Let’s Talk Bookish:  2026 Anticipated Releases | 12/19/25

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:

December 19: 2026 Anticipated Releases (Leyre @ Read You Leyre)

Prompts: What 2026 releases are you most excited for? Are there any sequels you’re looking forward to reading? Are there any debut authors you’re excited to see release their first books? Any favorite authors coming out with something new?

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What 2026 releases are you most excited for?

Are there any sequels you’re looking forward to reading?

There are so many more to list!

Are there any debut authors you’re excited to see release their first books?

Any favorite authors coming out with something new?

December Topics:

December 5: Festive Reads

Prompts: Do you read holiday/winter-themed reads? Do you have any on your TBR this December? What have been favorites from past years? Are there any festive books you like to re-read during the holidays?


December 12: Goodreads Choice Awards

Prompts: The 2025 Goodreads Choice Award winners were announced on December 4th! Do you vote for or keep up with the awards? Have you read any of this year’s winners or nominees? The categories have also changed in recent years, creating some controversy: the Romantasy category was added in 2024, and the Children’s and Middle Grade category was removed. What do you think about these changes? What categories would you like to see go away or come back? Are there any other changes to the awards that you’d like to see?


December 19: 2026 Anticipated Releases (Leyre @ Read You Leyre)

Prompts: What 2026 releases are you most excited for? Are there any sequels you’re looking forward to reading? Are there any debut authors you’re excited to see release their first books? Any favorite authors coming out with something new?


December 26: How do you decide your yearly reading goals? (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you set annual reading and/or blogging goals? Have you decided on any bookish/blogging resolutions for 2026? How do you decide what goals you want to pursue for the year ahead?


New Book Releases This Week | 12/16/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

The Uninvited by. Nancy Banks

A YA paranormal fantasy about vampires in the Paris underground, where a young woman’s bohemian dream turns into a chilling nightmare. Now her survival hinges on bringing to light the city’s darkest and deepest secrets.

When 17-year-old Tosh Reeves moves from Portland, Oregon to Paris, it’s a dream come to life. The city embraces her with its street-life, iconic architecture, and infinite gustatory delights. There’s even a charming expat boy, Nick, who introduces her to sights tourists never see.

From medieval catacombs to the viciously competitive street art scene, Tosh’s immersion in Paris makes her feel wholly alive in a way she’s never before experienced. She belongs.

But when a series of brutal vampiric attacks creeps closer to her new circle of bohemian friends, Tosh will confront the darker side of her beloved Paris, and learn how deeply monsters can strike at a young woman’s power and heart.


A Curse of Ashes by. Sariah Wilson

For a princess, becoming the savior of a nation could mean sacrificing love and life in this breathtaking conclusion to the epic Eye of the Goddess trilogy by USA Today bestselling author Sariah Wilson.

Princess Lia of Locris is the unlikeliest person to be Ilion’s defender. Once, she’d have gladly seen the entire adversarial nation burn. But much has changed. Ilion is home to too many innocents, including her sister. Besides, there is no escaping the goddess’s command. Lia is Ilion’s prophesied savior.

With that mortal obligation come She must never consummate her marriage to Xander, prince of Ilion, lest she lose her powers of divine magic when she needs them most. Physically bonded to share each other’s pain, these former enemies have grown from merely attracted to something more profound. But what future can they have when Lia’s destiny requires sacrificing her life?

As enemies close in and war threatens everything they love, Lia and Xander must find a way to follow the goddess’s laws while also accepting the truth in their hearts—before the prophecy demands its final, fatal price.


The Once and Future Queen by. Paula Lafferty

Outlander-meets-The Princess Bride plus Camelot in a fresh, big-hearted, feminist, timeslip adventure reimagining the epic saga of King Arthur, as told from the perspective of his spunky and surprising queen, Vera – complete with time travel and good running shoes!

Vera always knew she didn’t fit in. When she learns that she is meant to be in another time, she leaps at the chance to embrace a new life in a world of valor, intrigue, and unexpected magic in this bold and romantic retelling of Arthurian legend . . .

22-year-old Vera is at a crossroads: waiting tables, grieving her previous relationship, and jogging aimlessly each morning as if toward an uncertain future. Then an odd man shows up at her workplace, insisting that she was once the legendary Queen Guinevere of Camelot, and that her lost memories hold the key to changing both the past and the present. Somehow, it all feels like the direction she’s been looking for. But when she asks the mysterious man to tell her more about Lancelot, Arthur, and a faithless queen, he can only say that much of what she’s heard about Camelot is wrong. The truth, he claims, is something she must see for herself.

After jumping through a portal in Glastonbury’s historic center, Vera is not prepared for what she finds. Magic is everywhere, but a curse on the kingdom means it dwindles every day. She has no idea how to perform a queen’s duties. Her fast friendship with Lancelot sets gossip flowing, and the stranger she must call “husband” often refuses to meet her eye. Arthur is a puzzle: cold, forbidding, and, while angry to her face, keeps leaving secret tokens of tenderness in her chambers. Worst of all, Vera’s memories—and the answers locked within them—show no signs of returning. If Vera is truly destined to save Camelot, she’ll have to trust her instincts. And her king will have to trust her . . .


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok (TikTok)

Let’s Talk Bookish:  Goodreads Choice Awards | 12/12/25

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:

December 12: Goodreads Choice Awards

Prompts: The 2025 Goodreads Choice Award winners were announced on December 4th! Do you vote for or keep up with the awards? Have you read any of this year’s winners or nominees? The categories have also changed in recent years, creating some controversy: the Romantasy category was added in 2024, and the Children’s and Middle Grade category was removed. What do you think about these changes? What categories would you like to see go away or come back? Are there any other changes to the awards that you’d like to see?

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The 2025 Goodreads Choice Award winners were announced on December 4th! Do you vote for or keep up with the awards? Have you read any of this year’s winners or nominees?

I do vote if I see any books I’ve read on the list. And I did see books I’ve read in some categories and voted for the ones I loved.

The categories have also changed in recent years, creating some controversy: the Romantasy category was added in 2024, and the Children’s and Middle Grade category was removed. What do you think about these changes?

I didn’t even know they created a category and removed one, that’s how I’m not so serious about the awards I guess. I vote for fun. I don’t know how I feel about them removing a category, I guess I didn’t notice so it’s fine. 🤷🏻‍♀️

What categories would you like to see go away or come back? Are there any other changes to the awards that you’d like to see?

Again, I’m just a casual voter and do it if I’m on Goodreads and see it’s up, but the results don’t usually make me want to read a book more. So I don’t know that I care about it enough to want changes to it.

December Topics:

December 5: Festive Reads

Prompts: Do you read holiday/winter-themed reads? Do you have any on your TBR this December? What have been favorites from past years? Are there any festive books you like to re-read during the holidays?


December 12: Goodreads Choice Awards

Prompts: The 2025 Goodreads Choice Award winners were announced on December 4th! Do you vote for or keep up with the awards? Have you read any of this year’s winners or nominees? The categories have also changed in recent years, creating some controversy: the Romantasy category was added in 2024, and the Children’s and Middle Grade category was removed. What do you think about these changes? What categories would you like to see go away or come back? Are there any other changes to the awards that you’d like to see?


December 19: 2026 Anticipated Releases (Leyre @ Read You Leyre)

Prompts: What 2026 releases are you most excited for? Are there any sequels you’re looking forward to reading? Are there any debut authors you’re excited to see release their first books? Any favorite authors coming out with something new?


December 26: How do you decide your yearly reading goals? (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you set annual reading and/or blogging goals? Have you decided on any bookish/blogging resolutions for 2026? How do you decide what goals you want to pursue for the year ahead?


WWW Wednesday | 12/10/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

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 was a busy weekend, which I thought led into an okay Monday, I did have stuff to do but I got a lot of reading done. Then yesterday was busy like I didn’t expect 😩 it’s that holiday “spirit” – busyness 😅.

BTW I am having fantasy fatigue I think – I was reading two books at the same time and both books had a side character named Kole, both were set in academia, both had magic – it’s all starting to blend. 🫠 Which means I need more palate cleansers! Please leave me any recs below that isn’t Fantasy or Dark Academia! lol

What are you currently reading?

Graceless Heart by. Isabel Ibañez – 1% no progress but will get to this probably this weekend?

Stolen Midnights by. Katherine Quinn – 8% no progress

Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi – 1% I was gifted this by the author but I’m kind of not in the mood to read a covid/dystopian book. I’ll try it again after Christmas.

Seven Deadly Thorns by. Amber Hamilton – 185/388 – this one is fun! I hope to finish by this weekend or earlier.

Song of the Stars by. Kaiti Mills – 42% – she’s an indie author and I saw her book on tiktok so I wanted to try it. It is very magical and kind of a cozy fantasy right now, so a bit too slow moving for me even though the characters are on a quest.

Mate by. Ali Hazelwood – 4% – but I think I’m going to return, not because I don’t like it, I just started, but I think I’ll be getting the audiobook in a few weeks and I could finish it faster that way.

The Book of Blood and Roses by. Annie Summerlee – 21%


What have you just finished reading?

Smoke and Scar by. Gretchen Powell Fox – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Oxford Blood by. Rachael Davis Featherstone – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

We’re a Bad Idea, Right? – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Swan’s Daughter by. Roshani Chokshi – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ALC)

Wings of Ash & Flame by. Jocelyn Bleu – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫


What are you going to read next?

Fallen Gods by. Rachel Van Dyken

Songbird of the Sorrows by. Braidee Otto

Dawn of the North by. Demi Winter

What are YOU reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 12/9/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Trail Rides & Starry Eyes by. Katrina Emmel

A swoony, sweet YA rural romance between a rancher and the Hollywood hotshot she’s tasked with turning into a cowboy—perfect for fans of Kasie West, Erin Hahn, and Kristy Boyce!

Sixteen-year-old Cassidy Sterling can’t imagine life beyond her family’s Wyoming ranch. Her days are filled with colt breaking, cattle rustling, and an online Intro to Astronomy class. Seventeen-year-old Wilder Nash also has his sights set on the stars—the ones on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A teen heartthrob, he’s now he’s ready for the big time. To land a lead role as a cowboy in a prime-time mini-series, he must convince the casting director he’s an experienced horseman. The problem? He’s all hat and no cowboy.

With less than a month to learn to ride, Wilder heads to Silver Stallion Ranch.

Cassidy’s quiet life is disrupted when Wilder arrives. As he mucks out stalls and grooms horses, Wilder begins to see there’s more to life than his looks. And Cassidy starts imagining a future beyond the ranch. The growing spark between them threatens to ignite into something more, but Cassidy must decide if she’s brave enough to take the reins of her own life. Meanwhile, Wilder faces a the glamorous life of a star or a simpler life under the stars.


An Archive of Romance by. Ava Reid

The enchanting world of A Study in Drowning comes to life through letters, poems, art, and more in this beautifully illustrated full-color novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid, featuring over forty illustrations, expanded and new text, stunning endpapers, and romantic rose gold foil for a jaw-dropping addition to the beloved dark academia series.

“I will love you to ruination,” the Fairy King said, brushing a strand of golden hair from my cheek.

“Yours or mine?” I asked.

The Fairy King did not answer.

Effy and Preston have been torn apart by the wars of men, the power of words, and the specter of magic—but it was through stories that they found each other. Relive Effy and Preston’s love story through their own pens in this immersive collection of mementos, illustrations, maps, blueprints, diary entries, and more. Read Angharad with Effy’s annotations; sneak excerpts of Preston’s diary; see the architectural sketches that brought Effy to Hiraeth; get your own ticket to Saltney; and experience the never-before-seen epilogue to Effy and Preston’s romance.


My Blade, Your Back by. K.M. Moronova

Broken. Lost. Unforgiven.

One month after surviving the Under Trials, Emery Maves finds herself in a world she doesn’t recognize―with a man whose cold eyes are haunted by secrets she can’t remember. Stripped of her memories, Emery is tormented by dreams of danger, death, and deceit. The only constant is the lure of the experimental drug that shatters her mind but leaves her almost invincible―and the dangerous pull of the man called Mori.

Cameron Mortem is fighting a battle he thought he’d already lost. He knows letting Emery in could destroy them both, but her amnesia is a curse neither of them can outrun. Forced together on a high-stakes level black mission that goes disastrously wrong, they find themselves thrust deeply into the underworld of the black market with an unexpected foe.

But as old scars are torn open and hidden plots unravel, Emery discovers she’s more tangled in this world than she ever imagined. And Cameron will have to face the one person he fears most: himself.

Loyalties will be tested. Secrets will be weaponized. Their bond―once forged in blood―may be the only thing that can save them. If they don’t lose themselves first.


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok (TikTok)

Let’s Talk Bookish:  Festive Reads | 12/5/25

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:

December 5: Festive Reads

Prompts: Do you read holiday/winter-themed reads? Do you have any on your TBR this December? What have been favorites from past years? Are there any festive books you like to re-read during the holidays?

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Do you read holiday/winter-themed reads?

I read holiday/winter-themes arcs and they are published in October usually so I’m reading them in September, which kind of defeats the purpose for me lol. Because I’m probably reading horror in September also since it’s Fall.

But if I don’t have arcs, I sometimes don’t seek out holiday reads. It’s also very hot right now still in Hawaii and I’m not feeling wintery at all. So I think I’m skipping them this year unless I see something on Kindle Unlimited that catches my eye.

Do you have any on your TBR this December?

I do not.

What have been favorites from past years?

When I was into historical romances, years ago, decades ago 😅 I used to love anything by Lisa Kleypas. But the most current holiday romance I read and enjoyed is My Favorite Holidate by. Lauren Blakely.

Are there any festive books you like to re-read during the holidays?

No, I don’t.

December Topics:

December 5: Festive Reads

Prompts: Do you read holiday/winter-themed reads? Do you have any on your TBR this December? What have been favorites from past years? Are there any festive books you like to re-read during the holidays?


December 12: Goodreads Choice Awards

Prompts: The 2025 Goodreads Choice Award winners were announced on December 4th! Do you vote for or keep up with the awards? Have you read any of this year’s winners or nominees? The categories have also changed in recent years, creating some controversy: the Romantasy category was added in 2024, and the Children’s and Middle Grade category was removed. What do you think about these changes? What categories would you like to see go away or come back? Are there any other changes to the awards that you’d like to see?


December 19: 2026 Anticipated Releases (Leyre @ Read You Leyre)

Prompts: What 2026 releases are you most excited for? Are there any sequels you’re looking forward to reading? Are there any debut authors you’re excited to see release their first books? Any favorite authors coming out with something new?


December 26: How do you decide your yearly reading goals? (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you set annual reading and/or blogging goals? Have you decided on any bookish/blogging resolutions for 2026? How do you decide what goals you want to pursue for the year ahead?


WWW Wednesday | 12/3/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

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?

Happy December! I’m trying to catch up as much reading as I can and trying to stay ahead of my arcs, woohoo! So far, I’ve been doing good and almost finished with January arcs and will be starting on February arcs. I can’t believe I’ve been on top of it!😅.

I think because I’m ahead of my arcs, I have been reaching for anything and everything on Kindle Unlimited that I’ve been wanting to read. Or just new titles I’ve been seeing here and there on socials or just looking on Amazon. I like that I have this “free” time to read. I really should also tackle my hardcover books but I only have 2 that I haven’t read yet.

What are you currently reading?

Graceless Heart by. Isabel Ibañez – 1%

Stolen Midnights by. Katherine Quinn – 8%

Smoke and Scar by. Gretchen Powell Fox – 52 %

Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi – 1%

Oxford Blood by. Rachael Davis Featherstone – 3%


What have you just finished reading?

Sword Catcher by. Cassandra Clare – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Dance with Waves and Flames by. M.B. Reese – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hollow by. Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti ⭐️⭐️⭐️

We’ve Hit Turbulence by. Jessica L. Cozzi – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Your Knife, My Heart by. K.M. Moronova – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Ragpicker King by. Cassandra Clare – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Vow of Shadow and Blood by. Charlene Antrobus – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


What are you going to read next?

The Book of Blood and Roses by. Annie Summerlee

Fallen Gods by. Rachel Van Dyken

Song of the Stars by. Kaiti Mills

Songbird of the Sorrows by. Braidee Otto

Dawn of the North by. Demi Winter

What are YOU reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 12/2/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

The Mating Game by. Lana Ferguson

Two wolf shifters reluctant to love discover there’s no fighting the call of the wild in this steamy romanceby USA Today bestselling author Lana Ferguson.

Contractor Tess Covington has spent her entire life as a regular non-shifter human, so after she lands in the Denver ER with flu-like symptoms, it comes as a complete shock to be told that, no, she’s not sick—she’s actually a late-presenting omega wolf shifter. With her family in dire financial straits and a contract for her own television show on the line, she can’t afford not to complete the renovation job she came for. And given that her newly emerged wolf is in danger of going into heat, she’ll just have to do her best to follow the doctor’s advice to keep away from alpha shifters.

Alpha wolf Hunter Barrett has spent most of his adult life living by a routine, and a big part of that involves staying clear of omegas after having one stomp on his heart. So when the tiny contractor shows up at his place smelling like the one thing he’s determined to avoid, he thinks it must be some sort of cosmic joke. But with his lodge on the verge of failing and this sweet-smelling omega his only hope to turn things around . . . he’s left with few other options than to grin and bear it.

Set on avoiding each other as much as possible, they find things unexpectedly starting to heat up between them enough to thaw even the frostiest of hearts. Though even with the pair going head over paws for each other, there’s no changing that their fling has an expiration date. The more time they spend together, the more they realize they’re playing a dangerous game—one where the only thing on the line is their hearts.


Persephone’s Curse by. Katrina Leno

The Hazel Wood meets Laini Taylor in this gorgeous speculative tale of sisterhood, ghosts and old family curses.

Are the four Farthing sisters really descended from Persephone? This is what their aunt has always told that the women in their family can trace their lineage right back to the Goddess of the Dead. And maybe she’s right, because the Farthing girls do have a ghost in the attic of their Manhattan brownstone —a kind and gentle ghost named Henry, who only they can see.

When one of the sisters falls in love with the ghost, and another banishes him to the Underworld, the sisters are faced with even bigger questions about who they are. If they really are related to Persephone, and they really are a bit magic, then perhaps it’s up to them to save Henry, to save the world, and to save each other.


A Kiss of Hammer and Flame by. Amy De La Force

An immortal bound in darkness. A shattered empire at war. And a blacksmith whose heart could tip the scales of fate.

When young blacksmith Cahra is commissioned to forge a sword, she uses her imagination to design a symbol. But this symbol invokes an age-old prophecy and awakens Hael – an immortal with the power to shape or shatter worlds – sealed away in a chamber deep in Hael’stromia, the lost capital at the heart of a civil war between three kingdoms.

Now hunted for the sword, Cahra must flee with the very stranger who commissioned it. But what does she truly know about the handsome and charming noble, Terryl?

On the run through the darkly magical Wilds, she is drawn ever closer to Hael, who visits and beguiles her in dreams. With tyrant kings vying to capture Hael and wield him as a weapon, she alone stands between Hael and their deadly ambitions. Will Cahra risk everything to free him in time to save the empire?

A sizzling, action-packed romantasy, perfect for fans of The North WindThrone of Glass and The Book of Azrael.

(Physically) strong female lead

Love triangle

Slow burn

Forbidden love

Hades x Persephone

Who hurt you?

Fated mates

Age gap (just a couple hundred years…)

Found family


The Last Vampire by. Romina Garber

Pride & Prejudice meets Crave when Austen-loving Lorena Navarro attends a new boarding school expecting to find her own Mr. Darcy, but accidentally finds the world’s last vampire instead!

Pride comes before the fall.

When a boarding school opens in a once-condemned Victorian manor buried in the woods of New Hampshire, Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Instead, she stumbles across a coffin and accidentally awakens the world’s last vampire.

After hibernating for nearly three centuries, William Pride is desperate to find his family—and clueless about the modern world. Relying on Lorena for more than just blood, he enrolls at the school to catch up on all he’s missed.

Soon, William uncovers a chilling truth: He is the last hope for his kind’s return to power. Torn between protecting the humans around him and fulfilling his fate, William must make a choice that could change everything. Will he sacrifice his species for love . . . or will he embrace his dark destiny at last?


Something Wicked by. Falon Ballard

From the beloved USA Today bestselling author Falon Ballard comes a seductive romantasy that blends Macbeth and Moulin Rouge! into a hypnotic saga of sex, love, and murder.

The country of Avon is in deep turmoil. The Uprising has overthrown Avon’s monarchial rulers, and a decree has been issued. Candidates for the first presidential election will be selected by the completion of a special task: to kill the former monarch of their home province.

Callum, the son of the recently dethroned king, is determined to be in the running. But to do so, he must come to terms with killing his father, the key to which lies in the hands of Lady Caterine, a Gifted courtesan at La Puissance, Avon’s premiere sex club.

Lady Caterine has always had the magical ability to manipulate the emotions of anyone who experiences an orgasm in her presence. If Callum can only open up to Cate, he will be able to commit the newly fated murder without suffering the guilt and take his place as the rightful candidate from his province. But Callum has a deep-seated mistrust of the Gifted. And the last thing he expects is to be confronted with an undeniable connection with Cate that neither of them understands, nor wants.

With the fate of the country at stake, Callum and Cate search for ways to bare themselves to each other, and discover a darker force building within La Puissance, one that might ruin the future of Avon for good. To stop Avon from violently falling to ashes, they must sacrifice everything they have . . . even if it requires betraying each other.


The Rebel and the Rose (The City of Fantome, #2) by. Catherine Doyle

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…


Fallen Gods (#1) by. Rachel Van Dyken

They said the Gods were myth. That the Giants were only stories told around dying fires. They lied.

The Gods aren’t dead—they’re only sleeping, locked in mortal bodies, scattered across the world, waiting for the right spark to wake them. And my father is the most ruthless of them all.

He raised me to obey. To bleed. To be his blade when the time came. Now he’s sending me to Endir University, a place filled with ancient bloodlines and deadly secrets, to steal back Mjolnir, the hammer of legend. If I fail, everyone I love dies.

But Aric Erikson wasn’t part of the plan. He’s the enemy’s heir. Distant. Dangerous. And…the one person I can’t afford to fall for. He’s closed himself off completely behind a wall of ice, but the more I’m ordered to unravel him, the harder it becomes to remember where the lies end and I begin.

There’s only a mission I never chose—and a man I was never meant to love—standing between me and a war that will decide the fate of the world.

But if I’m the spark, maybe he’s the fuse. And the Gods? They’re about to wake up angry.


Dawn of the Firebird by. Sarah Mughal Rana

For fans of The Poppy War, She Who Became the Sun and The Will of the Many, a breathtaking fantasy novel about the daughter of an overthrown emperor from an exciting new voice

Khamilla Zahr-zad’s life has been built on a foundation of violence and vengeance. Every home she’s known has been destroyed by war. As the daughter of an emperor’s clan, she spent her childhood training to maintain his throne. But when her clansmen are assassinated by another rival empire, plans change. With her heavenly magic of nur, Khamilla is a weapon even enemies would wield—especially those in the magical, scholarly city of Za’skar. Hiding her identity, Khamilla joins the enemy’s army school full of jinn, magic and martial arts, risking it all to topple her adversaries, avenge her clan and reclaim their throne.

To survive, she studies under cutthroat mystic monks and battles in a series of contests to outmaneuver her fellow soldiers. She must win at all costs, even if it means embracing the darkness lurking inside her. But the more she excels, the more she is faced with history that contradicts her father’s teachings. With a war brewing among the kingdoms and a new twisted magic overtaking the land, Khamilla is torn between two impossible vengeance or salvation.


Song of the Stars by. Kaiti Mills

Kit Rivermoor has always been the overlooked fae, living in the shadow of her gifted sister and warrior brother. She never expected her quiet life to change, until a forgotten prophecy stirs unrest in the Seelie courts and pulls her into a journey across the fae lands of Andarnia.

As she travels through glittering cities full of secrets and rivalries, Kit begins to sense a star-bound magic awakening inside her. With it comes a connection that feels fated, a bond that could shape not only her future but the fate of the realm itself.

Kit steps into the unknown, where every choice could change the fate of the fae and the bond that calls to her heart.


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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Let’s Talk Bookish:  Bookish Etiquette | 11/28/25

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 28: Bookish Etiquette (Laurie @ Laurie Is Reading)

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?

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Do you think there’s something such as “bookish etiquette”? Why or why not?

I’ve definitely seen all the talk and discourse about certain reader behaviors and I do think there is something to bookish etiquette. I don’t get any physical ARCs, mostly ebooks, so I never thought people would think of selling it. But if they don’t want it on their shelf or they have no space for it – is it better to just donate? 🤷🏻‍♀️ As for tagging authors and publishers in reviews – I don’t even think to do it because I either forget or I’m just really lazy in making my posts 😅, I just do a hashtag of their book title. But I can see how it can be awful for an author getting bad reviews or something.

What do you think are some dos and don’ts as readers and/or reviewers?

  • I definitely don’t think physical arcs should be sold.
  • Tagging authors because you want them to know you hated their book? Nope – just maybe refrain from it and move on? lol
  • Only positive reviews? I’ve learned there are a LOT of “here for the vibes” readers out there and there is a 6 star review trend now. I can barely give out a 5 star, I don’t know how to even find a 6 star book. 😅. But that’s just me. I think it’s fine to read for the vibes, I wish I was that kind of reader and could give 5 stars easily but I’m not.

Do you agree with all the discourse, or do you stay far away from all the drama?

I stay away from the drama – because there is so much of it. I just want to read in peace. 😅

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?


November 28: Bookish Etiquette (Laurie @ Laurie Is Reading)

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?


WWW Wednesday | 11/26/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

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 Thanksgiving tomorrow so Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate! I got asked to read some books from a few indie authors and since I have time in my schedule (done with my December arcs yay!), I’m going to give these a try. I might even be done with my January arcs soon! I did tell myself not to go overboard on NetGalley for 2026 so let’s see if I can stick to that goal.

What are you currently reading?

Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan – chapter one, no progress

Graceless Heart by. Isabel Ibañez – 1%

Stolen Midnights by. Katherine Quinn – 8%

Smoke and Scar by. Gretchen Powell Fox – 29%

Sword Catcher by. Cassandra Clare – 70% – audiobook

A Dance with Waves and Flames by. M.B. Reese – 12%

Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi – 1%


What have you just finished reading?

The Ordeals by. Rachel Greenlaw ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

All We Once Had by. Katy Upperman ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Brimstone by. Callie Stone ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Drive Me Crazy by. Lizzy Dent ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

We Who Have No Gods by. Liza Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


What are you going to read next?

Three Shattered Souls by. Mai Corland

Oxford Blood by. Rachel Davis Feathersone

We’ve Hit Turbulence by. Jessica L. Cozzi

The Book of Blood and Roses by. Annie Summerlee

What are YOU reading right now?