+ The week went by quick! I got a lot of reading done despite being totally focused on Brimstone by. Callie Hart. I had the need to go read some contemporary books because I think I’ve had enough of fantasy for right now. I’ll be back to it again this week, but I needed like 2-3 days reading contemporaries and that helped me knock off some arcs I have for January and February.
+ My hubby went to Japan yesterday, to get the keys to the house – he’s going to furnish it, etc… and my son at the last minute told me he had a gaming tournament at school. So I had to rearrange some schedules and be uber driver. I’m taking my kids to temple for Sunday school today since my hubby isn’t here and I’m wondering what else I can do in town. I can go to the bookstore but Barnes and Noble is expensive and I already bought books in the Book Outlet sale. 😅. Maybe I’ll just wait for them and read.
Nobody Wants This (Season 2) – Netflix – it’s such a funny and cute show!
LUX by Rosalia is on repeat!!
Chains of Love – Charli XCX – on repeat
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!
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:
November 21: End-of-Year Reading Goals?
Prompts:What books do you want to read before the end of the year? Are there any new releases you’re still looking forward to? What goals did you set at the beginning of the year? Have you changed or added to those goals?
**********
What books do you want to read before the end of the year?
I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray
Brimstone by. Callie Hart
Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan
Every Spiral of Fate by. Tahereh Mafi
Are there any new releases you’re still looking forward to?
I think all my anticipated books for this year have already been published.
What goals did you set at the beginning of the year? Have you changed or added to those goals?
I don’t think a did a list of goals for this year, and if I did, I can’t find it. 😅 I did start a reading journal and I did keep up with it! YAY. I did start a book youtube channel – and I gave up making content lol, it’s too much work! I did meet my reading goals which is always nice. And I did start posting more on instagram. I started also posting on tiktok which was a goal I added mid-year.
November Topics:
November 7: Reading Non-Fiction
Prompts: Happy Non-Fiction November! Do you read non-fiction? If you do read it, what do you love about it? What are your favourite categories to read about (i.e. true crime, historical, memoirs, self-help), and what are some of your favourite non-fiction books? Do you have any tips for those who want to get into reading more non-fiction? If you don’t read non-fiction, what don’t you like about it? Do you think that will change (or has it already changed) over the years?
November 14: Are “Special Editions” still special?
Prompts: With the amount of ‘special’, ‘limited’, or ‘collectors’ editions that have saturated the market (including special limited ARCs), do you still consider special editions to be special? Do you buy special editions? If so, what makes you want to buy one (i.e. sprayed edges, foiling, character art, etc.)? Give us the tea— what books do you think have too many special editions, and what books do you wish had more (or even one!) special editions?
November 21: End-of-Year Reading Goals?
Prompts:What books do you want to read before the end of the year? Are there any new releases you’re still looking forward to? What goals did you set at the beginning of the year? Have you changed or added to those goals?
Prompts:There’s always a lot of bookish discourse ongoing on social media. People talk about selling ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), tagging authors and publishers in reviews, only posting positive reviews— we’ve seen it all! Do you think there’s something such as “bookish etiquette”? Why or why not? What do you think are some dos and don’ts as readers and/or reviewers? Do you agree with all the discourse, or do you stay far away from all the drama?
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?
It’s Brimstone week! And that’s all I’ve been reading since it released. 🤭
I think everyone is counting down to Thanksgiving Break – or is that me? I don’t know why but lately it’s just so hard waking up when it’s still dark out. Yet I’ve been doing that like clockwork for awhile now. I don’t know why this year it feels harder to wake up – I just wanna sleep in. 😅
In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.
“What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.”
Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed.
In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive.
According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit?
To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.
~~ This book is 1000 pages long, has lots of hype around it and I’m not going to read the physical book because it’s a chonker. I’m waiting for the ebook on Libby but I don’t think I’ll be getting to this this year. We’ll see!~~
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 tattoo: 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?
HER WORST ENEMY. HIS ONLY CHANCE.
Be swept away by the sizzling, irresistible enemies-to-lovers romantasy with magic more destructive than your darkest nightmares.
~~I have this one coming as a Fairyloot book for November but I probably won’t read it until early 2026.~~
The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.
Even the sea cannot stay calm before the storm. —Teek saying
Serapio, avatar of the Crow God Reborn and the newly crowned Carrion King, rules Tova. But his enemies gather both on distant shores and within his own city as the matrons of the clans scheme to destroy him. And deep in the alleys of the Maw, a new prophecy is whispered, this one from the Coyote God. It promises Serapio certain doom if its terrible dictates are not fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Xiala is thrust back amongst her people as war comes first to the island of Teek. With their way of life and their magic under threat, she is their last best hope. But the sea won’t talk to her the way it used to, and doubts riddle her mind. She will have to sacrifice the things that matter most to unleash her powers and become the queen they were promised.
And in the far northern wastelands, Naranpa, avatar of the Sun God, seeks a way to save Tova from the visions of fire that engulf her dreams. But another presence has begun stalking her nightmares, and the Jaguar God is on the hunt.
~~ I finished book two this year and wanted to jump into book three but arcs got in the way. So hopefully I can knock this out in early 2026.~~
The highly anticipated fourth novel in the Woven Kingdom romantasy series, brimming with fiery romance, spectacular magic, and breathtaking secrets, from Tahereh Mafi, the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, and Sabaa Tahir.
At long last, the wedding day has arrived.
The Jinn queen and the enigmatic ruler of Tulan are to be married in a magical, enchanted ceremony—but Cyrus, tethered by a blood oath to his bride-to-be, can find nothing to celebrate in this union. He’s falling ever more deeply in love with the one person oathbound to kill him.
Sworn to an ancient, unbreakable magic, Alizeh can only fulfill the prophecy to free her people by ensuring Cyrus dies by her own hand. And Cyrus is forced to await his end all while Prince Kamran inches closer, ready to take his place by Alizeh’s side.
The countdown to murder coils tensions ever tighter, but the historic wedding has already drawn deadly attention. To prepare for war and protect her people, Alizeh must finally discover her magic—and outrun the enemies trying to stop her.
Alizeh and Cyrus, along with Kamran and their friends from Ardunia, must flee on dragon-back to begin the perilous journey into the legendary mountains of Arya, where a firestorm of revelations, magical discoveries, and fresh allies awaits them. Every allegiance will be tested, every darkness uncovered, and when the shattering secrets of the Tulanian king are finally revealed . . .
Nothing, and no one, will be the same.
~~ Why is this series so long?! I loved book 3 and really wanted to pick this up right away but I saw a review saying that this is the slowest of slow burns and the characters don’t even kiss. UGH. So I think I’ll try and wait to see if this book goes to Book Outlet before I buy it. Or I’ll borrow the ebook if available.~~
Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.
Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easygoing even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.
As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.
Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, it all changes in an instant.
Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, creating complex protagonists, and telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love—this time among the stars.
~~ I’m still waiting on Libby for the ebook. 😞. ~~
+ I’ve read all my arcs for December so I actually have time to read books on the backlist or books that’s I’ve been eyeing on Kindle Unlimited, or books on my bookshelf that I haven’t touched yet! Whoohoo! Maybe I can even re-read some books. Imagine that! 😅🤭
+ My mom brought up maybe taking a trip to the Philippines in June 2026. Her mom, my one last grandparent still living, just made 103 years old. We had wanted to go this winter, but with everything happening and her getting her infusions for her cancer treatment, she wasn’t sure. But her last scan was so good, she has another tomorrow and hoping it’s good news and we can plan this trip so she can see her mom. I haven’t visited the Philippines since 2001!!!! So it’s long overdue and I want my kids to see where their grandparents are from.
Nobody Wants This (Season 2) – Netflix – it’s such a funny and cute show!
LUX by Rosalia is on repeat!!
Chains of Love – Charli XCX – love it and can’t wait for the Wuthering Heights soundtrack
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!
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:
November 14: Are “Special Editions” still special?
Prompts: With the amount of ‘special’, ‘limited’, or ‘collectors’ editions that have saturated the market (including special limited ARCs), do you still consider special editions to be special? Do you buy special editions? If so, what makes you want to buy one (i.e. sprayed edges, foiling, character art, etc.)? Give us the tea— what books do you think have too many special editions, and what books do you wish had more (or even one!) special editions?
**********
With the amount of ‘special’, ‘limited’, or ‘collectors’ editions that have saturated the market (including special limited ARCs), do you still consider special editions to be special?
Yes…because I can’t get all of them. 😅. I think deluxe editions that have sprayed edges are not special, but I do think limited and collectors editions from book subscription boxes or other companies that do their own sprayed edges are very special because it can be hard to get (because it’s limited and sold out OR, I just don’t have the funds lol).
Do you buy special editions?
I subscribe to Fairyloot’s YA box – but I really want all three, YA, Adult and Romantasy. But seems like the waitlist is very long for the Adult and Romantasy. Also if they have other non-box editions, I try to buy them but again…it sells out. I also discovered Allurial – but that one, I’ll buy if I see something I like (I just don’t like the A logo on the book covers).
If so, what makes you want to buy one (i.e. sprayed edges, foiling, character art, etc.)?
It has to be a book I love usually. Sometimes it might just be one that I just love the edges, foiling and character art. But I like to collect special editions of books I’ve already read and loved. Of course the box subscription usually have books I haven’t read and I like that! But when I search for a special edition, it’s usually a book I love. Now sometimes I can go on discounted sites like Book Outlet and find a sprayed edge of a book I didn’t totally love but enjoyed and for the right price I’ll buy it and add to my shelf because it’s pretty. 😅
Give us the tea— what books do you think have too many special editions, and what books do you wish had more (or even one!) special editions?
The ACOTAR series has way too many editions – I don’t know if they are special editions, but there are too many different versions of the cover for the set. Actually that might go for Throne of Glass series too but I’m not sure. I kind of wish the series This Woven Kingdom by. Tahereh Mafi had special editions or sprayed edges, the book covers are gorgeous…would have loved the edges to get some special treatment! I also wish the Legendborn series came out with sprayed edges – there is a Fairyloot version for Oathbound but I want a matching set! Who knows, maybe both these series eventually will have limited editions.
November Topics:
November 7: Reading Non-Fiction
Prompts: Happy Non-Fiction November! Do you read non-fiction? If you do read it, what do you love about it? What are your favourite categories to read about (i.e. true crime, historical, memoirs, self-help), and what are some of your favourite non-fiction books? Do you have any tips for those who want to get into reading more non-fiction? If you don’t read non-fiction, what don’t you like about it? Do you think that will change (or has it already changed) over the years?
November 14: Are “Special Editions” still special?
Prompts: With the amount of ‘special’, ‘limited’, or ‘collectors’ editions that have saturated the market (including special limited ARCs), do you still consider special editions to be special? Do you buy special editions? If so, what makes you want to buy one (i.e. sprayed edges, foiling, character art, etc.)? Give us the tea— what books do you think have too many special editions, and what books do you wish had more (or even one!) special editions?
November 21: End-of-Year Reading Goals?
Prompts:What books do you want to read before the end of the year? Are there any new releases you’re still looking forward to? What goals did you set at the beginning of the year? Have you changed or added to those goals?
Prompts:There’s always a lot of bookish discourse ongoing on social media. People talk about selling ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), tagging authors and publishers in reviews, only posting positive reviews— we’ve seen it all! Do you think there’s something such as “bookish etiquette”? Why or why not? What do you think are some dos and don’ts as readers and/or reviewers? Do you agree with all the discourse, or do you stay far away from all the drama?
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?
It’s mid-November and I finally slowed down with reading because I don’t have as many arcs for December! So now I’m going to work on January arcs and hardcovers on my shelf, and some Kindle Unlimited books. It would be nice if my Libby holds would appear lol…now that I have time!
+ It was my birthday week and all I wanted was a good election day (there was no election here in Hawaii) and wow, the results all over the country made my heart so happy so that was the best birthday gift ever.
+ But the government is still shutdown and my hubby has missed 2 paychecks…going on 3. We are dipping into savings – but I cannot believe this admin is saying no to jobs, no to feeding people, no to affordable healthcare but yes to building a ballroom? I cannot wait for midterms!
+ It’s a four day weekend for my kids and my hubby too. We’re gonna go have a belated birthday lunch or dinner for me.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2025 – was only watching to see what Olivia Rodrigo would perform and wow Salt-N-Pepa got inducted in!!! Talk about bringing me back to my childhood – I grew up on their music. Their performance was so good! Olivia did amazing – I love the White Stripes. Twenty-One Pilots did amazing too! And OutKast getting inducted was awesome too – the music of my 20’s, I loved it! The Soundgarden tribute was amazing too – I still remembering being devastated when I heard Chris Cornell passed, Black Hole Sun was one of my favorite songs. The show was way too long and I was streaming it on youtube since we cancelled Disney+ – I wanted to see Cyndi Lauper – the music of my early childhood, of course lol but I had to do other things.
Music – Lux – Rosalia – I transcended when I listened to this!!! I LOVE IT. It’s definitely the kind of music that cleanses my music palate. I needed this. I even cried to Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti. I haven’t cried to music in forever….I grew up Catholic and I’ve had such a challenging relationship with it (mostly when I was young) and I’m at peace with it now, but it took so much growing. But one thing I always miss about going to mass…the music. Anyway, this album….does something to my soul. It’s on repeat!
Dunno if UMG will remove this video like it did with the last one but whatever…I love all the songs on the album, I can’t pick one right now! She sings in a few different languages on this album which is so AMAZING. I can’t understand any of the foreign languages, I know very little Spanish even though I took it in college but it was easier to practice in college because I went to school in Los Angeles and my Latina friends exposed me to so much music!! So I might have understood more back then but not now and it’s okay because this album makes me feel without having to understand what is being said.
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!
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:
November 7: Reading Non-Fiction
Prompts: Happy Non-Fiction November! Do you read non-fiction? If you do read it, what do you love about it? What are your favourite categories to read about (i.e. true crime, historical, memoirs, self-help), and what are some of your favourite non-fiction books? Do you have any tips for those who want to get into reading more non-fiction? If you don’t read non-fiction, what don’t you like about it? Do you think that will change (or has it already changed) over the years?
**********
Do you read non-fiction? If you do read it, what do you love about it?
I very seldom read non-fiction, but when I do it’s because I want information – I want “the tea” so to speak. 😅
What are your favourite categories to read about (i.e. true crime, historical, memoirs, self-help), and what are some of your favourite non-fiction books?
I don’t think I’ve read true crime non-fiction (but give me a documentary on tv and I will eat it up!). If I do read non-fiction it will be memoirs.
Do you have any tips for those who want to get into reading more non-fiction?
Unfortunately, I don’t read enough of it to give tips about how to get into reading it but I think reading a memoir is a good start.
November Topics:
November 7: Reading Non-Fiction
Prompts: Happy Non-Fiction November! Do you read non-fiction? If you do read it, what do you love about it? What are your favourite categories to read about (i.e. true crime, historical, memoirs, self-help), and what are some of your favourite non-fiction books? Do you have any tips for those who want to get into reading more non-fiction? If you don’t read non-fiction, what don’t you like about it? Do you think that will change (or has it already changed) over the years?
November 14: Are “Special Editions” still special?
Prompts: With the amount of ‘special’, ‘limited’, or ‘collectors’ editions that have saturated the market (including special limited ARCs), do you still consider special editions to be special? Do you buy special editions? If so, what makes you want to buy one (i.e. sprayed edges, foiling, character art, etc.)? Give us the tea— what books do you think have too many special editions, and what books do you wish had more (or even one!) special editions?
November 21: End-of-Year Reading Goals?
Prompts:What books do you want to read before the end of the year? Are there any new releases you’re still looking forward to? What goals did you set at the beginning of the year? Have you changed or added to those goals?
Prompts:There’s always a lot of bookish discourse ongoing on social media. People talk about selling ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), tagging authors and publishers in reviews, only posting positive reviews— we’ve seen it all! Do you think there’s something such as “bookish etiquette”? Why or why not? What do you think are some dos and don’ts as readers and/or reviewers? Do you agree with all the discourse, or do you stay far away from all the drama?
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?
We are in November and I only have one arc to finish for this month since I finished most of them in October. So I will be starting on my December arcs and maybe January ones too since my month is wide open! I’m also excited to read some non-arc books! I downloaded a few from Kindle Unlimited, so we’ll see how those go.
Also, I’ve come so far in my audiobook listening journey. I used to hate it – only could get through 2 a year, sometimes only 1. I thought it was too slow, sometimes the voices I just couldn’t vibe with. But now that I know I can speed it up faster than 2X (yes it took me 2 years before knowing this LOL 😆) – I’ve been on a roll and actually finding some 5 star reads because of it. So I’m patting myself on the back for keep trying with audiobooks. I love them!
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 