Showing posts with label Marissa Meyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marissa Meyer. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Waiting on Wednesday #774, March 11th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

The Alchemary by Rachel Vincent
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
Neither amnesia nor the brothers trying to steer her fate will stop Amber Fallbrook from uncovering the truth about herself, the Alchemary, and the legend of the Philosopher’s Stone.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent (Soul Screamers, The Shifters) pens a dark paranormal romantasy centered on alchemy magic—and those who dare harness it.

Naked, knowing little more than her name, Amber Fallbrook does not recognize the stone tower she’s awoken in, or the vast, glittering ocean outside the window. Turning, she finds a very a different view: the beautiful, nearly naked man in the narrow bed is a stranger. So is the man who barges into the room unannounced, clearly expecting to find Amber alone.

Who are they? Who is she? Why can’t she remember?

Shocked to discover that she’s in her dormitory room at the Alchemary—the realm’s prestigious university dedicated to the study of alchemy—Amber has no recollection of having been one of the school’s top students for the past two years. The two men—brothers—are her childhood friends, even if “friends” is not the exact energy in the room.

One brother claims to want to protect her, and the other to help her recover her memory, but Amber soon realizes that nothing is at it seems at the Alchemary. Not the intentions of her classmates and faculty, not the stunning, labyrinthian campus, not the two brothers she’s increasingly attracted to—maybe not even herself.

Despite her memory loss, Amber rejoins her classes and prepares for the deadly Alchemary Trials alongside the other Mastery-level students. But as invigorating as the flowing language and symbology of alchemy is, she can’t help but notice that for an institution shining light on the quest for human perfection there are a lot of dark shadows in its winding corridors.

The Girls Trip by Ally Condie
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
From the author of Reese's Book Club Pick and instant USA Today bestseller The Unwedding, a novel of suspense and friendship about three friends who decide to disappear from their lives for a few days while on a trip to a national park—only to have one of them vanish.  
 
Hope, Ash, and Caro met at an online book club. Over the past two years, they’ve been there for each other in every way—except in person. When each of their lives reach a crossroads, they decide to meet in real life at the gorgeous Sonnet Resort at Eden National Park.  
 
Hope, an actress, has become entirely too famous and needs to get away from it all. Ash, a successful online entrepreneur, isn’t sure what has happened to her marriage. Caro, a doctor, has lost a patient and doesn’t know if she wants to carry on or start all over. And none of them are telling each other the full story …

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

Aliens Like Us by Gini Koch
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
It’s not easy being a Woman of the Multiverse, but Kitty’s definitely the Megalomaniac Girl for the job.

After a mad dash around the galaxy, saving the day in various important ways and expanding the Annocusal Empire left and right, all Kitty & Company want to do is go home. But that’s not in the particular hand they’ve been dealt. On their way to Alpha Four to make Emperor Alexander feel like he hasn’t been left out, Kitty and eleven others are tossed into a different universe at the snap of some very powerful fingers.

They’re not sent to just any universe, either. They’re in the Steampunk Universe and things are very different there – and not just due to the technological divergence between Kitty’s universe and this one. Starting with them being surrounded by ships that are redefining the term “unfriendly” – because this universe has been embroiled in galactic war for centuries.

Friends are enemies, enemies are friends, people alive in one universe are dead in this one and vice versa is old news for Kitty, but new news for everyone else with her. The Victorian Era still reigns supreme here, meaning everyone’s attitudes are a lot less free and easy than Kitty’s used to.

But the biggest discovery is the worst one – instead of being Kitty’s husband and a total hero, the Jeff Martini in this universe is an evil murderer who’s aligned his entire empire with the Z’porrah, and that means the good guys are losing...

The Forgotten Lore by Diana Peterfreund
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
The first book in an exciting YA series about a teen girl, descended from Edgar Allan Poe, who must navigate the haunting legacy of her ancestor while learning to harness her own strength and intelligence, especially as she begins to commune with the dead. 

What happens when your tell-tale nightmares turn into reality and the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe won't seem to let you alone? For as long as she can remember, sixteen-year-old Ellen Poe's family has claimed to be long-lost descendants of Edgar Allan Poe. But when she moves in with her aunt in a Poe-themed B&B, the nightmares that have always haunted her begin bleeding into Ellen’s waking hours. When she stumbles upon a journal in the house, none other than Edgar Allan Poe himself begins visiting her. Has the journal somehow released his ghost? And what does he want with Ellen? Through secret messages in his writings, she learns that the two share the same psychic ability to interact with spirits—which is what ultimately drove him mad. 

This thrilling series for young adult readers follows Ellen on her quest to learn more about her abilities, the afterlife, and the clues Poe has left for her (ciphers and cryptograms galore), in an effort to not suffer his same fate.

Release Me by Tahereh Mafi
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her mind and body; it’s the only way to survive the surveillance state of Ark Island. But lately her heart has been beating harder; her thoughts are spiraling; her defenses are coming undone.

And there’s only one person to blame.

James Anderson had a plan. Now he has nothing but problems. Rosabelle might be the ally they need in a fight against The Reestablishment, but no one wants to trust an enemy assassin. It doesn’t help that Rosabelle’s not much of a talker, doesn’t work well in groups, and kills people on instinct. Taking her side has cost James nearly everything—but keeping her alive might help save his world.

If only he could convince his older brother.

Aaron Warner Anderson has a headache. Something dark is coming, and Rosabelle’s arrival is just a prelude. In her, he sees shades of himself he can’t trust, and he can no longer get a read on the girl. She’s a dead battery, emanating no emotional feedback. At least not until James walks into a room…

Volcanic tension, breathless reveals, breakneck action—and a dystopian world that never stops raising the stakes.

Welcome back to The New Republic.

Infinite Shores by Pascale Lacelle
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
Ninth House meets The Hazel Wood in this spellbinding conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Drowned Gods Trilogy, a gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage and her friends on their desperate quest through worlds and time!

Fate cannot be broken—not even by the gods who serve it.

Emory refuses to lose Romie again. Her friend’s fate hangs in the balance as the monstrous Clover plans to use her as a sacrifice to steal power from the deity Atheia—and make himself into a proper god. To stop Clover, Emory needs the help of Atheia’s dark counterpart, Sidraeus. Yet this enigmatic deity cannot be trusted, and if Emory is to ally with him, she must invoke an ancient magic to keep him tethered to her side.

Meanwhile, in the divine workshop of the god of balance, Baz learns he has a role to play in the coming fight to save the crumbling worlds and their weakening magics. Yet all he can think of is Kai and the gruesome fate that awaits him at Clover’s side—a fate, the god tells him, that is beyond even his reach. But Baz is determined to save Kai, even if he has to rewrite time itself.

As chaos reigns and the tides of a corrupted magic threaten to consume all, Emory and Baz must contend with mercurial gods, vengeful deities, and those hell-bent on eradicating Eclipse magic to save the people they love—and write an ending to their stories that defies fate itself.

The Wicked Sea by Jordan Stephanie Gray
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
In this dark and sultry romantasy a mermaid battles hatred—and lust—for the wretched warlock who saved her life.

Mermaid Zephyra of the Syl dreams of freedom. On the run from a dangerous captor and years of abuse, she’s shed her tail, grown legs, and hidden herself on land in the merrow-loathing kingdom of Mortia, left to steal and barter on the dirty streets. But her freedom is short-lived when she’s caught and sentenced to death by the brutal warlock, Arion Stone.

Arion is as beautiful as he is cold and deadly, only interested in punishing the merrow he views as evil. He has grown as strong as any warlock might, but at great personal cost…which can only be remedied by the heart of the God of Death, lost to a fabled kingdom beneath the ocean’s treacherous depths.

So Arion offers Zephyra a deal she can’t refuse; help him find the mystical heart, and he’ll spare her life. With no other options, Zephyra agrees, entangling their souls and forbidden desires in a magical bargain until death do they part. But Zephyra's past is catching up to her, and the enemy she fled seeks vengeance. If Zephyra and Arion can't learn to fight together--and trust each other--there are worse things awaiting them than just death.

Of course, in the wicked sea, everyone has secrets, and no one should be trusted.

Bloodsinger by Juliette Cross
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
Sunday Times bestselling author Juliette Cross returns with a scorching dark romantasy in her The Fire That Binds trilogy. In an alternate Ancient Rome, a powerful witch can control men with one taste of their blood – and her fate will collide with a fierce, rebellious dragon.

A spellbinding gift . . .
A plea answered by the gods . . .
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Lela Bihari’s village was invaded on her wedding night, her betrothed murdered right in front of her. While her sisters were either dragged away or escaped, Lela was sold to Valerius, a consul of Rome.

When she tried to kill Valerius her first night as his slave, her bloodsinger gift manifested . . . and she was punished for it. Now she’s paraded in front of the other senators for their amusement.

But the dragon Trajan Tiberius, newly elected tribune to the senate, is different. He has no love for the brutality around him. When he frees Lela from enslavement and hides her, Lela is set on a path of vengeance, and using her gift puts her in more danger than ever before.

Now trapped inside the walls of Rome while deathriders circle the skies, how can she possibly trust a Roman dragon? Especially when it is clear Trajan has ulterior schemes of his own? As her powers grow stronger, danger draws closer, and Lela realizes it isn’t just her life at stake, but also her heart.


Discover the second deliciously dark tale of forbidden romance in the Fire That Binds trilogy, following Firebird. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing.

Bloodsinger is an adult romantasy novel that contains dark themes, including slavery in Ancient Rome and self-injury, which may be uncomfortable for some readers.

Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.

I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. It’s my turn to become the Guardian.

Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm?

What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?

For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make.

It’s time to discover the monster within.

Never After by Alexis Hall
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
From fan-favorite author Alexis Hall comes a story of faith, redemption, and love—a melancholic tale of queer romance set in nineteenth-century England.

On the grim streets of London, a young man succumbs to his demons. Discarded by his lover and left penniless and alone, Michael “Micha” Dashwood uses sex to pay the bills and opium to numb the pain.

When a sudden illness strikes, all seems lost. But hope finds Micha in the shape of the Reverend Thomas Mandeville. Haunted by grief of his own, Thomas cannot bear to ignore another man’s plight. He brings the ailing Micha home to heal in his parish at Nettlefield.

As Micha recovers under Thomas’s care, he begins to realize that some people in this world are worthy of trust. Thomas, in turn, learns the truth of his own needs and desires. Between the secrets of the past and the burdens of the present, their future together seems impossible. Questions of faith and the shadow of opium continue to haunt them both.

Yet possibilities, like miracles, can be found wherever you look for them.

The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy by Erin Edwards
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
Mr. Darcy got his happily ever after in Pride and Prejudice, and now it’s his sister’s turn in this swoony queer romance, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Georgiana Darcy has only ever kissed one girl before, and the resulting blackmail almost ruined her reputation. Since then, she’s carefully calibrated her life to be as quiet as possible, focusing on books and music. She certainly isn’t planning on falling in love with another girl. But then she meets Kitty Bennet, and everything is thrown off kilter.

After a moonlit kiss shifts their newfound friendship into something more, Georgiana follows Kitty to the Bennets’ home. The visit proves ill-timed when she encounters the one man who knows her secret and threatened her with it before. Terrified of testing the limits of her family’s love and of putting Kitty in danger, Georgiana doesn’t know if there’s any chance of a happy ending.

Every etiquette guide she’s ever read makes it clear that if she wants to protect her family name, Georgiana must pretend her heart follows society’s accepted rhythm. Unless, with a little help from those who understand how it feels, she can compose the future she and Kitty both deserve.

The Beast You Let In by Dana Mele
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
Everyone in the rural town of Ashling knows the tale of Veronica Green, a teen who was murdered in the woods. But did a party trick bring her back to claim her revenge? A fast-paced, suspenseful YA horror from the author of Summer's Edge and People Like Us.

There is no one Hazel trusts less than her self-centered twin, Beth. So when Beth abandons her at a party she didn't want to attend in the first place, Hazel decides not to let it ruin her night. She throws herself into flirting and telling ghost stories over a Ouija board. Hazel might not be the popular twin, but she is going to have fun if it kills her.

Except Beth doesn't come home that night, and Hazel's anger morphs into anxiety. It only sharpens when Beth reappears a day later, disoriented and claiming to be Veronica Green, a teen who was murdered in their small town years before. If it isn't a possession, Beth is really good at faking it. Did they accidentally release a vengeful horror during the party?

Hazel must uncover what happened to Veronica all those years ago if she's going to save Beth. But the truth may destroy them both—if they don't destroy each other first. 

Adventure is Out There! by Liz Braswell
Expected Publication: April 7th, 2026
From Goodreads:
Adventure is out there in Disney’s New York Times best-selling A Twisted Tale series that asks, “What if it was Ellie who went UP to Paradise Falls?”

16-year-old Ellie Mullins is fed up. Sure, for some, life in small town Americana is idyllic. Nothing but picket fences and USO dances and holiday parades. But Ellie has long dreamed of towering mountains and tangled jungles and most of all…traveling to the incredible South American landmark, Paradise Falls.

Ellie thought these dreams made her strange, until she met her sweet best friend Carl (when he promptly broke his leg in her clubhouse). Carl is Ellie’s closest confidante. He’s also the only able to talk her off the ledge. But things between them seem weird lately as Ellie grows increasingly frustrated with his quiet way of doing things. And is it just her, or are there new feelings bubbling up between them?

Then Ellie begins her dream internship at the local zoo, where the flashy millionaire owner organizes an expedition to the Paradise Falls to collect new specimens. But the star newcomer, a bird given to him by Charles Munz himself, doesn’t adjust well to his new home and Ellie is put in charge of its hopeless-seeming recovery. Carl advises Ellie to laylow, to not make waves. But that’s not something Ellie has ever been good at. And when an opportunity comes for a last minute, emergency rescue mission, she decides to take it.

Will Ellie’s impulsiveness finally get the better of her? Or will she get the adventure she always wanted . . . and at what cost?

Oh, there's so many books coming out at the start of April, I'm so excited for all of these books! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Monday, December 29, 2025

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #760, December 29th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!
What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #759
Teaser Tuesday #767
WWW Wednesday #767
WOW #763
Will the Time Come #760
Third Sentence Thursday #750
Random Reads #736
First Lines Friday #763
Book Blogger Hop #429
The Reward Challenge Update #745
Wheel of TBR #292
How Well I Stuck to It #597
Wrote that Review Update #594

Week 52 Reviews:


Random:
Erin A. Craig Author Page
Silvia Moreno-Garcia Author Page

OK, so I got 50 posts in 7 days, it was a really busy week, I got a lot done, but there's still so much before the end of the year. And I still haven't even really touched my best books of 2024 post, so I have a lot of work ahead of me! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read whatever I want! 

Saturday, December 27, 2025

Week 52 Review: The House Saphir

From Goodreads:
This is the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before--a romantasy murder mystery.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can't resist. A paid vacation at Armand's country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she'll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

My Review:


Author: Marissa Meyer 
Read: December 21st, 2025
Source: Bought/NetGalley
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded fantastic, and it's a 2025 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: November 4th 2025 
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 16

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium Lightfall at Old Favour Pass, and it was The House Saphir which was for the prompt Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer, and I'll be reading Caribbean Cruising next! 

My Reading Journey:

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 3:03 PM
Pages Read: 393

Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such 
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 10:58 PM
Pages Read: 339

Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 8:53 PM
Pages Read: 380

Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh
Prompt Fulfilled: Doughvanthea's Flour Arrangements
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 2:38 PM
Pages Read: 384

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal 11:39 PM
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 8:37 PM
Pages Read: 352

A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal
Prompt Fulfilled: Doughvanthea's Flour Arrangements
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 11:46 AM
Pages Read: 352

Gone by Michael Grant
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 4:48 PM
Pages Read: 561

Hunger by Michael Grant
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 11:49 PM
Pages Read: 608

Lies by Michael Grant
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 2:04 PM
Pages Read: 612

Killman Creek by Rachel Caine
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 5:58 PM
Pages Read: 349

Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine 
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 10:31 PM
Pages Read: 330

Joy to the Girls by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 20th
Finished On: December 20th, 10:24 AM
Pages Read: 220

Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 20th
Finished On: December 20th, 1:07 PM
Pages Read: 384

Slaying the Shadow Prince by Helen Scheuerer
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 20th
Finished On: December 20th, 6:32 PM
Pages Read: 416

The Afterlife of of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 20th
Finished On: December 20th, 11:06 PM
Pages Read: 419

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer 
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 21st
Finished On: December 21st, 11:42 AM
Pages Read: 432

Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne
Prompt Fulfilled: Owlcat Craft Cafe
Started On: December 21st
Currently On: Page 0 of 336

Prompts Left: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals Retailer
Read: 16
Pages Read: 6499

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 15

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium Lightfall at Old Favour Pass, and it was The Afterlife of Holly Chase which was for the prompt Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals, and I'll be reading The House Saphir next! 

My Reading Journey:

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 3:03 PM
Pages Read: 393

Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such 
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 10:58 PM
Pages Read: 339

Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 8:53 PM
Pages Read: 380

Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh
Prompt Fulfilled: Doughvanthea's Flour Arrangements
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 2:38 PM
Pages Read: 384

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal 11:39 PM
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 8:37 PM
Pages Read: 352

A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal
Prompt Fulfilled: Doughvanthea's Flour Arrangements
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 11:46 AM
Pages Read: 352

Gone by Michael Grant
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 4:48 PM
Pages Read: 561

Hunger by Michael Grant
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 11:49 PM
Pages Read: 608

Lies by Michael Grant
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 2:04 PM
Pages Read: 612

Killman Creek by Rachel Caine
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 5:58 PM
Pages Read: 349

Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine 
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 10:31 PM
Pages Read: 330

Joy to the Girls by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 20th
Finished On: December 20th, 10:24 AM
Pages Read: 220

Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 20th
Finished On: December 20th, 1:07 PM
Pages Read: 384

Slaying the Shadow Prince by Helen Scheuerer
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 20th
Finished On: December 20th, 6:32 PM
Pages Read: 416

The Afterlife of of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 20th
Finished On: December 20th, 11:06 PM
Pages Read: 419

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer 
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 21st
Currently On: Page 0 of 432

Prompts Left: Owlcat Craft Cafe, Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals Retailer
Read: 15
Pages Read: 6067

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday #754, October 22nd

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

The Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury
Expected Publication: November 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
In this sweeping romantic fantasy from bestselling author Jessica Khoury, a young witch caught in a twisted bargain with the fae must disguise herself as a governess and uncover the gateway to the realm of faerie in order to save her dying magic and escape the clutches of her controlling fae handler—even as she finds herself falling for her new employer, an enigmatic young Scottish laird and the owner of a crumbling estate brimming with secrets.

Rose Pryor has sacrificed everything for magic. As a Weaver skilled in the craft of spinning spells with thread and needle, she’s always chosen magic over love, and it was magic that brought her to Lachlan, the fae with whom Rose once struck a sinister deal in order to escape her abusive home. After years of running from her past, Rose has finally managed to build a new life for herself as a teacher in a school for young Weavers. But Rose has a Her magic is waning, and every spell she weaves to train her students is slowly killing her.

When Lachlan returns to collect the debt Rose owes him, she finds herself on a perilous journey to the Scottish moors where she must find him an ancient gateway to the realm of the fae, lest her precious magic be forfeit. But when her quest pits her against Conrad, a young laird with a soul as lonely as her own who hires Rose to work as a governess for his rebellious young sister, Rose finds herself torn between her promise to Lachlan and her budding feelings for her new employer as her search for the gateway puts both her magic and her heart at stake.

The Same Backward as Forward by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
You’ve fallen in love with the Hawthorne brothers, now discover the love story of the lost scion of Hawthorne House. Read Hannah’s side of the story, then flip the book over to experience their love anew through Toby’s eyes in this unforgettable novel that you can read backward or forward.

Hannah Rooney knows how to be invisible. At twenty, she keeps her head down and her eyes open, and so far, she’s managed to avoid being pulled into the dealings of her notorious criminal family. Hannah lives her life in countdown mode, biding her time in nursing school as she waits for her beloved sister, Kaylie, to turn eighteen so Hannah can get them both far, far away from Rockaway Watch and start a new life.

Tobias Hawthorne II acts every inch the entitled heir that he is. As the only son of one of the country's richest men, there isn't a door that isn't open to him. Yet behind his razor sharp cheekbones and devil-may-care attitude, Toby is guarding a nest of deadly secrets and a fiery anger fierce enough to burn everything in his path.

Their lives collide in one tragic, stormy night, where an act of arson and nature leave Kaylie and two others dead and Toby just barely alive—with no memory of who he is. The fisherman who pulls him from the ocean enlists Hannah to help save the very person who she knows took away her sister. Fueled by her hatred, Hannah is determined to deny Toby's death wish by keeping him alive. He is the last person that she should ever develop feelings for, and she is the first thing he ever remembers seeing.

Some things cannot happen—and some things cannot be stopped.

*Hannah’s side of the story was previously published as a novella in Games Untold

*Reading them all? The ideal reading order The Inheritance Games , The Hawthorne Legacy , The Final Gambit , The Brothers Hawthorne , Games Untold ,  The Grandest Game ,  Glorious Rivals , and The Same Backward as Forward . 

*Looking for more unputdownable reads from Jennifer Lynn Barnes? Check out The Naturals series (The Naturals, Killer Instinct, All In, Bad Blood, and the enovella, Twelve), The Debutantes duet (Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals), and The Lovely and the Lost.

We're Not Safe Here by Rin Chupeco 
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Wispy Falls' town motto "You'll be safe here!" but that doesn't seem to be true. Because in Wispy Falls, monsters live in the woods, and children go missing, and the bodies are beginning to stack up. 

A seventeen year-old vlogger known as Storymancer is determined to get to the bottom of what's wrong in Wispy Falls. A few years ago his six-year-old brother went missing in the woods and no one in town seemed to care enough to find him. 

So now he's investigating why every household participates in something called the Bloodmoon Ritual, Why crpytid sightings are so common. And why everyone who goes into the woods, goes missing. If he can't fix what's wrong with the town, he just might be the next body in the woods.

Told primarily through video transcripts, message boards, and radio shows, this Welcome to Nightvale inspired horror will chill you to your core.

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling "Queen of Fairytale Retellings" and author of Cinder and Heartless, this is the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before—a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From New York Times bestselling author of the Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned, Jay Kristoff, comes the epic conclusion to the #1 internationally bestselling series.

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

Gabriel de León has lost his family, his faith, and the last hope of ending the endless night—his surrogate daughter, Dior. With no thought left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of Elidaen to claim the life of the Forever King.


Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives—speeding towards the besieged capital of Augustin in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King’s legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may the last time, there will be no one left for them to trust.

Not even each other.

Witchlight by Susan Dennard
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Paths converge and prophecies unfold as Safi and Iseult—the legendary Cahr Awen—fight their way across the Witchlands to heal the final Origin Well. With ancient figures rising from the past, the Raider King’s armies gathering for war, and the magic at the heart of everything dying too fast, the entire world is now on the brink of collapse.

But when Safi and Iseult reach the Air Well with the Bloodwitch Aeduan at their side, they discover too late that Eridysi's Lament is not the prophecy they thought it was—and their journeys are only just beginning.
A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A Fate So Cold is the first of a new blockbuster duology from the New York Times bestselling authors of All of Us Villains, Amanda Foody & C. L. Herman.

For most of the year, Summer reigns peacefully over Alderland. Then, for six brutal weeks, Winter rages, obliterating towns and wreaking casualties. Magicians bond with powerful wands of Summer to defend the nation, a duty that costs many their lives.

Domenic Barrow never wanted such responsibility―but destiny hasn’t granted him a choice. The greatest Summer wand has awakened for the first time in a century, warning that an icy cataclysm looms on the horizon. And despite his reputation as the least suited of his classmates, the wand Chooses Domenic to wield it.

Ellery Caldwell spent years striving to be a perfect Summer magician―and burying her fears of her own power. But her worst suspicions are proven true when she accidentally creates the first ever Winter wand.

Now, as the unprecedented Chosen Two, Domenic and Ellery must thwart the oncoming cataclysm together. And in trying to fulfill their destinies, they wonder if they were brought together for a second fate: to fall in love.

Until they discover the unthinkable truth. The Chosen Two aren’t fated allies, but eternal rivals, and the only way to save their home is for one of them to slay the other.

This is no love story. It's a tragedy.

Coldwire by Chloe Gong
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the start of a daring new dystopian series where humanity has moved to virtual reality to flee their deteriorating world, following two young soldiers who must depend on unlikely allies in their fight for survival.

The future is loading…

To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”

But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier or risk being labelled a spy.

Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.

Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…

Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.

Eternal Ruin by Tigest Girma
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
The breathtaking sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller, Immortal Dark !

Like all ruinous things, he came from the abyss.

Kidan Adane has finally embraced her darkness. She’s killed without remorse, lied, and broken Uxlay University’s most sacred law by inviting elusive rogue vampires, the Nefrasi, into Uxlay.

Trapped with a violently unstable vampire, and reeling from her sister’s return, Kidan wields her anger like a weapon. She vows to master her house and protect the sacred artifact hidden inside, even if it means forging an alliance with the depraved leader of the Nefrasi, Samson Sagad—and betraying Susenyos.

A dangerous new philosophical text seems to hold the answers and promises the very thing Kidan has control. Even as the dark pages consume her, Kidan knows no soul at Uxlay is trustworthy—least of all Susenyos. For Kidan and Susenyos, the lines of loathing and attraction may blur, but the quest for power rules them both. And neither is willing to surrender.

As devastating secrets resurface from the past, Kidan and her sister, June, must finally confront each other and take their rightful places in the looming war.

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A woman must confront the evil that has been terrorizing her street since she was a child in this gripping haunted house novel from the national bestselling author of The House That Horror Built and Good Girls Don’t Die.

On an otherwise ordinary street in Chicago, there is a house. An abandoned house where, once upon a time, terrible things happened. The children who live on this block are told by their parents to stay away from that house. But of course, children don’t listen. Children think it’s fun to be scared, to dare each other to go inside.

Jessie Campanelli did what many older sisters do and dared her little brother Paul. But unlike all the other kids who went inside that abandoned house, Paul didn’t return. His two friends, Jake and Richie, said that the house ate Paul. Of course adults didn’t believe that. Adults never believe what kids say. They thought someone kidnapped Paul, or otherwise hurt him. They thought Paul had disappeared in a way that was ordinary, explainable.

The disappearance of her little brother broke Jessie’s family apart in ways that would never be repaired. Jessie grew up, had a child of her own, kept living on the same street where the house that ate her brother sat, crouched and waiting. And darkness seemed to spread out from that house, a darkness that was alive—alive and hungry.

The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong 
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Set after the Great War, Jess Armstrong’s USA Today bestselling and award-winning series is historical gothic murder mystery at its best, and Ruby Vaughn returns in The Devil in Oxford.

If someone were to ask American heiress Ruby Vaughn how exactly the occult came to play such a large role in her life, she would immediately point to her octogenarian housemate and employer, Mr. Owen. Together, the pair run a rare book shop in Exeter. Mr. Owen’s penchant for arcane, unusual—and occasionally illegal—books has been known to get Ruby into her fair share of trouble. And after the last year, she is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday in picturesque Oxford while Mr. Owen attends the annual meeting of his antiquarian society. Secretly, Ruby is also looking for a holiday from her confounding feelings for Ruan Kivell, the intriguing folk healer Pellar that she met in Cornwall.

When Mr. Owen secures two tickets to an upcoming exhibition of artifacts amassed by disgraced scholar Julius Harker, Ruby reluctantly agrees to attend. The evening turns out to be more eventful than either of them bargained for. Harker’s dead body is discovered amongst the collection, his business partner is hastily arrested, and Ruan arrives…wanting to speak with Ruby. It seems both the arcane and her Pellar have followed Ruby to Oxford.

The murder case is suspicious at best, but the last thing Ruby wants is another investigation. That is, until an old friend comes begging for Ruby’s help. It soon becomes painfully clear that there is more going on in Oxford than meets the eye. Ruby and Ruan will have to uncover the dark secrets of the competitive world of antiquities while trying to understand the peculiar force that keeps drawing them back together.

Beautiful Brutal Bodies by Linda Cheng
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Full of skin-crawling folk horror and sapphic romance, this feral fairytale and standalone follow-up to GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES follows a reclusive songstress and her bodyguard who must unravel the occult mysteries of their past to escape from a cursed island.

Tian is a singer-songwriter with a massive online following, known for her hypnotic vocals and ethereal looks. But behind the glamorous façade is a disturbing reality: raised in an isolated mansion, Tian is a prisoner in her own life.

Liya is Tian’s childhood friend and her only close companion, tasked with protecting Tian at all costs. But hidden beneath Liya’s beautiful human exterior is a beastly secret: her teeth are far too sharp, and her appetite much too ferocious.

When several fans mysteriously suffer fatal injuries while watching her livestream, Tian, along with Liya, are sent to a spiritual healing retreat on a remote island in the South China Seas. They are joined by Tian's musical collaborator Shenyu, a troubled idol whose recent brush with the law and string of bad boyfriends has him seeking his own new start. But the trio soon discovers that the island is no peaceful getaway. There is constant surveillance, bizzare rituals, and something terrifying lurking in the forest. Something not quite human.

In order to escape with her loved ones, Tian must uncover her connection to the island’s blood-drenched legend -- and the truth behind Liya’s monstrous identity -- before the island claims them all as its final sacrifice.

Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Two siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games.

When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him return for good.

Until his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.

Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than stay.

As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.

We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
This gorgeous edition of We Fell Apart will feature stunning sprayed edges, unique printed endpapers, and an exclusive foil-stamped case!

#1 New York Times bestselling author E. Lockhart returns to the world of her TikTok sensation We Were Liars with all her signature beachy gothic atmosphere, family intrigue, and high-stakes romance.

The invitation arrives out of the blue.

In it, Matilda discovers a father she’s never met. Kingsley Cello is a visionary, a reclusive artist. And when he asks her to spend the summer at his seaside home, Hidden Beach, Matilda expects to find a part of herself she’s never fully understood.

Instead, she finds Meer, her long-lost, openhearted brother; Brock, a former child star battling demons; and brooding, wild Tatum, who just wants her to leave their crumbling sanctuary.

With Kingsley nowhere to be seen, Matilda must delve into the twisted heart of Hidden Beach to uncover the answers she’s desperately craving. But secrets run thicker than blood, and blood runs like seawater.

And everyone here is lying.

Fallen City by Adrienne Young
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate's daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.

Luca Matius has one purpose—to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city's Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.

Maris Casoeria was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel's inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.

As a secret comes to light and throws the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris are thrown onto opposite sides of a holy war. As their fates diverge, they learn they are at the center of a story the gods are writing. And even if they can find their way back to each other, there may be nothing left.

Silver & Smoke by Helen Scheuerer
Expected Publication: November 6th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Alchemist. Poisoner. Reluctant Queen.

Wren Embervale knows her duty demands a crown, even if it means a strategic betrothal to the influential Lord Darian Devereux. Their arranged marriage promises the formidable army she needs to wrestle her kingdom from the clutches of the tyrannical usurper, Silas. Yet, Wren’s heart still belongs to Torj Elderbrock, her soul-bonded Warsword.

Torn between her pragmatic alliance and the visceral pull of her bond with Torj, Wren must navigate a treacherous landscape of courtly intrigue and looming war. As Silas’s shadow alchemy tightens its grip on the midrealms and a creeping poison steals Torj’s strength, Wren’s carefully constructed facade begins to crack. Can she play the dutiful fiancée to secure her throne, while her body and soul yearns for the warrior who would lay down his life for her? Or will the tangled threads of political necessity leave her kingdom – and her heart – in ashes?

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Iron & Embers, Silver & Smoke is the blistering finale to the Ashes of Thezmarr series.

Wow, the start of November is stacked with some amazing books! I'm so excited for all of these books, I've read one of two and they were so great, and I'm looking forward to all of them so much! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Random Reads #712, July 10th

Random Reads is a monthly meme (that I'm going to do weekly) hosted by I'm Loving Books to read some books that have been on our TBR piles for a long time. Using Random.org, I got 1836 which turned out to be The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss! It's been on my TBR pile since June 25th, 2024, and I added it because I love Marissa Meyer's writing, and it sounded really good! What about you guys? Happy reading!