Let’s Talk Bookish:  Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life | 3/6/26

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:

March 6: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life

Prompts: March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is also International Women’s Day

 In honour of this month celebrating women, let’s talk about the women who’ve shaped our reading lives. Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading? Who was the first woman author you remember loving? Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

**********

Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading?

A few! I grew up in a house with many people, there were like 5 families, it was a multigenerational household. The matriarch of the house was my Aunt Linda, my dad’s sister-in-law, had historical romance paperbacks on a shelf in the living room. I would look at them but was too young to read them, but I was already fascinated with the covers, a woman in a gown, guy with long hair (Fabio?! lol). It definitely made me curious. But I have an older cousin named Vicky, 10 years older than me, and she was from the Philippines, moved to the Big Island, then moved to Oahu and lived with us so she could go to school to become a medical assistant. She had Sweet Valley High books, and Sweet Dreams books!

She passed down all her books to my sister and I since she felt like she outgrew them. But while she wasn’t reading teen romances anymore…she moved on to historical romances and one of them was Judith McNaught. I don’t know if I just went into her room and borrowed it or how it ended up in my hands but as a teenager, I was hooked on historically romances along with young adult books. So a big thank you to my cousin Vicky!

Who was the first woman author you remember loving?

Judith McNaught. My sister and I were obsessed! We read all the books my cousin had and then fell into a rabbit hole of historical romance authors!

Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

Yes, I do. I feel like so many books in high school, the classics, were mostly male authors. And honestly…it was fine but I felt like I didn’t relate much to them. But when I read female authors…wow…the connection. When I read all the romance I could find at my high school library I did read male authors like Stephen King, Nelson Demille, Dan Brown, but I always went back to women authors because I just relate more.

March 2026 Topics:

March 6: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life

Prompts: March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is also International Women’s Day.  In honour of this month celebrating women, let’s talk about the women who’ve shaped our reading lives. Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading? Who was the first woman author you remember loving? Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?


March 13: Immersive Reading (suggested by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black)

Prompts: Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading? Do you prefer it or is it not for you? Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book? Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?


March 20: Portrayals of Women in Books

Prompts: We’ve previously talked about underrepresented women and women in STEM in books, but let’s take a look at portrayals of women in books. Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time? Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men? Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly? Are girls and women written more complexly in books today? Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!


March 27: Right Book, Right Time? Reading for the Season You’re In (suggested by Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe)

Prompts: Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older? Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life? Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?

WWW Wednesday | 3/4/26

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 March, which is crazy…I have a feeling the months are going to fly from here on out. Kind of looking forward to it and not. But let’s see what I’m reading!

What are you currently reading?

The Poison Daughter by. Sheila Masterson – 5%

Eternal is the Night by. Alayna Ravenwood – arc – 17%

The Shippers by. Katherine Centers – alc – 20%

Daggermouth by. H.M. Wolfe – I’m doing a re-read because I miss being in this world and have to pass the time before book two comes out lol.

The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther – arc – 2%


What have you just finished reading?

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by. Takuya Asakura – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Deathly Fates by. Tesia Tsai- audiobook – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Half City by. Kate Golden – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


What are you going to read next?

Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan

The Bloody and the Damned by. Becca Coffindaffer

Cruel Angel by. Rebecca Kenney

Japanese Gothic by. Kylie Lee Baker

The Thorn Queen by. Sasha Peyton Smith


What are YOU reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 3/3/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!


The Dragon and the Sun Lotus by. Amélie Wen Zhao

In the breathtaking sequel to The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, the battle has just begun. With Àn’yīng’s kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction, and amidst a budding forbidden romance, she must now risk everything to protect her world.

A decade ago, the Kingdom of Night began the war against the Kingdom of Rivers, ravaging the lands and releasing mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—to roam free, drinking the souls of mortals. Now the mó have made it beyond the magical wards of the immortal realm—the Kingdom of Sky—and will not stop until the entire world falls to darkness.

Àn’yīng is determined to banish the mó to their realm and return the mortal realm to peace. But a stunning betrayal has turned the tides of this Her handsome rival from the Immortality Trials and the man she was falling in love with, Yù’chén, is now the enemy. Yù’chén is half mó, his mother none other than Sansiran, the Demon Queen of the Kingdom of Night . . . and the monster responsible for killing Àn’yīng’s father.

There is one hope for the future, though. The boy in the jade—Àn’yīng’s lifelong mystery guardian and heir to the last mortal Emperor—Hào’yáng. Together, Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng must join forces to rally an army that stretches across realms, from the Four Seas of the Dragons to the Phoenixes of the Golden Desert. But first she must awaken to the immortal power slumbering in her own veins.

The thrilling conclusion of The Three Realms duology
THE SCORPION AND THE NIGHT BLOSSOM • THE DRAGON AND THE SUN LOTUS


She Drinks the Light by. Yasmin Angoe

For fans of Sinners and Immortal Dark, a teen girl must uncover her family’s deadly secrets in order to save her best friend and her island in this heart-pounding YA debut.

Addae has spent her whole life on the Golden Isle, a private island off the coast of South Carolina that has been in her family for centuries. Island residents don’t really fraternize with mainlanders, and for good reason. Golden Isle was founded by the Kinfolk, descendants—including Addae and her Nana Ama, the island matriarch—of escaped enslaved Black people.

But the Isle and the Kinfolk have secrets that must be protected from the outside world. Secrets of spirituality, mythology that are deeply rooted in their West African culture, beliefs, and traditions. The Kin are bound to protect the Golden Isle and, in turn, it protects them.

When Addae’s best friend Naria goes missing and one of the Kin turns up drained of blood, Addae’s way of life is threatened. It looks like the work of the Adze, West African supernatural beings that drink human blood in order to survive—also known as vampires.

Believing Naira is alive, Addae travels to the mainland. But as Addae gets closer to finding Naria, she uncovers deep secrets about Nana Ama’s past, and about her own… secrets that could change how she feels about the Golden Isle and her lineage.

Torn between two worlds, Addae will have to decide how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to save her best friend, and even herself.


Her Hidden Fire by. Clíodhna O’Sullivan

Perfect for fans of Powerless, Lightlark, and Red Queen, this heart-pounding romantasy forces a girl to make an impossible watch the boy she loves get exiled for lack of magic, or pass her formidable powers off as his own.

In a world where dragons soar through the skies and magical abilities are an elite privilege, the ruling family of Ailm’s Keep is on a Can their son Ionáin prove that he can channel magic, or will his entire family be cast out in disgrace?

Éadha, a servant girl who loves Ionáin, is shocked to discover shortly before the test that she can wield magic herself. It’s extremely rare for a girl to have this talent, especially outside the few great Families. At Ionáin’s moment of truth, when it’s clear he is about to fail, Éadha makes a desperate gamble to save him from humiliation by pretending her magic is his, forfeiting her own claim to power.

Her decision sends them both to an academy of magic, where she must shield her secret from every grim Master and scheming apprentice—especially the handsome but enigmatic Gry. As Éadha enters this whirlwind of patriarchy, class, heartache, and jealousy, she also learns about magic’s terrible cost—the human price that Channellers willingly pay to maintain their power.

How far would you go to empower the one you love?


Midnight on the Celestial by. Julia Alexandria

Roe Damarcus has never been afraid of the dead. Her power to summon spirits has awed the guests of her esteemed family’s galas for as long as she can remember. Her future is certain, and her gift will be another shining jewel in the Damarcus legacy.

But when she fails her realm’s trial to keep her magic and is deemed too dangerous for society, she faces a harrowing choice: give up her gift or serve a punishment sentence aboard the Celestial, a luxurious magical cruise ship where staff members compete for guest votes to earn a coveted retrial.

As a concierge, Roe juggles the demands of affluent guests, cruel bosses, and the suspicion that an infuriatingly handsome silks performer, Ivander, is determined to keep her from a retrial.

But the true dangers surface after her shift ends when the Celestial transforms into halls of nightmares that kill staff members after dark. Faced with the reality of serving aboard, Roe begins to question the ship, trials, and the system that put her there. But the moment Roe sinks into the ship’s dark history, she’s wrongly framed for a guest’s murder. Vowing to conjure her own second chance, Roe will use whatever power she has to uncover the secrets of the ship, her family, and their entwined bloody past… before she becomes the Celestial’s next victim.


The Library of Amorlin by. Kalyn Josephson

Former con artist Kasira expected to spend her life as a soldier, miserably working off her prison sentence by hunting down magical creatures for the fanatical kingdom of Kalthos. But when the Kalish ambassador arrives with a non-negotiable assignment, Kasira finds herself swept into the biggest con of her life: infiltrating the Library of Amorlin. 

As the heart of all magic and the protector of magical creatures throughout the six kingdoms, the Library is historically politically neutral. Kasira is meant to pose as the new Assistant to spy for the ambassador and destabilize the Library from the inside, clearing the way to dethrone its Librarian. 

But when she arrives, Kasira learns that the Library is not all she was told it would be. Neither is the prickly, handsome Librarian, Allaster, whose own monstrous secrets are about to catch up with him. 

Swept into the enchanting world of the Library, Kasira’s reluctant con is jeopardized by her growing affection for the wondrous life the Library promises…and by her complicated, burgeoning attraction to Allaster. As the ambassador’s game closes in, Kasira must decide where her loyalties lie: to her newfound home, or to her own survival? 


It Seemed Like a Good Idea by. Lauren Blakely

Grumpy meets sunshine in this charming and hilarious forbidden small town romantic comedy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely! Where there’s only one bed in the room…

I really don’t need a bodyguard―I run a small-town lavender farm, for bee’s sake! But I’m getting one anyway since my identical twin sister just booked the movie role of a lifetime and it’s being shot in my hometown. And guess who my new broody, tattooed protector is? None other than the guy I had a one-night stand with last month.

he’s the guy with the wicked mouth and heated eyes who ran out on me before the bang without so much as goodbye. And of course he arrives in my tiny hometown where the film is shooting right in the nick of time to save me from the paparazzi at the market. The coffee shop. The dress shop too. I’m trying hard to stay mad after the third time the sexy jerk rescues me.

To top it all off, he’s staying in the cottage at my farm. With me. And there’s only one bed.
Maybe just one night would relieve all this tension? But one night turns into another, and then into sharing hearts and secrets that are best locked up. Especially since he’s leaving and I’m staying, and there’s no way we can be more than a summer romance that ends far too soon.

Small town, rom com, grumpy/sunshine, bodyguard, mistaken identity, forbidden romance, only one bed


The Ruins Beneath Us by. Sasha E. Sloan

This first book in a romantasy duology by TikTok star Sasha E. Sloan combines a compelling love triangle, luscious worldbuilding, and spellbinding magic to deliver a debut with everything romantasy readers crave.

Young elf Lyria has spent her life in hiding while a dangerous war brews between the elven kingdom and human world. Now eighteen, she has grown restless hiding on the outskirts of the forest that surrounds the human world.

One day, while her mother is away, Lyria hears a boy in the forest calling for help and rescues him from certain death. Unbeknownst to her, the boy, Finn, is the crowned Prince, and he wants Lyria to become the kingdom’s royal apothecary!Terrified that Finn is going to discover she’s an elf and she used magic to heal him while he was unconscious, Lyria struggles to fit in with the human kingdom while also hiding her identity. At court, she meets the jaded Head Healer, Cygnus, who is cold, highly suspicious of her, and constantly questions her abilities.

But earth-shattering secrets can’t lay dormant forever, and after Lyria and Cygnus discover a dark and sinister world hidden underneath the palace, Lyria must decide once and for all who—if anyone—she should trust.

This slow-burn YA romantasy will be written by BookTok sensation Sasha Sloan and will appeal to fans of other successful TikTok hits like Lightlark and Assistant to the Villain.


When I Was Death by. Alexis Henderson

A group of teen girls does Death incarnate’s bidding in this haunting speculative young adult novel.

Roslyn Volk isn’t herself anymore. It’s been a year since her sister, Adeline, died in the woods under mysterious circumstances, and Roslyn is still tormented by her absence. So when the elusive caravan of girls that Adeline spent her last summer with rolls back into town, Roslyn joins them to finally figure out what happened to her sister.

Strange, beautiful, and intriguing, the girls are closed off from the world. And as it turns out, they’re brought together by a force more sinister than Roslyn’s nightmares could have conjured Death himself.

Death has spared the girls from untimely endings, and to pay for their lives, the girls travel the country reaping souls on his behalf. Now Roslyn must decide if finding closure is worth the price of striking the same deal.


To Cage a Wild Bird by. Brooke Fast

Enter the brutal world of Endlock, a prison where the wealthy hunt the inmates for sport. The first novel in an electrifying dystopian romance series, this high-octane debut about forbidden love, found family, and a fight for survival will leave you breathless.

In the city of Dividium, the law is simple: commit a crime, and your punishment is a life sentence in Endlock.

Raven Thorne is Dividium’s most notorious bounty hunter, living on the edge of society. But when her younger brother, Jed, is sentenced to Endlock, Raven will do anything to save him—even if it means getting herself arrested.

Now trapped in a prison where danger lurks around every corner, Raven must use all her cunning and strength to protect Jed—and herself if she is to complete her perilous mission. But there’s one obstacle she never expected: the prison guard who stirs something deep inside her. The man she should hate. The man whose true motives seem impossible to pin down.

In a world where trust is a weapon and love is a liability, Raven must decide if she will risk everything to tear down a vicious system.


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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

Monthly Wrap Up | February 2026

Where January was a slow month, February went by in the blink of an eye! We had some wild weather this month, but we survived. Anyway, here’s what I read and posted in February.

I read 20 books and posted 24 book reviews in February.

Books I Read – 19 books

  1. She Drinks the Light by. Yasmin Angoe (arc)
  2. Mate by. Ali Hazelwood (audiobook)
  3. In Time With You by. Kristin Dwyer (arc)
  4. Lonely Hearts Day by. Kasie West (alc)
  5. The Sun and the Starmaker by. Rachel Griffin (alc)
  6. Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson
  7. The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by. Mary E. Pearson (audiobook)
  8. Toe to Toe by. Falon Ballard (arc)
  9. I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray
  10. In Your Dreams by. Sarah Adams (audiobook)
  11. Midnight on the Celestial by. Julia Alexandra (arc)
  12. The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao
  13. Caged by Fallen Crows: Part One by. Ava Larksen
  14. A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez
  15. First-Time Caller by. B.K. Borison (audiobook)
  16. The Library of Amorlin by. Kalyn Josephson (arc)
  17. Blood & Betrayals by. Jeanette Rose by. Alexis Rune
  18. The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by. Takuya Asakura
  19. Burn the Kingdom Down by. Addie Thorley (arc)
  20. Deathly Fates by. Tesia Tsai (arc & alc)


Reviews I Posted On My Blog: 24 Books

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

Book Tags:

Birthstone Book Covers: February – Amethyst | 2026

Blog Tours:

Other:

Book Cover Reveal | Turncloak by. L.K. Steven

How was your month?

WWW Wednesday | 2/25/26

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 with rainy weather – can you believe this is the last week of February?!

What are you currently reading?

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by. Takuya Asakura – arc – 15%

Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg – arc – 5%

The Poison Daughter by. Sheila Masterson – 5%

Deathly Fates by. Tesia Tsai – audiobook – 10%


What have you just finished reading?

She Drinks The Light by. Yasmin Angoe – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Midnight on the Celestial by. Julia Alexandra – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

First-Time Caller by. B.K. Borison – audiobook – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Library of Amorlin by. Jaclyn Josephson – arc- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Blood & Betrayals by. Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune – ⭐️⭐️💫


What are you going to read next?

A Whisper of Winds and Leaves by. M.B. Reese

Half City by. Kate Golden

Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan


What are YOU reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 2/24/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

The Light Under the Shadow Wing by. Amanda Bouchet

DANGER, DESIRE, AND KINGDOMS ON THE BRINK OF WAR.

Enter a world of secrets, betrayal, and high-stakes action in this sizzling, slow burn romantasy from USA Today bestselling author Amanda Bouchet.

A woman searching for answers.
Idallia has been serving in the Dragon King’s Elite Wing of dragon shifters for nearly two hundred years. She doesn’t have fire or flight of her own, but she’s a phoenix rider with enough speed and skill to make her enemies think twice about tangling with her or her warbirds.

Centuries of life without knowing who or what you are is complicated enough without harboring a growing secret attraction, but the more time Idallia spends with Bale Cinderheart, the harder it is to stay away from the fiercely protective Dragon King. Dominant, intense…and the one man with the power to ruin everything.

A king safeguarding his treasures.
Bale has centuries of ruling under his scales and more responsibilities than he has fangs. His greatest triumph is his Elite Wing and their warbirds, but his biggest fear is losing them. Especially Idallia. She’s his forbidden desire and the one person he can’t seem to let go of—even for his own good.

While the man in him guards his heart as relentlessly as the dragon in him guards his kingdom, he’s also the keeper of the answers Idallia has been seeking her whole life. Revealing the truth now could cost him everything—his home, his crown, his heart…

The threat of war looms as magic fades from the world of Ellonrift. Will the Dragon King preserve the fragile peace between the kingdoms? Or burn it all down, for her


The Wicked and the Damned by. Rebecca Robinson

In the exhilarating second romantasy novel in Rebecca Robinson’s Dark Inheritance Trilogy, a fiery couple forced apart must navigate a deadly maze of politics and power to reunite across a continent at war.
Torn from her husband Reid’s arms and dragged back to her homeland in chains, Vaasa is no longer a ruler, but a political pawn. Now under the control of Ozik—a cunning Zetyr witch with a stranglehold on her magic—she faces annulment, forced betrothal, and a kingdom that no longer feels like her own. As Ozik’s machinations aim to install himself as the true power behind the Asteryan throne, Vaasa is forced to take part in his game.

Meanwhile, across the continent, Reid is done playing politics. But waging war is never simple, and a soldier’s fury cannot stand up against Icruria’s bureaucracy. With allies fading and time slipping away, Reid may have no choice but to infiltrate Asterya on his own to find the woman he loves and bring her home.

As Vaasa’s magic begins to flare, she desperately seeks control, even if Ozik is the only one who can offer it. She then finds a cryptic final message from her mother about a precious missing necklace that might just be the answer to finally freeing her magic from Ozik. Yet when a ghost from Vaasa’s past reemerges among the suitors vying for her hand, escape might be within reach—but will it demand a betrayal that real love may not survive?


The Fall of Iris Henley by. Jennifer Graham

For fans of Megan Lally and Kara Thomas, a twisty thriller about a Texas teen accused of murder who’s desperate to clear her name.

All it takes to ruin someone’s life is the stroke of a key. Just ask Iris Henley. Her life is destroyed when someone posts an anonymous message on her high school’s subreddit thread: “Iris Henley is a killer. I’ve been too scared to come forward until now, but I saw her murder Rocky and Lynette last summer.”

Just like that, Iris loses everything. Her reputation. Her friends. Her hope of getting into college on scholarship. Even, possibly, her freedom, once the police start to investigate. After all, she’s the perfect suspect: Rocky was her boyfriend, and Lynette was her ex-best friend—and the girl he was cheating on her with. But Iris didn’t do it, and now it’s up to her to clear her name by finding out who did—before it’s too late.

Propulsive, sharp, and absolutely twisty from the New York Times bestselling author who brought readers the Veronica Mars duology, Jennifer Graham’s YA thriller is unputdownable.


And Now, Back to You by. B.K. Borison

Two competing meteorologists are forced to find common ground in this opposites attract, When Harry Met Sally inspired romance, from New York Times bestselling author B.K. Borison.

Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover the snowstorm of the century, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.

Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal. If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With an undiscovered chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.

But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains, stay in the mountains?


The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by. Katrina Kwan

From the author of The Last Dragon of the East comes a sweeping fantasy adventure with a dash of romance between a nine-tailed fox and the demon-hunter who captures her, banished to the underworld together and forced to form a reluctant alliance in order to escape the circles of Hell.

Yue may be the last of her kind. At night, she stalks the streets of the capital city of Longhao, luring in unsuspecting victims with the mask of a beautiful woman, then consuming them in her true form of the nine-tailed fox.

When she is captured by a powerful demon hunter named Sonam and banished to Hell, she manages one final act of dragging him—and two of his subordinates—down with her.

Now trapped in an abyss with unimaginable terrors, they’ll need each other’s help to navigate Hell and bypass the gods who preside over each circle, each of whom presents the group with a unique and deadly challenge. Forced to depend on one another as they claw their way out of the underworld, both demon and demon hunter discover that there might be more to the other than meets the eye.


Cleopatra by. Saara El-Arifi

Queen, Legend, Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic Cleopatra, from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife .

YOU KNOW MY NAME.
BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.

Your historians call me seductress, but I was always in love’s thrall.

Your playwrights speak of my witchcraft, but I was gifted my talents by the gods.

Your poets sing of my blood-lust, but I was protecting my children.

They cannot credit that a mere woman could be powerful, strategic, divinely blessed to rule.

Death will silence me no longer.

This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived.


Weavingshaw by. Heba Al-Wasity

In this debut gothic fantasy, the first book of an enthralling fantasy romance trilogy, a young woman who can see the dead strikes a deal with a magnetic and dangerous purveyor of dark secrets to save her brother’s life.

Three years ago, Leena Al-Sayer awoke with a terrible power.

She can see the dead.

Since then, she has hidden herself from the world, knowing that if she ever reveals her curse she will be locked away in an asylum.

When her beloved brother, Rami, falls fatally ill, Leena is faced with a terrible CHOICE: Let him die or buy the expensive medicine that will save his life by bartering the only valuable thing she has—her secret.

The Saint of Silence, a ruthless merchant who trades in confessions and is shrouded in unearthly rumors of cruelty and power, accepts her bargain, for a deadly price. Leena must find the ghost of Percival Avon, the last lord of Weavingshaw—or lose her freedom to the Saint forever.

As Leena’s search takes her and the Saint to Weavingshaw, she finds the estate and the surrounding moors to be living things—hungry for blood and sacrifice. Fighting against Weavingshaw’s might, Leena must also fight her growing pull toward the enigmatic Saint himself, whose connection to Percival Avon remains a mystery.

As the house begins to entomb them, time is running out on their desperate hunt for answers.

For Leena has come to see that here in Weavingshaw, the dead are not hushed—and some secrets are better left buried with them.


A Secret in the Garden by. Jeneane O’Riley

Some secrets were never meant to be unearthed.

Perched on a windswept cliff, Blackwood Manor looms like a dark monument to a mysterious family. Behind its grand iron gates, one part of the estate has been left to rot since the tragic death of Hester Blackwood: the once-glorious conservatory, now choked by vines and shattered glass. The rest of the family is gone—only her brooding son, Jasper, remains, the heir to a weapons empire.

Desperate to save her job and out of options, botanist Eliza Arnold makes a bold gamble—drive to the manor and beg the elusive millionaire for a donation. Jasper agrees…on one chilling condition: restore the conservatory. Alone. No help. No leaving.

But the manor is not empty.

As Eliza battles thorns and secrets, a magnetic tension builds between her and Jasper—dark, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. And something else stirs among the roots and ruins…whispers in the walls, confusing disturbances, and a presence watching her every move.

The deeper Eliza digs, the more she uncovers a garden of grief, longing…and desire. Because in Blackwood Manor, even buried things can bloom again.


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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

Let’s Talk Bookish:  What do you collect besides books? | 2/20/26

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:

February 20: What do you collect besides books? (Suggested by Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you own a lot of books? Do you think of yourself as a book collector? Outside of reading, do you have any other hobbies that involve collecting things? What would you love to have a collection of?

**********

Do you own a lot of books?

No, I don’t. I used to, but over the years with moving a few times, I had to make some hard decisions. 😅 Now I have 3 book shelves in the house. I actually just added the 3rd one and that’s probably all I can have right now and I’m fine with it. I started collecting more sprayed edge books but I think I’ve slowed down with that right now.

Do you think of yourself as a book collector?

No, I don’t think I am. Not with the collections I’ve seen other people have! Compared to them, I am not a book collector….but I WISH.

Outside of reading, do you have any other hobbies that involve collecting things?

Journals…I used to collect journals, but not anymore! Now, if I need one, I’ll buy one at Ross or something for really cheap. I have been buying book journals for recording the books I read, I feel like it helps me write my blog posts. I take notes in the journals and then that helps me write out of my blogs. But at least with these book journals, I only need to buy one for each year – unless I read more than 200 books. I almost started collecting Pop Mart stuff but nipped that in the bud when I got back into buying sprayed edged books.

What would you love to have a collection of?

You know I wanted to get into collecting vinyl and realized I can’t collect books, vinyls AND save to go to concerts (because I always have to fly out to one)….SO vinyls are taking a backseat, plus I don’t even have a good vinyl player or space to put it. My cheap on is collecting dust. I have like…4 vinyls 😅 and just bought the new Bruno Mars one, but that’s IT. Where does your money go? My money goes to is my KIDS, food, books, and travel. All of it is expensive…I hate inflation. 😩

February 2026 Topics:

February 6: Reading with Friends

Prompts: Do you enjoy buddy reading or participating in group reads? If you do, what do you like most about them? Do you prefer reading 1-1 or in a big group? For those who might not have access to in-person group reads, do you have a recommendation about where to join online reading groups?


February 13: Romance Novels

Prompts: It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that the most popular book genre is bigger than ever! Do you like to read romance novels? Who are your favourite fictional couples? Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?


February 20: What do you collect besides books? (Suggested by Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you own a lot of books? Do you think of yourself as a book collector? Outside of reading, do you have any other hobbies that involve collecting things? What would you love to have a collection of?


February 27: Reading Star Ratings

Prompts: This topic is inspired by Krysta @ Pages Unbound, who posted about it earlier this year. How do you read star ratings from other bloggers/readers? Do you consider star ratings seen on a book blog, Bookstagram, or BookTok differently from ratings on sites like Goodreads? How much does a star rating affect your decision to purchase/borrow/read a book, and does it depend on who/where the star rating comes from?

WWW Wednesday | 2/18/26

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?


My kiddos had a 4 day weekend so it felt like a mini-break which was much needed since my kids were getting over an illness. I can’t believe we are in the 3rd week of February!

What are you currently reading?

She Drinks The Light by. Yasmin Angoe – arc – 5%

Midnight on the Celestial by. Julia Alexandra – 35%

First-Time Caller by. B.K. Borison – audiobook – 76%

A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez – chapter 3


What have you just finished reading?

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by. Mary E. Pearson – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (audiobook)

The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

In Your Dreams by. Sarah Adams – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Caged by Fallen Crows: Part One by. Ava Larksen – ⭐️⭐️⭐️


What are you going to read next?

A Whisper of Winds and Leaves by. M.B. Reese

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by. Takuya Asakura

Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg

Half City by. Kate Golden


What are YOU reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 2/17/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Goodbye and Everything After by. Mae Coyiuto

A teen girl comes face to face with her dad’s spirit when she ignores a strict Filipino superstition in this contemporary young adult novel that tackles grief, family tension, and first love.

It’s been five years since Nika’s beloved father passed away, but her family has never fully grieved. They don’t speak of him much at all, except on the anniversary of his death.

Whenever they visit her father’s grave, Nika’s superstitious mother still insists on practicing pagpag, a Filipino belief that you can never go directly home after attending a funeral—or risk the spirit of the departed following you back home.

But when her mom’s new fiancé suddenly shows up at the cemetery for this year’s memorial for her dad, she furiously walks out, breaking the pagpag superstition. The next day, she finds herself face-to-face with the ghost of her dead father. . . and Nika’s the only one who can see him.

As she spends more time re-connecting with her dad’s ghost, Nika slowly learns about her parents’ past and how they fell in love back in high school. And when they recreate memories of her parents’ love story, Nika discovers that her dad’s spirit slowly becomes more solid and alive. Fearing that she’ll lose her dad again, Nika makes it her mission to find a way to make her dad stay permanently, no matter what the cost.

With a perfect blend of humor and heart, Mae Coyiuto artfully brings past to present in a way that explores grief head-on.


Crown of War and Shadow by. J.R. Ward

An outcast burdened with a curse and a mercenary who’s out for himself collide in this star-crossed, slow-burn, high-stakes romantic fantasy from #1 New York Times bestseller J. R. Ward.

In the dead of night, passions rise and empires fall.

Welcome to Kingdoms of the Compass.

The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world, stalking the night.

No one is safe.

Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast, she’s spent her whole life within the walls of her small village, ostracized for her mystical abilities. She wants to survive…and maybe find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans.

Sorrel has been chosen. Cursed.

She must cross the Badlands to return the Queen’s crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction.

Well aware she’s no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession.

The deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage.

But Merc has secrets of his own, and even though passion runs hot between them, enemies are around every corner, and danger and betrayal threaten at every turn.

Crown of War and Shadow is the first book in the Kingdoms of the Compass series.

Crown of War and Shadow
*Forced proximity/Only one bed
*Chosen mates
*Dark mercenary
*Who did this to you?
*Touch her and die
*I’ll die for you
*Hidden magic


Masquerade of Mirrors by. Samantha Hartwood

The only thing more dangerous than falling for a lie
is falling for the liar.

Don’t look at the desert. Don’t think about the desert. Never step onto the sand. Taera has followed these rules her entire life—until he arrives.

Impossibly gorgeous, with a face masked in magic, Nikolai kidnaps Taera and drags her deep into the dunes. He says she’s powerful and needs to be trained…if she ever wants to see her family again.

Thrust into a deadly school of illusions and lies, Taera can’t trust anyone. Especially not her breathtaking, ruthless captor. Top student and notorious liar, his secrets run deeper than the sand. He’s her worst nightmare—and everything she craves.

The cutthroat Halls of Glass have a mind of their own. Trapped within their looping corridors, Taera is surrounded by hostile students and forced to rely on Nikolai.

Taera knows she shouldn’t fall for his illusions. But magic requires a partnership, and he’s the only mage who can handle her wild, untamed power.

And the only way he’ll help her is if she pretends to be his.

Masquerade of Mirrors is a fast-paced, slow-burn fantasy romance. Taera and Nikolai’s story is for readers who love crackling chemistry, daring escape plans, and as many lies as truths. This book is highly addictive and contains adult content.


The Sun and the Starmaker by. Rachel Griffin

There once was a village so far north that most considered it the top of the world… and in that village, the Sun fell in love with her Starmaker. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches comes a whimsical and sweeping romantic fantasy.

Nestled deep in the snowy mountains of the Lost Range, the small village of Reverie endures on a miracle. Beyond the reach of the Sun, Reverie is dependent upon the magic of the mysterious Starmaker: every morning, he trudges across a vast glacier and pulls in sunlight over the peaks, providing the village with the light it needs to survive.

Aurora Finch grew up on tales of the Starmaker’s magic, never imagining she’d one day meet him. But on the morning of her wedding, a fateful encounter in the frostbitten woods changes everything. The Starmaker senses a powerful magic within her and demands she come study under his guidance. With her newfound abilities tied to the survival of the village, Aurora is swept away to his ice-covered castle at the mountain’s peak.

The Starmaker is as cold and distant as the dark woods, leaving Aurora to explore his enchanted castle with only an immortal rabbit for company. Yet the more she discovers about the sorcerer, the stronger their ruinous attraction grows, pulling her closer to the secrets he refuses to share. A deadly frost approaches, and Aurora must uncover what the Starmaker is hiding before she is left in an endless winter that even the Sun cannot touch.


Half City by. Kate Golden

Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

She just also happens to be a demon hunter.

Ever since her father’s murder, she’s been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider. . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she’ll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv’s father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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

Let’s Talk Bookish:  Romance Books | 2/13/26

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:

February 13: Romance Novels

Prompts: It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that the most popular book genre is bigger than ever! Do you like to read romance novels? Who are your favourite fictional couples? Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?

**********

Do you like to read romance novels?

I love romance novels – it’s the genre that got me started reading when I was in my teen years. Most of the books I read are romance – whether it’s romantasy, fantasy with romance, contemporary romance, historical romance….yes, I love romance!

Who are your favourite fictional couples?

Yikes…this is a hard one and I don’t know which type of romance we are talking about here so it’s going to be RANDOM choices because there are so many I love but I can’t remember them all, so here are some that just are kinda memorable to me as I scroll through my blog posts😅:

  • Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, of course…Pride and Prejudice by. Jane Austen
  • Daphne and Miles – Funny Story by. Emily Henry
  • Vanka and Emeric – Little Thieves by. Margaret Owen
  • Guinevere and Oskar – Tusk Love by. Thea Guanzon

Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?

This is an even harder question and I have no brain capacity for this 😅.

February 2026 Topics:

February 6: Reading with Friends

Prompts: Do you enjoy buddy reading or participating in group reads? If you do, what do you like most about them? Do you prefer reading 1-1 or in a big group? For those who might not have access to in-person group reads, do you have a recommendation about where to join online reading groups?


February 13: Romance Novels

Prompts: It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that the most popular book genre is bigger than ever! Do you like to read romance novels? Who are your favourite fictional couples? Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?


February 20: What do you collect besides books? (Suggested by Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you own a lot of books? Do you think of yourself as a book collector? Outside of reading, do you have any other hobbies that involve collecting things? What would you love to have a collection of?


February 27: Reading Star Ratings

Prompts: This topic is inspired by Krysta @ Pages Unbound, who posted about it earlier this year. How do you read star ratings from other bloggers/readers? Do you consider star ratings seen on a book blog, Bookstagram, or BookTok differently from ratings on sites like Goodreads? How much does a star rating affect your decision to purchase/borrow/read a book, and does it depend on who/where the star rating comes from?