think that should be a slower week with releases. I've forgotten how much I preordered. Lol.

What all did you get this week?

September Wrap-up

2026-10-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

I feel like this was a difficult month. I didn't do too bad with the amount I read. Granted, half of them were pretty short reads. This was a busy month work wise so there were a handful of days where I found myself working through my break and not getting much reading done. Then towards the end of the month, I finally bought my home! But now we're in renovation mode with it and that is consuming my weekends for the time being. So my spare time has kind of gone out the window and my reading time has gone with it! Luckily, I already made my Goodreads challenge for the year, but I don't think I will be beating last year's number. Not unless I dig up more novellas and graphic novels! Lol.

ARC Reads

None this month

New Release Reads

Rebel: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lu (9/1/26)
The Mirror of Infinite Endings by Stephanie Garber (9/22/26)

TBR Reads

Fortress of Ambrose by J. Elle (10/14/25)
The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong (10/14/25)
Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson (8/6/24)
The Champions by Kara Thomas (7/27/24)
Meridian Six by Jaye Wells (6/2/13)
Children of Ash by Jaye Wells (1/27/16)

Book Blogger Hop #431

2026-10-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: As a book lover, what’s your biggest fear?

MY ANSWER: That I will not be able to read all the books I own before I die. Truly one of my worst fears ever.

Books from the Backlog #205

2026-10-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

With her wedding fast approaching, as well as her fiancé's investiture as grand master, Master Demon TrapperRiley Blackthorne is just trying to keep Atlanta safe from Hellspawn. When she meets a high-level fiend who claims to be free of Lucifer's control, and allows him to remain at large, she knows there will be consequences.

Denver Beck is facing two major events: taking his vows as a grand master and then as a husband. He's as nervous about committing his life to the fight against Darkness as he's excited to say, "I do". All his worries about the future are confirmed when a city is buried in brimstone, killing every single inhabitant. Was this Hell's doing, or is some other entity at work? It's Beck's job to find out.

After more cities are destroyed, Riley is summoned to Rome to answer for her actions. If they want a future as man and wife, she and Beck will have to take a stand. But will they be strong enough to stop this new threat, a killer that even the angels fear?

I added Valiant Light by Jana Oliver to my TBR pile in June of 2018! I was very late to learn that she had added onto this series after the publisher cancelled the rest of it. So naturally, I am SOOO behind with it. I do believe it's good and done now and has been for years. But it's been SOOOO long I definitely need to re-read the books prior to Jana publishing these on her own. Because I have zero memory of them, other than knowing that I LOVED them!

Can't Wait Wednesday #268

2026-09-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

The New York Times bestselling author of Seven Deadly Thorns, Amber Hamilton returns with a dark academia romantasy inspired by Cinderella.

Vesper Fontaine and Lonan Duval have always been rivals. Competition for top student at Gossemort Academy, school of magic, is cutthroat. They both keep dangerous secrets, and tonight those secrets could get them killed.

It's hours until The Ridding--a high-stakes, one-night-only test, in which students will be locked in the school and challenged to survive until dawn. Three trials will challenge them, and only the best (and most loyal) will survive.

Then an unexpected element enters The Ridding--a mysterious prince claiming to be Vesper's bloodmate. But what happens when your fated mate is a fate worse than death? As the clock ticks closer to dawn, the trials grow darker, and hope wanes. To survive the night, Vesper and Lonan may have to put their trust in their worst enemy.

You'll be shocked to know I STILL need to read the first book of this series, lol! But it sounds like one I will enjoy so I am excited for the sequel as well!

TITLE: Twelve Dark Hours
AUTHOR: Amber Hamilton
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury YA
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: November 3, 2026

Rinley Renard isn't just a master thief-she's also the sole survivor of a political coup that nearly destroyed Feronia. When the opportunity to steal a priceless sword brings Rinley back to the scene of the massacre, it's a chance to exact her revenge-even if it means masquerading as a guard in the enemy stronghold, where she's still a hunted fugitive.

Prince Zoren Dreiko may be the empire's most powerful Dread Knight, but he has his own reasons for quelling the latest Feronian rebellion. Capturing the masked outlaw stirring unrest might finally free Zoren of his father's traitorous legacy, and keep the vicious empress he serves from taking his head.

Trapped in a brutal cat-and-mouse game, Rinley and Zoren's forbidden attraction blurs the line between duty and desire. When victory for one will doom the other, both are faced with an impossible choice between love and loyalty.

Experience Sherwood Forest like never before in this sizzling Robin Hood- inspired romantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep.

I'm usually hesitant about Robin Hood-esque stories. I don't know why, they just don't always work out for me, but I have loved Jennifer's recent slew of "romantasy" books so I might give this one a try at least.

TITLE: Queen of Foxes
AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep
PUBLISHER: Red Tower Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2026

Mini Review--Children of Ash by Jaye Wells

2026-09-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

The exciting second installment of the Meridian Six series ...

Freedom is a luxury paid for with blood. Several months after their first victory over the vampires, Meridian Six and her band of rebels are called in to Book Mountain for a brand new mission. Zed, the leader of another rebel group needs help saving children who were captured by the Troika and sent to Krovgorod, the worst of the vampire labor camps.

It's an impossible mission, but Saga, the rebel leader sees a opportunity. He wants to use the camp infiltration to assassinate the infamous "Dr. Death," a vampire with a reputation for performing terrible experiments on his human prisoners. Saga promises Six that if she manages to kill Dr. Death, she will be free to leave the resistance.

It's a hard bargain to refuse, but Meridian Six knows this will be her toughest fight yet. Getting inside the prison camp will be simple, but escaping it will be hell.

Children of Ash by Jaye Wells was the second installment of the Meridian Six series which I believe is long over despite the open-endedness of this title! It was a short novella series set in a dystopic future where vampires rule the earth and humans are their prey and slaves.

Meridian Six is looped back into working for Saga when another resistance leader requires his help in rescuing children from a prison run by vampires. The last thing Six wants to do is get involved with the vampires again, but when there's a chance to get revenge on one of the vampires who hurt her, she's all in. Working with her is Zed, the leader of the other resistance group and who is desperate to get back the kids he helped rescue at one point.

This time around, we get a lot more point of views. It was a bit discombobulating at first as we don't see Meridian Six right away. If it weren't for the blurb, I'd wonder if she was in the story or not. But once the story gets going, things start to move really fast.

I almost think we could've done without some of the povs, just to keep a short story moving forward. But at the same time I did enjoy seeing new characters.

It's a bit sad that this was likely the last novella of the series as there was a lot going on. True, the ending can leave you satisfied for the most part, much like the first novella, did. I would never say no to more.

This was yet another action packed short little read and since there were evil vampires in it, I was totally on board. A fun and quick read that I'd highly recommend if you need the break from the big chonker reads! Lol.

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Top Ten Tuesday #697

2026-09-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

This week's topic is: FALL-THEMED FREEBIE: Top Ten Covers with Fall Vibes

*in no particular order

10. HUNTERLORE by Dana Claire--this one has great fall colors and vibes going with the leafless tress!
9. THE CHANGING MAN by Tomi Oyemakinde--all the red leaves on the ground definitely give off fall vibes
8. EPISODE THIRTEEN by Craig DiLouie--yes, spooky and fall tend to go hand in hand for me! But this one does kind of give you a wet, fall night vibe!

7. ASYLUM HOTEL by Juliet Blackwell--I think for this one it's the sunset colors over the treetops over the spooky hotel that give me the fall vibes! Lol.
6. THE IVORY CITY by Emily Bain Murphy--definitely the red-orange coloring!
5. THE FOREST KING'S DAUGHTER by Elly Blake--everything about this cover says fall to me!

4. REBEL WITCH by Kristen Ciccarelli--when I looked at my copy in hand, the colors were very much fallsy! Here...well, on my screen it just looks kind of eh. Not bad eh, just not really fallsy, but in real life it's totally rockin the fall vibes!
3. SPELLCASTER by Jaymin Eve--this has a nice goldenrod coloring that evokes yellow leaves for sure!
2. THE HAUNTING OF PAYNES HOLLOW by Kelley Armstrong--more fall coloring...plus spooky vibes AND a Sleepy Hollow vibe at that!

1. DIVE BAR AT THE END OF THE ROAD by Kelley Armstrong--this totally screams a cold fall night!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2026-09-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Meridian Six by Jaye Wells (4 stars)
Rebel: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lu (5 stars)
The Mirror of Infinite Endings by Stephanie Garber (5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Children of Ash by Jaye Wells

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Emperor's Enemy by Jasmine Mas

Other Posts of Interest:

Top Ten Tuesday #696
Can't Wait Wednesday #267
Books from the Backlog #204
Book Blogger Hop #430
Stacking the Shelves--The Really BIG One with Double Vision Edition