Showing posts with label Sangu Mandanna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sangu Mandanna. Show all posts

Monday, August 4, 2025

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #739, August 4th

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 #738
Teaser Tuesday #746
WWW Wednesday #746
WOW #742
Will the Time Come #739
Third Sentence Thursday #729
Random Reads #715
First Lines Friday #742
Book Blogger Hop #408
Monthly ARC's September Round Up
The Reward Challenge Update #724
Wheel of TBR #271
How Well I Stuck to It #576
Wrote that Review Update #573

OK, so I got 47 posts in 7 days, It was a rough week. Tuesday I was told that we were probably putting the family dog down soon, since his health was deteriorating. Wednesday, we almost did, but instead tried increasing the dose of his meds. He has a lump on his lungs, and congestive heart failure, and has been having trouble breathing, and is panting after the smallest of movements. The increase helped for a few days, but yesterday he started panting again. So we're probably putting him down Wednesday, since today's a holiday, and they're going to be busy tomorrow. If we can get appointment Wednesday. And it's hard, it's getting close to 2 years since we put Dobby down, so I'm struggling. It's just that we got Dobby and Winky, and Winky passed, Dobby remembered her. And then we adopted Jax a few months later. And when Doby passed, Jax remembered him. But we never got another dog, partially because Jax is reactive. So there's not a dog to remember Jax. There's Holly, but they don't get along very well, so I tried my best to keep them separated when he was with me. It hurts, that breaking of the chain. 

So yeah, this week is going to be even worse, losing the doggie. He seems so alive still, but the way he's breathing, he can't go on like that. I'm going to miss him so much. At least there's some really good books that I need to read that will help. What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Accomplice to the Villain and The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk!

Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Nicole Maehrer's laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.

REWARD OFFERED: Apprentice to The Villain wanted for treason (light), magical property damage (alleged), and one incident involving a weaponized scone (accurate). Frequently seen with a grumpy frog (crowned, judgmental). Answers to "Evie" or "Stop that."

Evie Sage didn't mean to become the right-hand woman to the kingdom's most terrifying villain. One minute, she was applying for an entry-level position that promised "light paperwork and occasional beheadings," and the next, she was knee-deep in magical mayhem, murder plots, and an entirely inappropriate crush on her brooding, sharp-jawed, walking disaster of a boss.

Now, with a magical prophecy unraveling, assassins showing up in the break room, and a suspicious amount of frogs wearing crowns, Evie has to figure out how to survive her job without setting the kingdom on fire—or her dignity, which is hanging by a very sarcastic thread.

Being evil-adjacent was never part of the five-year plan. But then again…neither was falling for The Villain.

A magical office comedy with grumpy bosses, snarky frogs, and definitely-not-feelings.
New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk.

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the impossible: ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.

Saturday, August 2, 2025

Week 31 Review: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping

From Goodreads:
A whimsical and heartwarming novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps her aunt run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and might just know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

My Review:


Author: Sangu Mandanna
Read: July 29th, 2025
Source: NetGalley/Library
Reason Why: Love her writing and her other witchy book, and it's a SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Berkley 
Published: July 15th 2025
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Friday, August 1, 2025

Monthly ARC's Update 125

So I read my next book for Monthly ARC's and it was A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna from the June list.

Here's the link to this month's post with my journey.

How it Works: 
This is my monthly ARC accountability challenge, to list out the books that I have as ARC's that are being published in the coming month, rounding them up at the start of the month, and seeing how well I did at the end, as well as rounding up the next month's books.    
  

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 48

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping which was for the prompt 7B Read Whilst on Watch, and I'll be reading Glorious Rivals next! 

My Reading Journey:

Memories of Ash by Intisar Khanani 
Prompt Fulfilled: 1C
Started On: January 22nd
Finished On: January 22nd, 4:28 PM
Pages Read: 355

Hearts that Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou
Prompt Fulfilled: 1B
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 11:31 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter
Prompt Fulfilled: 1D
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 3:45 PM
Pages Read: 544

The Party by Natasha Preston
Prompt Fulfilled: 1C
Started On: January 27th
Finished On: January 27th, 10:53 AM
Pages Read: 352

Return of the Vengeful Queen by C.J. Redwine 
Prompt Fulfilled: 1E
Started On: January 30th
Finished On: January 30th, 11:04 AM
Pages Read: 400

I Am the Dark that Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea
Prompt Fulfilled: 1B
Started On: January 31st
Finished On: January 31st, 2:00 PM
Pages Read: 336

Vilest Things by Chloe Gong
Prompt Fulfilled: 1A
Started On: January 31st
Finished On: January 31st, 6:36 PM
Pages Read: 416

The Half King by Melissa Landers
Prompt Fulfilled: 2A North
Started On: February 8th
Finished On: February 8th, 7:28 PM
Pages Read: 512

Tell Me No Lies by A.V. Geiger
Prompt Fulfilled: 2C South
Started On: February 9th
Finished On: February 9th, 6:48 PM
Pages Read: 330

Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard
Prompt Fulfilled: 2B West
Started On: February 15th
Finished On: February 15th, 9:18 PM
Pages Read: 545

Gabriel's Redemption by Sylvain Reynard 
Prompt Fulfilled: 2B West
Started On: February 16th
Finished On: February 16th, 3:26 PM
Pages Read: 496

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
Prompt Fulfilled: 2E South East
Started On: February 20th
Finished On: February 20th, 6:47 PM
Pages Read: 496

Shutter by Courtney Alameda
Prompt Fulfilled: 2D North East
Started On: February 21st
Finished On: February 21st, 9:15 PM
Pages Read: 384

Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli
Prompt Fulfilled: 2C South 
Started On: February 23rd
Finished On: February 23rd, 10:50 PM
Pages Read: 514

Steel by Carrie Vaughn
Prompt Fulfilled: 3B Bring Sword
Started On: March 2nd
Finished On: March 2nd, 10:32 PM
Pages Read: 309

Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher
Prompt Fulfilled: 3C Bring Wand
Started On: March 6th
Finished On: March 6th, 7:13 AM
Pages Read: 147

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
Prompt Fulfilled: 3A Find New Friends
Started On: March 7th
Finished On: March 7th, 11:48 AM
Pages Read: 640

His Mortal Demise by Vanessa Le
Prompt Fulfilled: 3B Enjoy Solitude
Started On: March 10th
Finished On: March 10th, 10:52 AM
Pages Read: 400

On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass
Prompt Fulfilled: 3D Inspect Well
Started On: March 14th
Finished On: March 14th, 9:18 PM
Pages Read: 320

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
Prompt Fulfilled: 3C Try New Food
Started On: March 29th
Finished On: March 29th, 1:57 PM
Pages Read: 368

What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch
Prompt Fulfilled: 3D Match Sundial
Started On: March 30th
Finished On: March 30th, 10:05 PM
Pages Read: 336

The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Prompt Fulfilled: 4D Wait for Morning
Started On: April 1st
Finished On: April 1st, 10:28 AM
Pages Read: 400

No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally
Prompt Fulfilled: 4D Wait for Morning
Started On: April 4th
Finished On: April 4th, 10:46 AM
Pages Read: 264

The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten
Prompt Fulfilled: 4B Find Winter Cloak
Started On: April 4th
Finished On: April 4th, 8:39 PM
Pages Read: 480

Dead River by Cyn Balog
Prompt Fulfilled: 4C Cross River
Started On: April 9th
Finished On: April 9th, 8:38 PM
Pages Read: 256

The Stolen Bride by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe 
Prompt Fulfilled: 4B Find Winter Cloak
Started On: April 10th
Finished On: April 10th, 2:03 PM
Pages Read: 282

Petals on the River by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Prompt Fulfilled: 4A Cross River
Started On: April 12th
Finished On: April 12th, 3:03 PM
Pages Read: 560

Where the River Takes Me by Julie Lawson 
Prompt Fulfilled: 4C Cross River
Started On: April 30th
Finished On: April 30th, 10:57 PM
Pages Read: 283

Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire 
Prompt Fulfilled: 5A Maze
Started On: May 12th
Finished On: May 12th, 6:39 PM
Pages Read: 368

Dreams and Slumber by Seanan McGuire  
Prompt Fulfilled: 5C Sleep
Started On: May 12th
Finished On: May 12th, 8:10 PM
Pages Read: 116

Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner
Prompt Fulfilled: 5B Practice Summoning Charms & Incantations
Started On: May 26th
Finished On: May 26th, 2:40 PM
Pages Read: 416

The Looking Glass by Janet McNally
Prompt Fulfilled: 5D Sundance
Started On: May 27th
Finished On: May 27th, 10:04 PM
Pages Read: 336

Rules for 50/50 Chances by Kate McGovern
Prompt Fulfilled: 5D Sundance
Started On: May 29th
Finished On: May 29th, 10:51 PM
Pages Read: 351

BZRK by Michael Grant
Prompt Fulfilled: 5B Enter Cave
Started On: May 30th
Finished On: May 30th, 1:04 PM 
Pages Read: 407

Red City by Marie Lu
Prompt Fulfilled: 5B Enter Cave
Started On: May 31st
Finished On: May 31st, 7:38 PM
Pages Read: 432

Voidwalker by S.A. MacLean
Prompt Fulfilled: 6A Find Exit
Started On: June 1st
Finished On: June 1st, 8:18 PM
Pages Read: 592

Silver and Lead by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: 6D Sketch Sundancer
Started On: June 2nd
Finished On: June 2nd, 7:31 PM
Pages Read: 400

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
Prompt Fulfilled: 6E Fight Water Demons
Started On: June 6th
Finished On: June 6th, 7:27 PM
Pages Read: 416

A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais
Prompt Fulfilled: 6B Solve Traps
Started On: June 12th
Finished On: June 12th, 6:58 PM
Pages Read: 480

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton
Prompt Fulfilled: 6D Sketch Sundancer
Started On: June 13th
Finished On: June 13th, 5:03 PM
Pages Read: 480

I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War 
Prompt Fulfilled: 6B Solve Traps
Started On: June 27th
Finished On: June 27th, 5:03 PM
Pages Read: 336

That Devil, Ambition by Linsey Miller
Prompt Fulfilled: 6C Meet Really Odd Impling
Started On: June 27th
Finished On: June 27th, 10:43 P M
Pages Read: 416

Isle of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson 
Prompt Fulfilled: 7D Write Notes
Started On: July 2nd
Finished On: July 2nd, 7:38 PM
Pages Read: 532 

Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone 
Prompt Fulfilled: 7B Read Whilst on Watch
Started On: July 3rd
Finished On: July 3rd, 10:31 PM
Pages Read: 304

The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray 
Prompt Fulfilled: 7E Collect Gems
Started On: July 6th
Finished On: July 6th, 10:03 PM
Pages Read: 336

Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Prompt Fulfilled: 7A Explore Ruins
Started On: July 21st
Finished On: July 21st, 8:31 PM
Pages Read: 672

The Future King by Robyn Schneider
Prompt Fulfilled: 7B Read Whilst on Watch
Started On: July 23rd
Finished On: July 23rd, 9:47 PM
Pages Read: 416

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
Prompt Fulfilled: 7B Read Whilst on Watch
Started On: July 29th
Finished On: July 29th, 10:17 AM
Pages Read: 336

Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Prompt Fulfilled: 7D Write Notes
Started On: July 29th
Currently On: Page 0 of 432

Prompts Left: None Left!
Read: 48
Pages Read: 13716

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday #738, July 2nd

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

Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
The hunt for a stealthy predator takes a damaged J-Psy to the heart of falcon territory in this new Psy-Changeling Trinity novel from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh...

Justice-Psy Eleri Dias knows the end is near for her, her mind one step away from fatal psychic exposure. In the short time that remains, she is determined to atone for an act of omission that has haunted her for a long, cruel decade. But that decision not only means facing a powerful changeling wing leader, but also putting herself in the path of a serial killer.

Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett is fiercely protective of his family and his clan. After losing his parents as a teenager in a shocking act of malice, Adam has no forgiveness in him for the J-Psy who betrayed him, betrayed them, at the most painful moment of his life. But the evil that stalks his territory will allow him no respite, forcing him once more into contact with the J he has never been able to forget.

Everything that could've been between Eleri and Adam was lost years ago, a shimmering promise crushed. As they work to uncover a monster, the moment of reckoning looms ever closer. Soon, there may be no more time left for either atonement...or love...

The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
The Nightshade Crown is in the hands of a ruthless god. Lore will stop at nothing to defeat him and save the troubled prince and tortured priest ensnared in his wicked plot, in this final installment of this lush, romantic, New York Times bestselling fantasy series from breakout star Hannah Whitten.

Lore has failed. She couldn’t save King Bastian from the rotten god speaking voices in his mind. She couldn’t save her allies from being scattered across the continent—their own lesser gods whispering to them in their dreams. She couldn’t save her beautiful, corrupt city from the dark power beneath the catacombs. And she couldn’t save herself.

Banished to the Burnt Isles, Lore must use every skill she earned on the streets of Dellaire to survive the prison colony and figure out a way to defeat the power that’s captured everything and everyone she holds dear. When a surprise ally joins her on the Burnt Isles she realizes the way forward may lie on the island itself. Somehow, her friends must help her collect the far-scattered pieces of the broken Fount—the source of all the god’s powers—and bring them back together on the Burnt Isles, returning all magic to its source and destroying, once and for all, the gods corrupting the land.

But as Lore gets closer to her goal, her magic grows stronger… and to a woman who’s always had to fight for survival, that kind of power may be hard to give up.

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love. The hardcover edition features beautiful sprayed edges.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.

The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
In the thrilling conclusion to the Egyptian-inspired Scorched Throne duology, a fugitive queen may be the key to restoring her lost kingdom of Jasad, but it could cost her everything and everyone she loves.

Held deep in a mountain refuge, Sylvia has been captured by the Urabi, who believe she can return their homeland to its former power. But after years of denying her legacy and a forbidden alliance with Jasad's greatest enemy, Sylvia must win the group's trust while struggling to keep control of both her magic and her mind.

In the rival kingdom, Arin is caught between his father's desire to put down the brewing rebellion and the sacred edicts he's sworn to uphold. Arin must find Sylvia before his father's army, but his search will call into question the very core of Arin's beliefs about his family and the destruction of Jasad.

War is inevitable and Sylvia cannot abandon her people again. The Urabi plan to raise the Jasadi fortress, and it will either kill Sylvia or destroy the humanity she's fought so hard to protect. For the first time in her life Sylvia doesn't just want to survive. She wants to win.
The fugitive queen is ready to come home.

Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Some betrayals cut deeper than blades.

The Blades were never supposed to survive this long. But after the battle in Quu Harbor, escaping is no longer enough. The most dangerous liars in the four realms have one last mission―return to Yusan and finish what they started.

But now a usurper sits on the serpent throne. And he may be more dangerous than the god-king.

With three relics of the Dragon Lord in their possession, the Blades will face the might of the four realms. Enemies will become allies. Allies will become traitors. And the ones they love most? They’ll be the ones to break them.

Grief will carve the Blades into something ruthless and unrecognizable. But only by losing everything can they win this game of kings and crowns.

No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Murder either bonds you or breaks you.

Rural PI Mel Tillman knows this well. She's seen her fair share of bloody cases and botched cover-ups. But killing with someone? That is a different kind of mess all together, and Mel's got real experience with it.

No one's heard from Toby Dunne since Chloe Harper's sweet sixteen party--because the birthday girl and sixteen-year-old Mel buried him so deep in the backwoods, no one's ever finding him. Mel loses little sleep over it--Toby had been terrorizing them.

What she does lose sleep over is Chloe, the girl with whom she survived that horrible night in the woods. Chloe, the girl she fell in love with. Chloe, the girl who disappeared and hasn't been seen in more than six years.

Tasked with locating Chloe by her family, Mel can't resist the call of a good chase, or finding the one who got away with her heart (and with murder). When Mel finds an armed and vigilant Chloe living off-grid in a highly booby-trapped patch of Canadian wilderness, she realizes that Chloe had been expecting someone other than her ex to come looking for her. The thing that's kept Chloe going for years is that she's kept Mel safe by running. Now, the truth must come out as they run for their lives once again.

Because when they buried Toby Dunne in the backwoods, they buried something else, too. Something Toby took. And the powerful family he stole it from? They'll do anything to get it back.

Fateless by Julie Kagawa 
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Deep in the forgotten city of the Deathless Kings, an ancient relic of untold power waits—for one bold enough to steal it.

When seventeen-year-old Sparrow joined the Thieves Guild she made a vow of binding loyalty to their cause. So when a mission comes along from The Circle, a group of mysterious, dangerous beings who control the Thieves Guild from the shadows, Sparrow is determined to cement her place in the guild.

What ensues is a death-defying adventure that has Sparrow and her band of thieves venturing into the heart of the forgotten city of the Deathless King. The fate of Sparrow, her companions, and Raithe, the enigmatic yet alluring assassin Sparrow is forced to join forces with during their quest, all hang in the balance as they find themselves battling ancient forces within the tombs and facing the unwavering hold of fate.

Perfect for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Sabaa Tahir, this new fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa will sweep readers into a bold and exciting new world, where a twisted game of destiny has far-reaching consequences.

Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Love is a dangerous game when your clients are killers…from the bestselling author behind Love Letters to a Serial Killer.

When Lexie's fiancé runs off with her so-called best friend on her birthday, her carefully crafted fairy-tale life shatters. Having survived horrors in her past, she was determined to finally get her happily-ever-after—and she's not giving up yet.

To distract herself, Lexie throws herself into her unusual matchmaking psychopaths (a specialty her clients are blissfully unaware of). But the loneliness is crushing. So when a gorgeous, overprotective new client named Aidan insists they're soulmates, and another intriguing client, Rebecca, seems perfect to fill the best-friend-shaped hole in her life, Lexie can't help but find the attention comforting—despite her own professional boundaries.

Then a human heart appears on Lexie's doorstep. As more threatening packages arrive and her fiancé mysteriously disappears, she must confront a terrifying did she inadvertently match herself with a killer? Between Aidan's claims that her fiancé will never return, Rebecca's growing presence in her life, and her own dark past resurfacing, Lexie's matchmaker instincts are being tested like never before.

Because someone is determined to ensure her story ends with a funeral.


A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A whimsical and heartwarming novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps her aunt run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and might just know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.


The Bewitching by Silvia Morena-Garcia
Expected Publication: July 15th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Three women in three different eras encounter danger and witchcraft in this eerie multigenerational horror saga from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic.

“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales.

In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch.

Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.

Oh, some really amazing books coming in the middle of the month, the ones that I've read are so amazing, and I can't wait for these books to be released! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Week 39 Review: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

From Goodreads:
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family—and a new love—changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos "pretending" to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for....

My Review:
This was a really enjoyable read! I loved watching her being a witch pretending to be a witch, and the adventures she has, especially once she's asked to train young witches with their magic! I had such a fun time reading it! 

This was a really heartwarming story! Mika has been really isolated, since when witches are born, their mom dies pretty quickly after, which makes it hard to pass down knowledge, and because of the various Witch Trials, it's not safe to gather together in any regular capacity. That she gets this offer to teach these young witches, I loved it! 

Watching as she found a place at this house, with these kids and Jamie, that was just a delight to read. Overshadowing that, though, was the secrets that they were keeping from her, as well as that she's not supposed to be doing this, witches are supposed to be spread out. I couldn't get enough of this story!

That ending was superb! To gather all the lessons learned, as well as the irony of all that work, and it turned out like that, I loved it! It was a really satisfying ending, and a cute one, and where were left these characters was a great start to the rest of their lives. 

This was a really cute, sweet read and I really enjoyed it! 

Author: Sangu Mandanna 
Read: September 25th, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2023 Book!
Publisher: Berkley Books 
Published: August 1st 2022
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Monday, September 25, 2023

SeasonAthon Academy Update 14

So I read my next book for SeasonAthon Academy, and it was The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches which was for the prompt FLNG 2140, and I'll be reading Fake Famous next! 

My Reading Journey:

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: PSPS 1030
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 1:04 PM
Pages Read: 336

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 2510
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 9:17 PM
Pages Read: 416

Dawnbreaker by Jodi Meadow
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 2530
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 9:14 PM
Pages Read: 464

Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah
Prompt Fulfilled: WGSS 2000
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 10:13 AM
Pages Read: 320

The Devouring Grey by Christine Lynn Herman
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 1330
Started On: September 7th
Finished On: September 7th, 9:51 AM
Pages Read: 368

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Prompt Fulfilled: ANTH 1500
Started On: September 10th
Finished On: September 10th, 8:53 PM
Pages Read: 464

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
Prompt Fulfilled: MUS 3170
Started On: September 12th
Finished On: September 12th, 11:48 AM
Pages Read: 624

What the Spell by Brittany Geragotelis
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 1020
Started On: September 14th
Finished On: September 14th, 9:41 AM
Pages Read: 352

Mister Magic by Kiersten White
Prompt Fulfilled: MLNG 1500
Started On: September 15th
Finished On: September 15th, 9:36 PM
Pages Read: 295

Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 2420
Started On: September 16th
Finished On: September 16th, 10:01 PM
Pages Read: 416

Imbalance by Faith Erin Hicks, Illustrated by Peter Wartmen
Prompt Fulfilled: ART 1110
Started On: September 17th
Finished On: September 17th, 3:55 PM
Pages Read: 240

Out There Anthology 
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 1310
Started On: September 17th
Finished On: September 17th, 9:46 PM
Pages Read: 464

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen
Prompt Fulfilled: THSP 1110
Started On: September 22nd
Finished On: September 22nd, 5:12 PM
Pages Read: 464

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Prompt Fulfilled: FLNG 2140
Started On: September 25th
Finished On: September 25th, 2:34 PM
Pages Read: 336

Fake Famous by Dana L. Davis
Prompt Fulfilled: MUS 1110
Started On: September 27h
Currently On: Page 0 of 303

Prompts Left: ART 3010,  ANTH 1400
Read: 14
Pages Read: 5559

Friday, September 22, 2023

SeasonAthon Academy Update 13

So I read my next book for SeasonAthon Academy, and it was Hidden Huntress which was for the prompt THSP 1110, and I'll be reading The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches next! 

My Reading Journey:

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: PSPS 1030
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 1:04 PM
Pages Read: 336

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 2510
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 9:17 PM
Pages Read: 416

Dawnbreaker by Jodi Meadow
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 2530
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 9:14 PM
Pages Read: 464

Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah
Prompt Fulfilled: WGSS 2000
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 10:13 AM
Pages Read: 320

The Devouring Grey by Christine Lynn Herman
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 1330
Started On: September 7th
Finished On: September 7th, 9:51 AM
Pages Read: 368

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Prompt Fulfilled: ANTH 1500
Started On: September 10th
Finished On: September 10th, 8:53 PM
Pages Read: 464

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
Prompt Fulfilled: MUS 3170
Started On: September 12th
Finished On: September 12th, 11:48 AM
Pages Read: 624

What the Spell by Brittany Geragotelis
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 1020
Started On: September 14th
Finished On: September 14th, 9:41 AM
Pages Read: 352

Mister Magic by Kiersten White
Prompt Fulfilled: MLNG 1500
Started On: September 15th
Finished On: September 15th, 9:36 PM
Pages Read: 295

Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 2420
Started On: September 16th
Finished On: September 16th, 10:01 PM
Pages Read: 416

Imbalance by Faith Erin Hicks, Illustrated by Peter Wartmen
Prompt Fulfilled: ART 1110
Started On: September 17th
Finished On: September 17th, 3:55 PM
Pages Read: 240

Out There Anthology 
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 1310
Started On: September 17th
Finished On: September 17th, 9:46 PM
Pages Read: 464

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen
Prompt Fulfilled: THSP 1110
Started On: September 22nd
Finished On: September 22nd, 5:12 PM
Pages Read: 464

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Prompt Fulfilled: FLNG 2140
Started On: September 
Currently On: Page 0 of 336

Prompts Left: ART 3010, MUS 1110,  ANTH 1400
Read: 13
Pages Read: 5223

Sunday, September 17, 2023

SeasonAthon Academy Update 12

So I read my next book for SeasonAthon Academy, and it was Out There which was for the prompt ENGL 1310, and I'll be reading The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches next! 

My Reading Journey:

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: PSPS 1030
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 1:04 PM
Pages Read: 336

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 2510
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 9:17 PM
Pages Read: 416

Dawnbreaker by Jodi Meadow
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 2530
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 9:14 PM
Pages Read: 464

Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah
Prompt Fulfilled: WGSS 2000
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 10:13 AM
Pages Read: 320

The Devouring Grey by Christine Lynn Herman
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 1330
Started On: September 7th
Finished On: September 7th, 9:51 AM
Pages Read: 368

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Prompt Fulfilled: ANTH 1500
Started On: September 10th
Finished On: September 10th, 8:53 PM
Pages Read: 464

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
Prompt Fulfilled: MUS 3170
Started On: September 12th
Finished On: September 12th, 11:48 AM
Pages Read: 624

What the Spell by Brittany Geragotelis
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 1020
Started On: September 14th
Finished On: September 14th, 9:41 AM
Pages Read: 352

Mister Magic by Kiersten White
Prompt Fulfilled: MLNG 1500
Started On: September 15th
Finished On: September 15th, 9:36 PM
Pages Read: 295

Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 2420
Started On: September 16th
Finished On: September 16th, 10:01 PM
Pages Read: 416

Imbalance by Faith Erin Hicks, Illustrated by Peter Wartmen
Prompt Fulfilled: ART 1110
Started On: September 17th
Finished On: September 17th, 3:55 PM
Pages Read: 240

Out There Anthology 
Prompt Fulfilled: ENGL 1310
Started On: September 17th
Finished On: September 17th, 9:46 PM
Pages Read: 464

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Prompt Fulfilled: FLNG 2140
Started On: September 
Currently On: Page 0 of 336

Prompts Left: ART 3010, MUS 1110, THSP 1110, ANTH 1400
Read: 12
Pages Read: 4759

Saturday, August 18, 2018

Week 33 Review: A Spark of White Fire

From Goodreads:
In a universe of Gods and Goddesses, moons that hide ancient beasts, and cities built on the back of spaceships, infant Princess Esmae was cast into deep space, surviving only by the grace of a Goddess.

Raised far away from her birth home of Kali, Esme longs to return to her real family. And when the King of Wychstar issues a challenge, offering to gift his unbeatable, sentient warship, Titania, to a warrior that can win his competition, the way home becomes clear: she'll help her brother, Prince Alexi, win the ship and consequently, win her place back in the arms of her family. 

But when Alexi rejects, she instead enters as the champion of Max, who banished Alexi's family from their ancestral home, waging a war that pits cousin against cousin. 

And she does the unthinkable. She wins. 

Now, Esmae finds herself on the wrong side of an inevitable war, with the Goddess-blessed Titania in the hands of her family's enemies. Will she be able to reunite with her brother and learn why the queen banished her? Or will her family literally destroy itself, with the weapons she gave them?

Drawing on Indian mythology including the Mahabharata, A Spark of White Fire is a sweeping young adult sci-fi/fantasy retelling that stretches across the universe exploring love, friendship, and the complicated ties that bind families together, and rip them apart, in a world where Gods and Goddesses keep an eye on the stars . . . and the people they favor that fight among them. 

My Review:
I enjoyed reading this book so much! It was just so fantastic, and unique, and a space drama, basically. I really enjoyed the world, and the characters, and their relationships with one another, because it was a complicated situation!

This book was about the relationships a family has, and how complicated they can be, especially if you're royalty, and have a whole kingdom to take care of. So there was a lot of politics, as well! That an uncle took a kingdom from his nephew, yeah, complicated. I felt bad for Esmae, and the position she was in, because she went in on her brother's side. But her Uncle's side, yeah, they're real people, so it became complicated very quickly!

On one hand, the politics of this family has a lot of consequences, because of the position in life they have. On the other, it feels close and personal, which was really great to read! And with the Gods and Goddesses watching on, and have since basically the beginning. That is a lot of pressure!

That ending, was just so evil! I want more! Such a cliffhanger ending! We know what's supposed to happen, but it ended, so we don't know if it's going to happen or if it's even going to happen, because who knows, it could be changed!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait for more from this series!

Author: Sangu Mandanna
Series: The Celestial Trilogy #1
Read: August 13th, 2018
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2018 Book and a Sophomore Challenge Book!
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Published: September 4th 2019
5/5 Hearts
4/5 Books
4/5 Stars