Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.
Prompts:Do you read horror? What do you think of when you hear the word horror? Are there any books you read that are not practically horror but have some horror element in them?
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Do you read horror?
Yes! I actually had a Stephen King phase in high school, until one of the books really scared me and I couldn’t sleep at night. 😂 As an adult I like to read horror here and there, mostly around spooky season!
What do you think of when you hear the word horror?
Blood, paranormal, murders….gore….creepy.
Are there any books you read that are not practically horror but have some horror element in them?
Yes a lot of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Isabel Cañas! Love their books!
Prompts: How do you feel when an author you love does something new and not at all like their previous work? Do you still read all their books, or do you stop after a point? If they write in a new genre that you don’t read, do you read it for the author, or stop following every title the author releases (in the new genre)? What are some of your favourite books where the author veered away from their previous work quite drastically?
October 10: TBR Roulette
Prompts: What makes you keep a book on your TBR? Find a random number generator, put in the number of books on your TBR and roll 5 times! Note down the book each number corresponds to on your list (or just pick 5 books at random off your TBR) and tell us: what made you add the book to your shelf—was it a cover add? Does it have your favourite tropes? How long has it been on your TBR? If it has been on your TBR for a long time, do you still want to read it or have you lost interest?
Prompts:Do you read horror? What do you think of when you hear the word horror? Are there any books you read that are not practically horror but have some horror element in them?
October 24: Recapping Anticipated Reads
Prompts:With two months left in the year following October, let’s recap your anticipated releases so far. How have you fared with your most anticipated releases in 2025—have they mostly met with your expectations or have you been let down? Were you surprised by 2025 releases you weren’t anticipating but ended up being more enjoyable than expected? Are there any 2025 releases you’re still waiting on?If you like, share your top 2025 releases so far!
October 31: Halloween Freebie! 👻
Prompts:Happy Halloween, folks! 🎃 To celebrate the spooky fest, we’re making today a Halloween freebie! You can check out our blogs for inspiration (Aria and Dini) or write about something else you’re interested in!
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
**He never wanted to be a secret, but in this town, secrets keep you alive**.
Jason has fantasized about being struck by lightning more than once. This time, after being outed by his now former best friend.
But betrayal yields refuge in a circle of misfits, just as the isolation becomes unbearable. Among them is Tameera with her fierce honesty, Abby who revels in her protective loyalty and the magnetic but reckless Danny whose eyes glint with the dangerous possibility of love. Laughter in smoky rooms, nights stitched together by music and magic, and the fleeting thrill of love makes Jason feel safe.
Yet secrets linger in every corner of this town threatening Jason’s newfound peace. When he discovers the truth his high school tormentor would kill to keep hidden, will his chosen family be enough to protect him—or will the truth cost him his life?
*With Thoughts of Jason* is a haunting portrait of youth and desire, of friendship and betrayal, and of the brutal silence that society demands of those who don’t fit the mold.
Content Warning: mention of suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, bullying, death, drug use (weed), mentions of other drugs, smoking, drinking, animal death
Jason is in high school and dealing with a few things. He’s gay, but in the closet. He is bullied at school, and raised in a Pentecostal home without a father. This story follows his life as someone who experiences his first encounters with a boy, making friends and learning who to trust, and trying to find love. I liked seeing him make friends and expanding his world, and eventually meeting other queer people. His growth was a journey I was invested in.
I felt like the start of this story is really eye-opening and makes a statement about who Jason is and how he has his first experience as a gay boy. I felt like the scenes of him hanging out with friends and partying was relatable and gave me a sense of nostalgia because you could tell this was before social media. And I’m glad Jason had his friends but it was sad that he had no support at home. He had no real bond with his brother, sister and mother. All Jason wanted was to be love and be loved in return.
There are a few topics and themes discussed in this story and some of them are dark. There is suicidal thoughts and attempts, there is bullying, and violence. And I had to remind myself that Jason was young, he was only in high school, trying to survive. There was a dangerous undercurrent to Jason’s life that I could feel throughout the story and I think it’s important that it’s there to give the reader a sense of what queer people may be feeling by being who they are. And it’s not okay that they cannot feel safe in society.
This was a quick read but there were a few times in the story where I felt like I missed something. I think because there is so much that happens to Jason in one year and sometimes the transition from one event to another wasn’t smooth.
Final Thoughts:
This is a heartbreaking, coming of age story about a boy named Jason who is trying to figure life out while being gay, and with no support from his family. There were so many times that his life took a turn for the worse, but through it all he did have some friends to help – and I loved that he at least had that. This story is eye opening, tragic and definitely an important one to tell.
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
Fall break is over and now we are looking forward to all the holidays coming up in November and December!
I just looked at my NetGalley list and I finished my October arcs and I only have a few for November – almost done. And I only have 6 more December arcs to read. 😭 I feel like I can see the LIGHT again lol. 😂. I promise I am NOT doing this to myself next year…I will have an arc limit each month. 10 arcs are my limit….(hoping I can stick to that!)…
Juliette Calloway lives in a world of luxury, legacies, and lies. The daughter of Rosebrook Falls’ most powerful family, her life is a carefully crafted performance, and she’s tired of being polished to perfection.
Roman Montgomery doesn’t exist. Not officially, anyway. He’s a shadow, a hidden weapon, the secret heir to an empire soaked in danger and a generations-old feud.
When their paths cross, sparks fly. No names. No pasts.
Just reckless smiles and an undeniable chemistry neither of them can shake.
Roman is charming. Mysterious. Infuriatingly flirty.
And Juliette? She’s simply…his.
When Roman is called back to claim his place as heir to the Montgomery empire, the truth crashes down: Their families are sworn enemies, and Roman’s very existence is a threat. Their love isn’t just forbidden, it’s impossible.
Now, every kiss feels like a betrayal. Every stolen moment a risk. And in a town built on secrets and blood, their passion might just be the most dangerous thing of all.
Content Warning: violence, parent with drug problem, parental pressures
+ This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling and I thought it did a pretty good job with doing that.
+ I liked some of the secondary characters like Juliette’s bestie, Felicity. She was fun! And Juliette has a bunch of brothers, all very different and interesting, I want to know more about them and wonder if the next books in the series will be about them?
+ Juliette is the only daughter of the Calloways and always falls in line, until she meets Roman. Roman/Ryder has had a challenging life so far – he’s dealing with so much, a mom who is drug addict, a sister who is constantly ill, and a dad who stays out of his life to keep him “safe”. I was really invested in Roman and rooting for him.
+ The focus of this story is the star-crossed, forbidden romance between Juliette and Roman. I thought the two of them were made for one another. Roman is obsessed with Juliette from the start, he brings the longing and yearning. Whereas Juliette is the princess of the Conway family, she’s ready to obey her family (even though she doesn’t want to), but when she meets Roman, he’s the only one she wants. I thought they were cute together and clearly he is down bad for her! And of course there is some good steamy scenes between them.
+ There are a few betrayals in this story and a few twists at the end. There are people who get away so I’m sure this will carry into the next book.
~ Because the focus was on the forbidden romance, I wanted more about the families and what made them dangerous. We are told the Calloways are basically the most powerful family in town but I wanted to see that power. I thought the betrayals and the twist was good but I just wanted to see the families exerting their power.
Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a pretty good Romeo and Juliet retelling! I loved the romance, that was my favorite part. I would love more family drama and politics – would love to see what makes the Calloways dangerous. Juliette’s brothers were interesting, so I’m wondering if the next book will be about one of them? I look forward to seeing what happens next in the series.
+ We had a very chill week – we had some rainy and humid weather but we didn’t do much for fall break. Not like we have the money to spend since the government is shutdown, so glad my hubby got partial pay but still…would love the govt to open by the next pay day since we have a mortgage to pay and all. 🙄.
+ I did put out some Halloween decorations – I’m so lazy that I’m more of a solar decoration kinda person. If it is powered by the sun and has lights, I’m using that to decorate my house. 😅 I don’t want to deal with extension cords and all that. I also bought the candy I’m passing out for Halloween night – I didn’t get any chocolates, it’s too expensive, so I stuck with sour patch kids and nerds kind of candy.
Baseball – I don’t usually watch it but Phillies were playing and they lost.
Football – Eagles played twice this week and LOST. I was so over sports this week. 😅
Albums I listened to:
Cardi B – Am I the Drama? – still…Check Please is my new favorite song, it was Errtime, but Check Please is so good.
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.
Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?
The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.
The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.
Content Warning: death, grief, insomnia
+ This is the first Riley Sager book I’ve read and I thought the narrator really did a great job bringing this story to life. I liked how it jumped from the present and to the past where we get to learn of the kids in the neighborhood and the families. The present shows a great picture of how time have past and how things have changed or stayed the same. There were a few factors in this story that made this mystery very interesting.
+ Ethan is an unreliable narrator – he is dealing with trauma from that night his best friend was taken from the tent in his backyard. Because of it he has insomnia and at times in the book think he is losing his mind. I really like how the past is set in 1994 – it was nostalgic for me and I really liked Ashley, Ethan’s babysitter, and how she always looked out for him.
+ I like the mix of paranormal, possible occult rituals, the mysterious academy behind the neighborhood and the different relationships between the guy friends trying to lead us in different directions in the story. But who killed Billy really was a mystery and one I didn’t figure out.
~ It’s a mystery so I felt like the beginning moved slow as Ethan is back in the neighborhood, facing trauma and memories of the past while thinking he was losing his mind.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook version of Middle of the Night! The story picks up more at the halfway mark and from there on, I was hooked. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.
This week’s topic is:
October 10: TBR Roulette
Prompts: What makes you keep a book on your TBR? Find a random number generator, put in the number of books on your TBR and roll 5 times! Note down the book each number corresponds to on your list (or just pick 5 books at random off your TBR) and tell us: what made you add the book to your shelf—was it a cover add? Does it have your favourite tropes? How long has it been on your TBR? If it has been on your TBR for a long time, do you still want to read it or have you lost interest?
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What makes you keep a book on your TBR?
I have no clue! lol My TBR is not something that is organized, or something I check – though maybe I should but I think it gets so overwhelming to know all the books I want to read and haven’t gotten to! So the books just stay there, unless I do a whole motivated look at my “want to read” Goodreads list. Thing is – that list isn’t exactly accurate either, there are so many books I want to read that I haven’t noted down in Goodreads.
If it has been on your TBR for a long time, do you still want to read it or have you lost interest?
I’m not going to do the number generator prompt but I’ll answer this question – if a book has been on my TBR for a long time, usually I don’t want to read it. But maybe because I have too many arcs to read and no time to really reach far back into my TBR list.
Prompts: How do you feel when an author you love does something new and not at all like their previous work? Do you still read all their books, or do you stop after a point? If they write in a new genre that you don’t read, do you read it for the author, or stop following every title the author releases (in the new genre)? What are some of your favourite books where the author veered away from their previous work quite drastically?
October 10: TBR Roulette
Prompts: What makes you keep a book on your TBR? Find a random number generator, put in the number of books on your TBR and roll 5 times! Note down the book each number corresponds to on your list (or just pick 5 books at random off your TBR) and tell us: what made you add the book to your shelf—was it a cover add? Does it have your favourite tropes? How long has it been on your TBR? If it has been on your TBR for a long time, do you still want to read it or have you lost interest?
Prompts:Do you read horror? What do you think of when you hear the word horror? Are there any books you read that are not practically horror but have some horror element in them?
October 24: Recapping Anticipated Reads
Prompts:With two months left in the year following October, let’s recap your anticipated releases so far. How have you fared with your most anticipated releases in 2025—have they mostly met with your expectations or have you been let down? Were you surprised by 2025 releases you weren’t anticipating but ended up being more enjoyable than expected? Are there any 2025 releases you’re still waiting on?If you like, share your top 2025 releases so far!
October 31: Halloween Freebie! 👻
Prompts:Happy Halloween, folks! 🎃 To celebrate the spooky fest, we’re making today a Halloween freebie! You can check out our blogs for inspiration (Aria and Dini) or write about something else you’re interested in!
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Atria Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Wanted: one hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous when you kiss me under the mistletoe at all the holiday parties. Bonus points if you make him cry.
To my surprise my billionaire boss is more than up for the challenge of coming down the chimney as my holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one at a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor.
And since my ex is in the wedding party too, my boss and I team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season, including during the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.
But soon staying up late to string the best popcorn balls ever turns into a scorching night in his arms where the chestnuts aren’t the only thing roasting on the open fire.
Can all these winter wonderland nights seeking revenge turn into the real thing when we return to the office? Or are we destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s?
Content Warning: gambling addiction, cheating
+ The holiday vibes is everywhere in this Christmas romance. From start to finish, there is Christmas decor, a Christmas wedding, snow, and Christmas games!
+ This a fake dating, billionaire, workplace, single dad, holiday romance and I think it all worked together well! I liked both characters – Wilder owns a football team and other business. He’s also a sweet single dad to a little girl, Mac. The only really challenging part in his life is dealing with his dad who has a gambling addiction but Wilder’s a good guy. As for Fable, she’s the creative type with a fun personality. I thought they were cute together, with lots of chemistry and they brought the holiday spice for sure!
~ I didn’t know this was a book in a series but I think this does well as a standalone. I did find it curious that there were a lot of characters there for a story (all of Fable’s friends), but it being book 5 in a series makes sense as to why there are so many characters.
~ I saw in Goodreads reviews that people said this book was too long, and in this revised version I think it’s cut down by 100 pages from the first publication and I thought it was a good length.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, this was a fun holiday romance filled with Christmas, family, friends, spice and romance!
Saeris Fane doesn’t want power. The very last thing she needs is her name whispered on an entire court’s lips, but now that she’s been crowned queen of the Blood Court, she’s discovering that a queen’s life is not her own. A heavy weight rests upon her shoulders.
Her ward – and her brother – need her back in her homeland . . . but the changes that have strengthened Saeris have also made her weak. Born under blazing suns, Saeris will surely die if she makes her way home through the Quicksilver. Which means that, once again, she must send someone else in her stead . . .
‘Keep your mouth shut. Stick to the shadows. And for the love of all seven Gods, do NOT crack any jokes.’
Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate has defeated armies and survived all manner of horrors, but traveling back to Zilvaren with Carrion Swift might just be the death of him. The male just will not shut up. Hidden dangers await them down the narrow alleyways of the Silver City. Unfolding secrets pose impossible threats. Fisher must wrangle the smuggler and accomplish his goals quickly if he wants to see his mate again.
A darkness falls across Yvelia. The realm and their friends are in danger. Together, Saeris and Fisher will pass through fire and brimstone to save them.
The path of destiny burns with love, magic, and betrayal in this second book in the City of Fantome enemies-to-lovers romantasy series perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Caraval.
From a remote hilltop haven, far from the city of Fantome, Seraphine Marchant and her Order of Flames plot to eradicate shade magic with lightfire. But as Sera struggles to control her blooming powers, destiny calls her back to Fantome—and to the assassin who haunts her dreams.
Ransom Hale can’t get Sera out of his head. As their rivalry grows and he grapples with the responsibility of leading the Order of Daggers, he feels himself slipping further from who he wants to be. Is he doomed to a life in the shadows? Or can he forge another path?
Meanwhile, rebellion is stirring in the kingdom, and a dangerous prince grows in power. Forced to work together by order of the king, Sera and Ransom’s conflicted hearts are tested to their limits. And all the while, an ancient prophecy is unfolding that will change the fate of Valterre forever…
In the cursed Kingdom of Aragoa, the punishment for magic is death.
Even the students at Vandenberghe Academy aren’t spared. When Viola Sinclair’s deadly shadow magic is discovered, the queen gives her assassin a new assignment and a new cursed seven-thorned rose on his arm for the seven days he has to hunt Viola down and kill her. If he doesn’t, he will be the one to die.
The assassin is Roze Roquelart–entitled prince, arrogant fellow student, and the one person Viola hates more than anyone. Roze should revel in the chance to end her life, but he desperately needs something from Viola and her magic. And he’s willing to spare her life–and fake their engagement–to get it.
Forced to work together, Viola and Roze must contend with deadly threats, dangerous secrets, and an impossible attraction. Will they give in to their deepest desires, even if it means destroying Aragoa–and risking both their lives?
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.
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.
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 