Weekly Wrap-Up: 3/10 – 3/16

So… I didn’t post as much last week as I’d planned to – I had wanted to do at least one more post. But what can you do. This weekend kind of got a little busy, so I wasn’t able to squeeze another post or two out.

I have started reading books again! Or, at least, a book. It’s a novella too, but I’m feeling in the mood to read books again, which is so awesome. The past two or three months have been really rough in that regard, unfortunately. I’m really hoping that March will end up differently.

Anyway, I’ll shut up now. Without further ado, let’s get on with the weekly wrap-up!

Wednesday 3/12: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

Last Wednesday, I did another Can’t-Wait Wednesday for the first time in a couple of weeks. There’s a good chance it’s the first of some in a row. There are just a bunch of books coming out lately that look interesting.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings. It focuses on books you’re looking forward to reading, usually new releases.

Friday 3/14: First Line Friday / Pi Day

On Friday, I participated in First Line Fridays for the first time in a few weeks. First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words.

This past Friday was also Pi Day – 3/14. We forgot to get a pie to celebrate last week before Pi Day, and then the weather sucked too much to go out and grab one, so we didn’t do anything for it this year. Oh well. Hopefully next year we’ll be able to do it.

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, last week wasn’t what I was planning regarding posting and it wasn’t as much as I normally would’ve wanted, but I’m actually okay with how stuff turned out. And hey, I’m not only reading novels again, but I’m in the mood to be reading novels again. So I’m counting that as a win.

In relation to books and reading, the things I’m gonna read next are a couple of fantasy series from the ’00s and from the ’10s. Well, the one from the ’10s is actually a sequel series to another quadrilogy that I read and absolutely loved that I’ve never read, but they’re by the same author, so I’m kind of grouping them together because of that.

It’s been about ten years since I read that series – The Seven Realms – and I’m feeling nostalgic. Which is why I think I’m finally ready to read its sequel quadrilogy, The Shattered Realms. I also want to read The Dragon Heir, the third book (and possibly the original final novel) in The Heir Chronicles, before the author added more books several years later. I read the first two books about five and a half years ago, and I want to finish the original trilogy. So March might be Cinda Williams Chima for me this year.

So for blog posts this week: I want to do more of them than last week. I want to do a couple of my usual weekly posts of course, a book review and the monthly post that I usually like to do. I had intended to do this one this weekend actually, but time got away from me – I think I might double post today because of that, actually.

Anyway, I’ve talked more than enough here. As always thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

First Line Friday: 3/14

Hi everyone! It’s been a few weeks since I last participated in this post.

First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words, but I saw it over at One Book More.

What if instead of judging a book by the cover, author or most everything else, we judged it by its content? Its first lines?

If you want to join in, all you gotta do is:

📚 Take a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open it to the first page
📝 Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
📙 Finally… reveal the book!

Here’s the first line:

The River Liss runs north to south, and its waters brim with grammar.

Know the book? If you don’t, here’s another couple of hints…

Still not know the book? Here are some nice photos of books to look at whilst you think…

Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar!!

(Didja guess it?)

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

LENGTH: 133 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Tordotcom

RELEASE DATE: 4 March 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The River Has Roots is the hugely anticipated solo debut of the New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award winning author Amal El-Mohtar. Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.

The hardcover edition features beautiful interior illustrations.

“Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.”

In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family. 

There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees. 

But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters’ bond but also their lives will be at risk…

What books have you been reading lately? What’s on your TBR that you’re currently the most excited about?

As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: The Keeper of Lonely Spirits

Hey everybody! Happy Wednesday!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings (and was previously hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where it was known as Waiting on Wednesday) to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. They’re usually books that have not yet been released.

This week’s book is:

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson! 👻🏠

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson

LENGTH: 352 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, LGBT+, Literary, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Mira Books

RELEASE DATE: 25 March 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In this mesmerizing, wonderfully moving queer cozy fantasy, an immortal ghost hunter must confront his tragic past in order to embrace his found family.

Find an angry spirit. Send it on its way before it causes trouble. Leave before anyone learns his name.

After over two hundred years, Peter Shaughnessy is ready to die and end this cycle. But thanks to a youthful encounter with one o’ them folk in his native Ireland, he can’t. Instead, he’s cursed to wander eternally far from home, with the ability to see ghosts and talk to plants.

Immortality means Peter has lost everyone he’s ever loved. And so he centers his life on the dead—until his wandering brings him to Harrington, Ohio. As he searches for a vengeful spirit, Peter’s drawn into the townsfolk’s lives, homes and troubles. For the first time in over a century, he wants something other than death.

But the people of Harrington will die someday. And he won’t.

As Harrington buckles under the weight of the supernatural, the ghost hunt pits Peter’s well-being against that of his new friends and the man he’s falling for. If he stays, he risks heartbreak. If he leaves, he risks their lives.

Are you looking forward to the release of The Keeper of Lonely Spirits? What other books are coming out in the next few weeks that you’re looking forward to?

As always, thank you all so much for reading and have a fantastic day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 3/3 – 3/9

Here I am with another Weekly Wrap-Up! And it’s posted on time this week!

So, my posting was way better last week than it was the week before. I’m really happy with the amount of blog posts I was able to get done this past week, especially compared to the week before. Heck, it’s even better than two weeks before that!

I am a bit disappointed that I didn’t have the chance to read a novel, or even a novella or something. I’m definitely gonna do that this week – this is not gonna be a repeat of February. I do not want that to happen again.

Anyway, I’ll shut up now. Without further ado, let’s get on with the weekly wrap-up!

Tuesday 3/4: The Most Interesting Looking New Books of March 2025

Last Tuesday, I posted a list of the books that I’m looking forward to this month. Or, at least the ones that I think look the most interesting. It was the Most Interesting Looking New Books of March 2025. As always, it’s basically only fantasy and science fiction, as those are the two genres I primarily read. This time I had six books on my list.

Wednesday 3/5: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

On Wednesday, I did another Can’t-Wait Wednesday for the first time in a couple of weeks. There’s a good chance it’s the first of some in a row. There are just a bunch of books coming out lately that look interesting.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings. It focuses on books you’re looking forward to reading, usually new releases.

Thursday 3/6: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales Review

Last Thursday, I finally, finally posted another book review on the blog. It was the first time in like literally a month. It was also stupid that this was the case.

The book was Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett, the third installment of the Emily Wilde fantasy series. I was really excited for this one – it’s one of my most anticipated new books of 2025 – and the novel did not disappoint. I gave it ★★★★☆.

Sunday 3/9: February Reading 2025

Yesterday, I posted my Monthly Reading Wrap-Up for February 2025. It was once again posted at a reasonable time in the month, though not as early as  I posted it last month. For those who don’t know, monthly wrap-ups are when I go over the books I read over the past month, as well as my stats over on The StoryGraph.

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, I’m very happy with the level of posting I was able to achieve last week. I’m really hoping I can keep it up this coming week, as well as read at least one book. Like I said earlier, I absolutely do not want a repeat performance of February for March.

Concerning the posts I want to do this week… I’ll probably just participate in some of my usual weekly stuff. I also want to post a book review though. That’s something I’m definitely hoping to do.

Regarding the books I’m considering reading next, well, I have a few at the forefront of my mind. Next,  I’m planning on reading a new release, something that’s come out in the last week or so. Then after that, I think I’m gonna start reading a series I hauled last summer – the third book is coming out this month anyway, I believe. And then, after this, I think I might read the sequel series I mentioned last week.

Anyway, as always thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Monthly Wrap-Up: February Reading 2025

February Reading 2025

It’s a couple of days later than last month, but I think I’m posting my reading wrap-up for February 2025 at a pretty reasonable time. The contents I’m gonna be analyzing here… are not so great in comparison.

Yeah. My reading last month sucked. I only read one book, and I didn’t even get to reviewing it until this month. But seeing as in February 2024 I only read one book as well, I guess I didn’t do worse than last year. So I guess that’s something. Technically.

Anyway, without further ado, let’s get into my StoryGraph statistics from last month!

February Reading 2025

I read 1 book and 356 pages

😐 MOODS: I had three Moods in February, which was the same as in January. They were all the same size slice. The Moods were: AdventurousLighthearted and Funny.

👢 PACE: The book I read last month was medium-paced.

🔢 PAGE NUMBER: The novel that I read was 356 pages.

📖 FICTION/NONFICTION: It was once again all fiction. But when you only read one book and it’s strictly fiction, it’s impossible to also read nonfiction.

🎭 GENRES: There were two Genres in the books I read in February. They were Fantasy and Romance.

📄 FORMAT: This pie chart was actually correct for once. Or twice, since this is the second month in a row this has happened. The only novel I read was a physical copy.

⭐ RATING: My median star rating for last month was 4.0, and it was my only rating.

📉 PAGES READ DAILY: My reading for February basically sucked until the last week. As in, I didn’t read anything. The only reading I did was between the 22nd and the 28th.

The Books I Read in February

★★★★☆ • my review

Wrapping Up the Wrap-Up

So yeah, my reading from last month really sucked. I’m hoping beyond anything that it improves in March. Like, just about anything would be better than my performance in February.

March has a couple new books that I’m particularly interested in, so there’s a good chance I’ll read at least one or two of them. I might not get to one of them until a later month in the year, though. I also have a bit of a backlog of a TBR I’ve been wanting to get to, as well as a sequel series that I’ve been thinking about continuing with for a while. We’ll see what I end up reading.

Anyway, as always, thank you for joining me in checking out my StoryGraph stats for my February reading in 2025. Thank you also for reading, and I hope you have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett | Book Review

I let out a trembling breath. “And what sort of queen would that make me?”

He looked perfectly earnest as he leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Mine.”

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

SERIES: Emily Wilde #3

LENGTH: 352 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Del Rey

RELEASE DATE: 11 February 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project yet: studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world: How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

My Review

“Where would I be without you, Em?” he said. It was an old joke of ours, but it wasn’t a joke now, the way he said it. I did not reply, merely straightened the hair he had mussed, brush-ing it back into place. He took my hand and we kept going. Soon, the castle came into view-its light was visible first, a glow that silhouetted the nearby trees.

Yes! I finally finished and posted this review! It only took me forever. Ugh, I don’t know what it was about February this year… I just couldn’t get into reading for whatever reason. (I also can’t believe it’s been a month since I last posted a book review. Grrr. I’m a little frustrated with myself.)

Anyway, let’s talk about Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales.

Despite how long it took me to get to reading this book (the end of February) and how long it took me to compose this review (now), I really did enjoy it. It wasn’t my favorite in the series – that’s still the first novel, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries – but it was still very good. Honestly, I found that I enjoyed it about the same as book two, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands.

And so, without further ado, here I go. This ended up being a longer review, so I had to break it into sections, lol.

The Characters

He rose, shaking the dew from his cloak. “You have that look.”

He had mirrored my own train of thought, which made me scowl at him irrationally. “Which?”

“The one you wear whenever you outsmart me in some area,” he said.

“Well,” I began with a shrug, then stopped. My magnanimity was wearing thin, I’m afraid. “Haven’t I?”

He laughed, a clear, bright sound, and then, before I knew what was happening, he had lifted me off my feet and spun me through the air, the greenery and shadow of the forest a whirl all around me.

“My beloved Emily,” he murmured in my ear.

📒 Emily Wilde 🖋️ is still a fantastic protagonist. I still love her narrative voice and the trajectory of her character arc was awesome. Her relationship and banter with her academic rival and heir to the faerie realm of Silva Lupi, 🍃 Wendell Brambleby 🪡 (and yes, Wendell is still just as ridiculous as he’s always been) is also just as wonderful as it’s been the past two books. I really love where their relationship starts off from in this book, and where it finally ends. Everything about it was beautiful.

I always enjoy animal companions in stories, and Emily’s Black Dog 🖤 Shadow 🐕 and Wendell’s faerie cat 🧶 Orga 🐈‍⬛ have been fantastic ones for this series. It’s been a little sad seeing Shadow slow down, as he’s an old dog now, but he’s still as sweet and loyal as ever, and it made me happy every time he appeared on page. And Orga… well, a cat is still a cat even if it’s a faerie one, and I enjoyed all of her appearances as well. I just love doggos and kitties.

📚 Niamh Proudfit 🌳 is, I believe, the only new major supporting character introduced in Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales, but I felt she was a strong one. I really enjoyed reading about her, as well as her developing friendship with Emily. And we got to learn more about characters introduced near the end of the last book that didn’t get a lot of pagetime before, like Taran (a faerie lord who is also Wendell’s step-uncle as well as apparently like a million years old – as well as a sadist) and Callum (Taran’s mortal consort who has the faerie lord wrapped around his finger, but is unfortunately still kind of a non-character here in book three).

As this was the last book in the series, we also saw the return of pretty much all of the relevant cast from the first two books, which was phenomenal. I always love it when final books do this; it gives the impression that the series has come full circle. So yeah, Lilja and Margret, Farris Rose, Ariadne, Poe, Wendell’s stepmother, and even the freaking Hidden King all make appearances. And none of them feel like they’re out of place.

The Plot

I paused as the weight of what he was saying sank in. “Then-you haven’t the slightest idea how to rule a kingdom.”

“Does anyone?” He took my hand, discomfort shifting suddenly into earnestness. “We will learn together.”

“Oh God,” I said faintly.

He studied me. “Is it that bad? You already know more about faerie kingdoms than any mortal.”

As with the other two books in this series, I rather 💖 enjoyed the plot 📖 – I’d put it on par with book two. I think the strongest part of this novel for me was the middle, but the beginning was also pretty good even if it was a little slow.

The ending was also something that I thoroughly appreciated. I think that it was a wonderful way to end not just this book but the entire series as a whole, and can’t imagine a different denouement. Though I will mention that some of the chapters leading up to it were slow and felt like the book was being drawn out a little. Yeah, some of the pacing of the last third of the book was kind of… yeah. But I still really liked the story of this novel as a whole!

The Romance and Prose

He took my hand. His eyes were greener in the dappled sun-light and emerald murk of the lake. “Will you marry me?”

As always, 💞 I adored the romance 🔥 between Emily and Wendell. Their banter, was of course, impeccable, and the respect and love and trust between these two characters is my favorite part of their relationship. These are two people who know and understand each other very well, even despite the very inhumaness of the way one of them feels sometimes. I can’t stress enough how much I love reading about a deep relationship between two mature (for the most part) adults that is very consentual and full of communication. This is why they’re one of my favorite couples in fiction.

Not to mention these two start dating near the end of book one, so the rest of the series sees their relationship continue to evolve beyond the “finally getting together” phase that most books with romance end on. Just, so much of their romance is refreshing to read. And they complement one another so well.

Regarding the 🖊️ writing and prose 📄 … well, of course it’s still fantastic. As I mentioned above, I love Emily’s distinct voice, but I also love the way her journal entries are written. Even though I admittedly skipped most of them, unless I needed or desired further clarification, I appreciated the footnotes. They were – and always are – a very nice touch in the Emily Wilde series, and even if I don’t always read them I like that I have the option to, if I so choose.

Final Thoughts

“What can mortals learn of the stars, given that we cannot walk among them? Yet we try.” I opened my notebook again. “Others have argued that it is the endeavour itself that is the point of scholarship. I am not so certain of that, for I can never stop yearning for new discoveries. Even the smallest are as precious jewels to me.”

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales was an amazing addition to the Emily Wilde books, and an awesome conclusion to the rest of the series. I enjoyed reading about these characters and their world, and am very satisfied with the way things finished off, even if I’m a little sad to say goodbye. But it had a good ending, and that’s always one of the things I hope for the most when reading a series.

Of course I’m going to recommend this book, just like I did the rest of the series. Heather Fawcett is just a fantastic writer all around, and this book and especially the Emily Wilde series, showcase it beautifully. So yeah, if you like fantasy, romance, well-written romance and characters, and enjoy the occasional epistolary novel, then I can’t recommend this book enough. This trilogy enough. Heck, if you just enjoy good books – just read the Emily Wilde series, okay?

As always, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have an amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar


MY LINKS:


Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Luminous

Hey everyone, Happy Wednesday! It’s been a couple of weeks since one of these from me, but there are still books coming out lately that I’m interested in!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings (and was previously hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where it was known as Waiting on Wednesday) to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. They’re usually books that have not yet been released.

This week’s book is:

Luminous by Silvia Park! 🤖🛠️

Luminous by Silvia Park

LENGTH: 416 pages

GENRES: Science Fiction, Literary & Speculative Fiction, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster

RELEASE DATE: 11 March 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A highly anticipated, sweeping debut set in a unified Korea that tells the story of three estranged siblings—two human, one robot—as they collide against the backdrop of a murder investigation to settle old scores and make sense of their shattered childhood, perfect for fans of Klara and the Sun and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

In a reunified Korea of the future, robots have been integrated into society as surrogates, servants, children, and even lovers. Though boundaries between bionic and organic frequently blur, these robots are decidedly second-class citizens. Jun and Morgan, two siblings estranged for many years, are haunted by the memory of their lost brother, Yoyo, who was warm, sensitive, and very nearly human.

Jun, a war veteran turned detective of the lowly Robot Crimes Unit in Seoul, becomes consumed by an investigation that reconnects him with his sister Morgan, now a prominent robot designer working for a top firm, who is, embarrassingly, dating one of her creations in secret.

On the other side of Seoul in a junkyard filled with abandoned robots, eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through scraps looking for robotic parts that might support her failing body. When she discovers a robot boy named Yoyo among the piles of trash, an unlikely bond is formed since Yoyo is so lifelike, he’s unlike anything she’s seen before.

While Morgan prepares to launch the most advanced robot-boy of her career, Jun’s investigation sparks a journey through the underbelly of Seoul, unearthing deeper mysteries about the history of their country and their family. The three siblings must find their way back to each other to reckon with their pasts and the future ahead of them in this poignant and remarkable exploration of what it really means to be human.

Are you looking forward to the release of Luminous? What other books are coming out in the next few weeks that you’re looking forward to?

As always, thank you all so much for reading and have a fantastic day/night!

See ya ~Mar

The Most Interesting Looking New Books of March 2025

Hey there everybody! Another month, another bunch of new books that are coming out! Yep, it’s The Most Intriguing New Books of March 2025.

This used to be a quarterly post, but I’ve recently decided to do it monthly instead. Also, even though this post is about new releases, it’s primarily focused on fantasy and science fiction, as those are the genres I tend to prefer to read. (Not to say other genres won’t ever appear on these lists – it just isn’t super likely; it’s likely to be a very rare occurrence if it happens at all.)

If you’ve seen this post by me before, you know the drill; I’m only interested in these books – there’s no guarantee that I’m gonna read all of them. There’s not even a guarantee that I’m gonna read even half of them. We shall see. Anyway, let’s get going!

RELEASING: March 4th

The River Has Roots is the hugely anticipated solo debut of the New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award winning author Amal El-Mohtar. Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.

The hardcover edition features beautiful interior illustrations.

“Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.”

In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family. 

There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees. 

But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters’ bond but also their lives will be at risk…

RELEASING: March 4th

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

In the small town of Gold Springs, Calliope Petridi and her two sisters carefully guard the secret of their magic and the price they must pay to practise it: memories. Luckily, all Calliope wants to do is forget: the mother who left without a trace, the sisters from whom she feels increasingly distant, and most of all, the way the love of her life shattered her heart two years ago.

But when an ancient evil awakens, the fragile thread that holds the sisters together breaks. As their magic slowly begins to fade, Calliope accidentally binds herself to the handsome leader of a rival coven infamous for their ruthless pursuit of power. Battling the sizzling chemistry with a man she can’t trust, Calliope must confront painful memories of her past, dark family secrets, and ancient magic in order to protect the town and all she loves.

But will she have anything left of herself?

A witchy, modern day Pride and Prejudice meets Charmed, SPELLS, STRINGS, AND FORGOTTEN THINGS is a thrilling tale of romance, magic and sisterhood.

RELEASING: March 11th

A highly anticipated, sweeping debut set in a unified Korea that tells the story of three estranged siblings—two human, one robot—as they collide against the backdrop of a murder investigation to settle old scores and make sense of their shattered childhood, perfect for fans of Klara and the Sun and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

In a reunified Korea of the future, robots have been integrated into society as surrogates, servants, children, and even lovers. Though boundaries between bionic and organic frequently blur, these robots are decidedly second-class citizens. Jun and Morgan, two siblings estranged for many years, are haunted by the memory of their lost brother, Yoyo, who was warm, sensitive, and very nearly human.

Jun, a war veteran turned detective of the lowly Robot Crimes Unit in Seoul, becomes consumed by an investigation that reconnects him with his sister Morgan, now a prominent robot designer working for a top firm, who is, embarrassingly, dating one of her creations in secret.

On the other side of Seoul in a junkyard filled with abandoned robots, eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through scraps looking for robotic parts that might support her failing body. When she discovers a robot boy named Yoyo among the piles of trash, an unlikely bond is formed since Yoyo is so lifelike, he’s unlike anything she’s seen before.

While Morgan prepares to launch the most advanced robot-boy of her career, Jun’s investigation sparks a journey through the underbelly of Seoul, unearthing deeper mysteries about the history of their country and their family. The three siblings must find their way back to each other to reckon with their pasts and the future ahead of them in this poignant and remarkable exploration of what it really means to be human.

RELEASING: March 18th

The phenomenal fifth book in the Hunger Games series!

When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena. 

RELEASING: March 25th

In this mesmerizing, wonderfully moving queer cozy fantasy, an immortal ghost hunter must confront his tragic past in order to embrace his found family.

Find an angry spirit. Send it on its way before it causes trouble. Leave before anyone learns his name.

After over two hundred years, Peter Shaughnessy is ready to die and end this cycle. But thanks to a youthful encounter with one o’ them folk in his native Ireland, he can’t. Instead, he’s cursed to wander eternally far from home, with the ability to see ghosts and talk to plants.

Immortality means Peter has lost everyone he’s ever loved. And so he centers his life on the dead—until his wandering brings him to Harrington, Ohio. As he searches for a vengeful spirit, Peter’s drawn into the townsfolk’s lives, homes and troubles. For the first time in over a century, he wants something other than death.

But the people of Harrington will die someday. And he won’t.

As Harrington buckles under the weight of the supernatural, the ghost hunt pits Peter’s well-being against that of his new friends and the man he’s falling for. If he stays, he risks heartbreak. If he leaves, he risks their lives.

RELEASING: March 25th

A fun, sci-fi romp where custodian – or space broom – Johnny Gomez teams up with smugglers and is thrust into an unforgettable adventure. Great read for fans of Stringers by Chris Panatier.

Everyone aboard Kilgore Station is living their best life. Everyone except for Johnny Gomez.

While humans, the augmented, and aliens of all shapes and sizes enjoy exotic cuisine on the dining deck, or gamble away their credits on the entertainment deck, Johnny is elbow-deep in oily, black, alien excrement. A ‘space broom’ custodian for the entire station.

This was obviously not the life Johnny dreamt of. Ten years ago, he travelled to Kilgore, the farthest space station in our solar system, in search of fortune like everyone else. Some people are just luckier than others.

Yet his meaningless, uneventful existence is immediately turned upside down when he happens upon a tiny glass data-chit, hidden amongst the alien poop he must clean up. Unbeknownst to him, every nefarious creature in the solar system will soon be after him to claim it for their own.

With the help of his augmented roommate, a pair of smugglers and a mysterious and beautiful stranger, Johnny fights off thugs and sails as fast as possible to earth’s moon, Luna, in effort to sell the chit to the Obinna Crime Syndicate. But with assassins and mobsters on their tail, the trip is anything but a cakewalk. And Luna itself proves to be nothing like a safe haven, when Johnny’s painful past finally catches up to him…

So yeah, these are all of the books releasing in the in March 2025 that I’m at least a little interested in. What books are coming out soon that you’re looking forward to? Do we share some of the same ones?

As always, thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 2/24 – 3/2

Ugh. Late again with this post. Oh well…

I don’t really want to talk about last week. My posting was pretty bad, and my novel reading wasn’t much better. I don’t really have a good excuse for it. I’m thinking I just needed a bit of a break, though, cuz I feel really refreshed so far this week. I’m hoping that means I’ll be better this week.

Anyway, I’ll shut up now. Without further ado, let’s get on with the weekly wrap-up!

Tuesday 2/25: Top Ten Tuesday

Last Tuesday, I participated in Top Ten Tuesday. Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. The prompt was Books Set in Another Time.

Saturday 3/1: Bewitching Book Covers

On Saturday, I posted another Bewitching Book Covers. Bewitching Book Covers (formerly known as Majestic Mondays and Tasteful Tuesdays), is when I gush over a book cover that I like as well as analyze it (sometimes).

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, last week was the opposite of impressive, regarding both my posting on the blog and my book reading. But I feel kind of refreshed this week, so hopefully I’ll have a better time this coming week.

I have a few posts that I’m definitely planning on doing this week, a couple of which are a little late. The next thing I’m definitely posting on here is my list of the most interesting looking new books of March 2025, cuz it’s the first Tuesday of the month and some of the new books of March are already out.

I’m also going to finally going to post my review for Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. Just, ugh. I can’t believe that’s taken me that long. Then after that, I’m going to post my reading wrap-up for February 2025. I’ll also probably post one or two of my usual weekly posts as well.

I also have the next books I want to read lined up. There’s a series that I never got around to finishing that I still want to. Or, at least, the original trilogy. Before the author added more books to it – I don’t care about the newer books at all. I’m also probably going to read a sequel series to another series that I really enjoyed – it’s coming up on ten years when I first read it and I’m feeling nostalgic for it all.

Anyway, as always thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Bewitching Book Covers: The Starlight Heir

Happy Saturday everybody!

For anyone who doesn’t know, Bewitching Book Covers (formerly Tasteful Tuesdays, and before that, Majestic Mondays), is a series where I highlight an awesome looking book cover and talk about what I like about it. That’s it, that’s pretty much the point of this post.

This week the book cover I’m highlighting is The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard!

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard

SERIES: The Starlight Heir #1

LENGTH: 368 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Avon

RELEASE DATE: 7 January 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

To save the realm from eternal darkness, she’ll have to choose between the truth and the lie—stand and fight or kneel and die.

“His Imperial Majesty, King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.”

When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.

But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who draws her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the starkeeper—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.

When the rebels carry out a brutal strike, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the starkeeper. But Roshan is hiding secrets of his own. And with no control of the power that seems to be stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of the old gods themselves…and the interest of one dark god in particular might be the biggest threat of all.

Book Cover Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 • 4 bright, glowing stars

Wow. The new books coming out lately sure have some pretty looking covers.

Like the last book cover I gushed over – The Beasts We BuryThe Starlight Heir’s cover art also has a bunch of purple on it. And, for some reason, purple covers tend to catch my eye. I dunno why, honestly. Purple isn’t even my favorite color or anything.

But purple isn’t the only prominent color on this cover. There’s also a lot of pink and teal, and they both compliment the purple very nicely. The pink more directly, as it’s clearly meant to highlight the purple of the feathers of the creature on the cover. The teal on the other hand, is part of the foliage in the background, behind the creature on the cover. There’s also some gold integrated here. The colors in the foliage definitely make it stand out.

As usual, I also really like the font chosen (or designed) for the title. It’s pretty serif-esque for the most part, which makes it feel very prominent on the cover art. But it has some swirls and a bit of a flourish to it, which gives it a bit of an elegant feel. The white color of the text also makes it stand out from the rest of the colorful cover.

So yeah, here’s yet another beautiful book cover. What do you think about this cover art? Have you read The Starlight Heir?

Anyway, as always, thank you for reading, and I hope that you have an excellent day/night!

See ya ~Mar