WWW Wednesday: 4/8

Happy Wednesday to everyone once again!

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme that used to be hosted at A Daily Rhythm, but has been taken over by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. Now, without further ado, let’s get into the 3 Ws!

The 3 Ws of WWW Wednesday:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What I’m Currently Reading

✯✯ I’m in between books again, haha. So embarrassing. Why must this happen so frequently for me? ✯✯

What I Recently Finished Reading

A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson

★★ This wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I also didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. I didn’t hate it, and it has a gorgeous cover, but it wasn’t a hit for me. ★★

What I’m Reading Next

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

☆☆ This is still on my immediate TBR. I really got to get reading it, haha. ☆☆

What books has everyone been reading lately? What have you thought of them? What are you thinking of reading next?

Anyway, thank you to everyone for reading, and I hope that you have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Stay for a Spell

Happy Wednesday everyone!

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:

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe! 📖📚

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe

LENGTH: 384 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

PUBLISHER: ACE

RELEASE DATE: 14 April 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A cursed princess must discover what her heart truly longs for in this charmingly cozy romantic fantasy for everyone who’s ever lost – or found – themselves in a bookshop.

Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.

During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks. She finds it easy to exchange balls and endless state dinners for teetering piles of books and an irritatingly handsome pirate who seems bent on stealing her stock.

She even starts to believe she’s stumbled into her very own happily ever after.

There’s just one, minor problem: as Tandy’s royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?

Are you looking forward to Stay for a Spell? What books are coming out in the near future 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 Books Releasing April 2026

Hey everyone and Happy April! I hope everyone who celebrates had a nice Easter, and that everybody had a nice weekend regardless. Anyway, another month, another bunch of new books that are coming out! Yep, it’s time for The Most Intriguing New Books of April 2026.

Here’s the sitch if you’re unfamiliar: this is a monthly post about new releases. Specifically, it’s about new releases that I find interesting, which means they’re most likely all going to be fantasy or science fiction, since those are my favorite genres. There’s occasionally an outlier, though.

These are just books that look interesting to me, by the way. There’s no guarantee which ones I’ll read, or if I’ll even read half of them. We’ll see. Anyway, let’s get going! Eight books have caught my eye this month!

RELEASING: April 7th

The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn’t your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

Ellie’s universe, and this one, is falling apart. Her ailing mother is in a coma; her sister, Chris, accuses her of being insufficiently Chinese between assassination attempts; and a shadowy cabal of engineers is trying to hijack the skunkworks, the machinery that keeps the physics of each universe working the way it’s supposed to.

Daniel, Ellie’s cousin, has found an illicit device in the skunkworks—one that keeps Ellie’s comatose mother alive while also creating destabilizing bugs in the physics of this universe. It’s not a good day.

If she can confront her mother’s legacy and overcome her family’s generational trauma, she just might find a way to preserve the skunkworks and reconcile with her sister…but digging into her family’s past is thornier than it seems, and the secrets she uncovers will force Ellie to choose between her family and the universe itself.

RELEASING: April 7th

A former changeling must return to the land of the Fae to right a bargain that’s gone terribly wrong in this delightful cozy fantasy debut packed full of charm, adventure, romance and heart.

When Poppy Hill was a child she was stolen from her family’s Montana homestead and taken ‘Otherside’ to the land of the fae, where she spent more than a century as a cook in the Wild King’s castle. Now back in the human world, she works for a company that brokers fairy bargains, looking for loopholes in their contracts.

Then a bargain that Poppy is negotiating goes disastrously wrong and she has to return to the world she grew up in to try to rectify her mistake, facing danger, intrigue and a pesky ex-boyfriend along the way.

RELEASING: April 7th

Two-time Carnegie Medalist Patrick Ness makes a thrilling return to the world of Chaos Walking with this launch of the extraordinary New World trilogy, in a deluxe package with sprayed edges and endpapers illustrated by Jim Kay.

It’s been twenty years since the monstrous war that almost tore New World apart, and there’s a new generation on the planet. Todd and Viola’s sons Ben and Max have known only peace growing up on the family farm outside a bustling human settlement. They dream of the usual things, like school and adventure, until the nightmares begin . . . 

A sudden sickness has infected the young people of New World with Noise in the form of their worst thoughts about themselves. Some suspect the Spackle, the indigenous people with whom humans have a very uneasy truce. Others wonder about a connection to a mysterious object looming in the sky. And then, one by one, the children of New World begin to disappear. 

Ben, with his mother’s logical mind, and Max, with his father’s courageous heart, become caught up in separate quests for answers, journeys that will test their beliefs in their parents, each other, and in their very existence on the planet. 

Patrick Ness makes a masterful return to New World in this timely work of science fiction, one that looks at the interplay of fear, power, and propaganda, and at the stories we tell ourselves.

RELEASING: April 14th

A cursed princess must discover what her heart truly longs for in this charmingly cozy romantic fantasy for everyone who’s ever lost – or found – themselves in a bookshop.

Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.

During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks. She finds it easy to exchange balls and endless state dinners for teetering piles of books and an irritatingly handsome pirate who seems bent on stealing her stock.

She even starts to believe she’s stumbled into her very own happily ever after.

There’s just one, minor problem: as Tandy’s royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?

RELEASING: April 14th

A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a priestess paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince. 

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long—not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death—secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.

RELEASING: April 20th

In the People’s Kingdom, obedience means safety from the horrors of the Beast – a vicious dragon ensnared in magical slumber. But how can Torver obey when his very existence is illegal?

Inexplicably devoid of the magic that blesses everyone else in the Kingdom, Torver can’t get his papers – and will hang for it, if caught. Cornered, Torver lives in the shadow of his only friend, Bassen, whose powerful death magic makes survival a daily struggle. 

But when the pair save the life of a genderless fae, a fugitive from across the forbidden border wall who brings a dire warning, their hard-won safety is shattered. Thrust into the midst of an oncoming war that only they can prevent, the unlikely trio must travel the length of the Kingdom to slay the terrible Beast of legend, robbing their invaders of their greatest weapon. 

But along the way, as they uncover deadly secrets and shattering truths, Torver is forced to confront not only his growing feelings for their fae defector companion, but also the beasts inside himself. Because in the People’s Kingdom, obedience is a heavy, deadly thing. 

And the price may just be too high. 

RELEASING: April 21st

Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.

Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.

In the wake of The Great War, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother’s side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle’s offer: If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.

It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh…for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.

RELEASING: April 21st

Fans of the hit webcomic Aurora, will delight in the second installment of the fantasy series in print, which continues the heroes’ epic journey to save the god Vash and discover more secrets.

Following the exciting events of Aurora: Volume 1, Kendal and his heroic companions continue on their quest. Looking to rescue Vash and uncover more secrets about the Void Dragon, Kendal, Erin, Alinua, and Falst travel to new cities and meet new friends and foes alike. Will they save their kidnapped god, defeat the Void Dragon, and learn more about the Collector’s plans to stop her in time? Find out in Aurora: Volume 2!

So yeah, these are all of the books releasing in April 2026 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: 3/30 – 4/5

It’s a new week! Happy Monday everybody!

Last week was pretty good. My blog activity was really high; even though it wasn’t as strong during the second half of the week. I also read a new book, which I’m very happy about. Starting off April very well!

Anyway, without further ado, let’s get on with the Weekly Wrap-Up!

Monday 3/30: Birthstone Book Covers

Last Monday, I participated in Birthstone Book Covers. Birthstone Book Covers is a fun little post created and hosted by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black.

Each month, for the post, you feature book covers that are either the same color of the month’s birthstone or include the color in the title. This month was March, and its birthstone is aquamarine. So the colors to pick from are shades of cyan.

Tuesday 3/31: Top Ten Tuesday

On Tuesday, I participated in Top Ten Tuesday for the first time in a couple of weeks. 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 for last week was Buzzwords or Phrases That Make Me Want to Read (or Avoid) a Book.

Wednesday 4/1: Can’t-Wait Wednesday / WWW Wednesday

This past Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday again. 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.

I also participated in WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. It focuses on the Three Ws of Reading: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? and What do you think you’ll read next?

Saturday 4/4: March Reading 2026

On Saturday, I posted my Monthly Reading Wrap-Up for March 2026. And I posted it even earlier than I did last month’s wrap-up! 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.

Sunday 4/5: Easter

Yesterday, it was Easter, so much like last year, I ended up not posting anything on the blog. But to those who celebrate, Happy Easter!! 🐇🐤🧺🥚 We had a great afternoon spending time with family – for us it’s one of the few times of the year when everyone is able to get together, so it’s important to me for pretty much that reason alone.

There were even a few more family members than usual, which made it extra special. Also, there was a lot of good food for dinner and some wonderful desserts. It was just a wonderful day in general.

Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, I’m pretty satisfied with everything I was able to do last week. I’m happy to have read a book, though I wouldn’t have minded reading a second one. The holiday made the weekend busy, however, and I had other stuff going on over the week, so I’m not that disappointed about it. I’m also really happy about the blogging I did. Five posts! Yay!

This week I want to participate in a couple of my favorite weekly posts, as well as post my review for A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson. I also want to definitely post my list of most interesting new books of April 2026. I would’ve liked to do that this past week, but I ran out of time, unfortunately. And in regards to reading books, I want to finally start Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman next.

Outside of books and blogging, not much other than Easter went on last week. Other than that, nothing’s really changed. My spouse and I are still being healthier, and we’ve watched some stuff on and off, but other than that, not much.

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

See ya ~Mar

Monthly Wrap-Up: March Reading 2026

Happy Saturday! I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far! It’s time for my monthly reading wrap-up for March 2026!

I read a pretty good amount last month. Seven books! Seven! I’m so happy about that; I haven’t read that many books in one month in ages. I also blogged a fair amount as well, so I’m also satisfied with that.

Anyway, let’s just start talking about my StoryGraph statistics from last month!

March Reading 2026

I’m liking what I’ve been doing, so I’m going to continue starting off with my general statistics here first before getting into the more specific stuff. Everything was so much higher last month and I’m really happy about it.

I read 📚 7 books and 📑 3,763 pages in March, and my average star rating was ⭐ 4.04 stars. Also, the average length of the books I read was 📈 537 pages and my average time to finish a novel 🗓️ was 2 days.

😐 MOODS: I had more Moods than usual last month. For this past month, my Moods were AdventurousFunnyTense, Lighthearted, Reflective, Mysterious, Informative, Emotional, and Dark.

👢 PACE: The pacing of of the books that I read in March was 57% slow, 29% medium, and 14% fast.

🔢 PAGE NUMBER: Concerning my average Page Number per book, 71% of them were over 500 pages, and 29% of them between 300 and 499 pages.

📖 FICTION/NONFICTION: Regarding the ratio here, the books I read were both fiction. As is my usual.

🎭 GENRES: The Genres I read in March were Manga, Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT+, Horror, and Comics.

📄 FORMAT: The Format was 86% print and 14% digital. So the majority of them were physical copies with one of them being an ebook.

📊 STAR RATINGS: I’ve already mentioned this above, but this is what it looks like on the graph. One novel I read I gave 3.75 stars (Brighter Than Nine), four novels I gave 4 stars (Don’t Let the Forest In and three omnibuses of One Piece), and two books I gave 4.25 stars (two omnibuses of One Piece).

📉 PAGES READ DAILY: I read less during the first half of the month compared to the second half. The highest peak of my reading was on the 28 with a bunch of One Piece, though the days surrounding it were also pretty high (also do to One Piece). Though not very high, my earliest reading spike in the month was the 4th.

The Books I Read in March

★★★★✩ • my review

★★★✫✩ • my review

★★★★✩

★★★★✩

★★★★✬

★★★★✬

★★★★✩

Wrapping Up the Wrap-Up

So yeah, those were all of my reading stats from last month. I’m pretty happy with how everything turned out. I hope that April is just as wonderful.

For this month, I’ve already read A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson, and I’m planning on getting a review for it out soon. In regards to books that I want to read next, I’m planning on Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, and if I like it, the sequel to it as well. I’d also like to read The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu, and maybe No Gods No Kings by Demetria Paxton. I also want to get back into the Dresden Files still, and am hoping to do so in the next few weeks.

Anyway, as always, thank you for joining me in checking out my StoryGraph stats for my March reading in 2026. Thank you also for reading, and I hope you have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

WWW Wednesday: 4/1

Happy Wednesday again! Cutting it very close with this one!

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme that used to be hosted at A Daily Rhythm, but has been taken over by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. Now, without further ado, let’s get into the 3 Ws!

The 3 Ws of WWW Wednesday:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What I’m Currently Reading

A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson

CURRENT STATUS: 26%

CURRENT FEELS: 🤔 (unsure)

✯✯ I’m really not sure how I feel about this one yet. It started off much hornier than I expected, which put me off a little, and I wasn’t immediately into either of the protagonists, for various reasons. For now, I’m still giving it a chance, as I’m still interested in seeing where this goes at the moment. ✯✯

What I Recently Finished Reading

One Piece (Volumes 79, 80, & 81) by Eiichiro Oda

★★ I really enjoyed the Dressrosa arc, even if it was a little slower. Far more than the Fishman Island arc in any case. I’m teetering around four stars for the last few volumes I read, though I might end up going up a little with the rating. But yeah, great arc. Looking forward to the Whole Cake Island arc later this year. ★★

What I’m Reading Next

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

☆☆ I’m still super eager to read this, and I really hope I enjoy it. I’m nervous about hyping it up too much, especially since A Widow’s Charm is not hitting so far for me (hopefully I can really get into it soon, though). But yeah, looking to start Dungeon Crawler Carl later this week. ☆☆

What books has everyone been reading lately? What have you thought of them? What are you thinking of reading next?

Anyway, thank you to everyone for reading, and I hope that you have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: The Subtle Art of Folding Space

Happy Wednesday to all! I hope you’ve had a great day!

But yeah, 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 Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu! 🥟☄️

This was on my list of anticipated reads for the first half of 2026!

I don’t want to detract from this book, but I also recently discovered that Patrick Ness is releasing Piper at the Gates of Dusk, which is the first book in a new trilogy called The New World, which is a continuation of his Chaos Walking universe – a trilogy of books that I absolutely adore. I even did a post about how much I love it a while back.

Anyway, I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m somewhat excited and interested, of course, but it’s been a long time since Chaos Walking (I’m not even getting into that terrible movie adaptation thing that doesn’t exist). But yeah, I’m interested in it, but I’m not sure when or if I’m gonna read it – the Chaos Walking trilogy had a great ending. All I needed to know was what happened to Todd and Viola afterwards, and seeing as the plot summary says they’re married with kids, I’m pretty good.

But yeah, into another awesome looking book – and the one I’m highlighting for this week’s Can’t-Wait Wednesday – The Subtle Art of Folding Space!

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu

LENGTH: 240 pages

GENRES: Science Fiction, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Tor Books

RELEASE DATE: 7 April 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn’t your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

Ellie’s universe, and this one, is falling apart. Her ailing mother is in a coma; her sister, Chris, accuses her of being insufficiently Chinese between assassination attempts; and a shadowy cabal of engineers is trying to hijack the skunkworks, the machinery that keeps the physics of each universe working the way it’s supposed to.

Daniel, Ellie’s cousin, has found an illicit device in the skunkworks – one that keeps Ellie’s comatose mother alive while also creating destabilizing bugs in the physics of this universe. It’s not a good day.

If she can confront her mother’s legacy and overcome her family’s generational trauma, she just might find a way to preserve the skunkworks and reconcile with her sister… but digging into her family’s past is thornier than it seems, and the secrets she uncovers will force Ellie to choose between her family and the universe itself.

Are you looking forward to The Subtle Art of Folding Space? What books are coming out in the near future that you’re looking forward to?

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

See ya ~Mar

Top Ten Tuesday: Buzzwords or Phrases That Make Me Want to Read (or Avoid) a Book

Happy Tuesday everyone! I’m cutting it a bit close this week, but I’ve been looking forward to this week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. This week’s topic is Buzzwords or Phrases That Make Me Want to Read (or Avoid) a Book. They can be in the title, summary, marketing stuff, book reviews, blurbs, etc. These words or phrases can immediately grab your attention or immediately drive you away and make you go “Nope.”

Anyway, without further ado, let’s get into it! I’ve decided to do both sides of the prompt, so I’m going to do ten of each!

10 Things That Make Me Want to Read a Book

Found Family

I’m an absolute sucker for this trope! I love it!

Grumpy and Sunshine

Platonic or romantic, this trope rules!

Retelling/Reimagining

I’m a sucker for this kind of thing. I love fairytale retellings or new spins on classics or legends with a magical, sci-fi, or romantic twist.

Friends to Lovers

I love to see best buds fall in love.

Second Chance

It’s sweet to see characters giving a relationship another go. Plus, knowing two characters have a history is always interesting. I like it both as a friendship or a romance.

Stuck Together

I love it when two characters or a group of characters are stuck together and forced to get along. The friction is so fun, whether platonic or romantic.

Parodies

I don’t indulge too often, but when I see a parody alluded to, I know it’s probably gonna be a lot of fun. These are especially interesting when they’re played completely straight.

“Spine-tingling”

Reading this phrase makes my spine tingle with anticipation.

“Charming”

This makes me think the book will be a little cozy without being too cozy. I like it when my books are sometimes a little cozy without being too cozy.

“Dark/Terrible/Hidden Truth”

I read this phrase or its variants and I immediately want to know what is up with this novel.

10 Things That Make Me Want to Avoid a Book

Enemies to Lovers

I really hate this trope. Like, I just don’t like the concept. Especially because it’s mis-used so often – it’s usually something more like “reluctant allies to lovers” or “neutral to lovers” or something else, but it’s marketed as “enemies to lovers.” Ugh. And I also hate phrases that related to this trope, like “icy hostility to fiery passion” (thanks so much ACORAR).

Love Triangles

I absolutely despise love triangles. They are beyond irritating.

Amnesia

I hate amnesia plots that are involved with romance. All it does is reset half of a relationship and make the other half miserable.

Soulmates

If this is alluded to in the summary, I basically always walk away. I hate destined love.

Forbidden Love

I’ve just seen this one too much – I’m more tired of this trope than anything else.

Damsels

I’m tired of damsels of any kind. Let both the MMC and the FMC be capable in their own ways. I don’t want either locked away in a tower to wait or two be a plot device.

Bad Boys/Girls

I’m kind of tired of them.

“Fierce”

I still see this word pretty often in synopsis, but I mostly saw it everywhere like two to five years ago. This one is mostly a case of seeing it too much and getting fed up with it.

“Bold”

The same problem I have with “fierce.” But I also can’t stand the phrase “bold [new] debut.”

“Dangerous Temptation”

I hate it. I’m not a big romance reader, so that might be why, but I still hate this phrase.

What are words or phrases that make you want to read a book? Which ones make you want to stay away from a book?

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

See ya ~Mar

Birthstone Book Covers: March 2026

I’m cutting it a little close with this, but it isn’t even the last day of March yet, so I’m still in the clear. Ugh. I swore I wasn’t gonna be this late with this post anymore. Nothing for it now, I guess.

Anyway, Leslie @ Books Are the New Black created a fun monthly post called Birthstone Book Covers. Each month, she features book covers that are either the same color of that month’s birthstone or include the color in the title.

Rules:

  • Mention the creater (Leslie @ Books Are the New Black) and link back to her so she can check out your post
  • Pick 5+ books covers that match the current month’s birthstone
  • HAVE FUN!
  • Nominate people if you want!

March has one birthstone: Aquamarine.

This means book covers with lots of aquamarine. One of my favorite hues of cyan!

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
A Time Traveler’s History of Tomorrow by Kendall Kulper
Seven Deadly Thorns by Amber Hamilton
Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown
Aquamarine & Indigo by Alice Hoffman
The Shattered Castle by Jennifer A. Nielsen

What are your favorite books with aqua book covers? If you participated in Birthstone Books, which books did you choose this March?

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have the most amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 3/23 – 3/29

Happy Monday everybody! I hope you had a nice week! It’s Weekly Wrap-Up time!

Last week was great, both in regards to bloc activity and for reading books. I posted on here a good about, and I read a few books. It was awesome!

But yeah, without further ado, let’s get on with the Weekly Wrap-Up!

Tuesday 3/24: Top Ten Tuesday

Last Tuesday, I participated in Top Ten Tuesday for the first time in a couple of weeks. 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 for last week was Books on Your Spring To-Read List.

Wednesday 3/25: Can’t-Wait Wednesday / WWW Wednesday

On Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday again. 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.

I also participated in WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. It focuses on the Three Ws of Reading: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? and What do you think you’ll read next?

Friday 3/26: First Line Friday

This past Friday, I participated in First Line Friday again. First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words. It’s where you guess what book the post is highlighting based on the book’s first words.

Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, I’m generally pretty happy with everything I got done last week. I would’ve liked to have read (or at least started) maybe one more book and done one more blog post, but I’m satisfied with how things turned out.

For this week, I want to participate in my usual weekly posts, but I also want to post my list of most interesting looking books for April 2026. I’d also really like to get a book review out – I didn’t manage to do so last week, which disappointed me.

Concerning books and reading, I want to start A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson, probably tomorrow. I also want to read Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, as well as its sequel, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, if I like it. I had intended to get to Dungeon Crawler Carl this past weekend, but the One Piece arc I was reading lasted longer than I thought, so I had to read another omnibus. Oh well.

I didn’t do much else last week, outside of books and blogging, which is a little strange. Usually something is going on. My spouse and I have continued to be healthier, I guess? We’ve both definitely noticed a difference with that, at least. I dunno, we haven’t started any new shows or anything. So yeah, nothing much outside of reading and stuff. Easter’s gonna be this Sunday, so I’m looking forward to that.

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

See ya ~Mar