Weekly Wrap-Up: 11/24 – 11/30

Yay! I’m not super late with the Weekly Wrap-Up this week! Hopefully this is a good sign for the future!

Though my blogging wasn’t really any better than it’s been, I did read some books this past week. Or at least a couple novellas. But considering my track record with novel reading lately, I definitely see that as a huge win.

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

Thursday 11/27: Thanksgiving Day

Last Thursday was Turkey Day! To those who celebrate, once again, Happy Thanksgiving!! 🦃🍽️🥧🌽🍂🍁 Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday, and not because of the food or anything. I enjoy it because I love seeing family and friends I don’t usually get to see. I also like it because the hype for the holiday season officially starts here.

We had a good day again this year. I enjoyed seeing everyone that I got to see, and even though it’s not the reason that I love this holiday, the food was great this year. So it was a pretty okay Thanksgiving, this time around.

Saturday 11/29: Books I’m Thankful For

This past Saturday, I finally posted the usual thing I do for Thanksgiving, Books I’m Thankful For. It was about a day later than I’d have liked, but it wasn’t that late so I was pretty satisfied.

This year, the book – or series in this case, technically – that I gushed about were the Legend of Zelda bug books. AKA: The strategy guides and the lore books.

Books I’m Thankful For: Legend of Zelda Lore Books & Strategy Guides

Sunday 11/30: Birthstone Book Covers

On Sunday, I participated in Birthstone Book Covers – just barely getting it in before the end of November. 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 November, and its birthstones are topaz and citrine. So the colors of the month were yellow, gold, and yellow-orange.

Birthstone Book Covers: November 2025

Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, in some ways last week was a bit of an improvement, and in some ways it wasn’t. I’m happy with it overall – especially with the holiday and all that. Here’s hoping this is a sign of good things to come for the rest of the year. 🍀🤞

For my blog stuff this week, I definitely want to get my Most Interesting Looking New Books of December 2025 post, as well as my monthly wrap-up regarding my reading for November 2025. I want to get those two out during a reasonable week of the month this time around! I also want to get a book review – or two! – out as well. I’m waayyy behind now, especially in light of the fact that I read two novellas last week (which is something I’m very happy about).

Regarding books and reading… I just read the first two novels of the Penric and Desdemona series, but I think I’m gonna pause on that for a bit, even though I’ve enjoyed it. There’s just too much that I want to read. Next on my immediate TBR is the final volume of The Glass Scientists is coming out today, so I’ll be reading that as soon as my copy arrives. I’m very excited to see how everything concludes! After that, I’m not quite sure what I’ll read next, but I feel like I’m finally back on a reading kick. So hopefully it doesn’t go away!

Outside of books and blogging, last week had a lot going on. Sort of. Well, okay, “a lot” was basically only Thanksgiving, but my spouse and I also had a lot of extra time to ourselves compared to usual, courtesy of the holiday. We spent a lot of our time chilling and taking it easy, but we also binged Dispatch. It’s a new game developed by AdHoc Studio that was released episodically from mid-October to mid-November, and is the spiritual successor to Telltale Games. My spouse and I just lounged and watched and played a bunch of stuff in general, though.

Other than this stuff, however, nothing much happened. We even kind of took a break with the diet and stuff, because Thanksgiving is all about food and all. This is like one of the only weeks of the year where we kind of acknowledge that we’re not really going to eat healthy. Oh well. But this coming week we should be back on it.

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

See ya ~Mar

Birthstone Book Covers: November 2025

Ugh. Here I am, crashing in at the literal eleventh hour with this post. November has not been my month this year, and I’m not sure why. I gotta do better next month. Anyway, here I am in the last few minutes of the last day of November with my Birthstone Book Covers contribution for the month. (Edit: Hnnng, it didn’t post when I told it to again! So here I am, back posting it like an idiot. Ugh, 2025 is just the worst!)

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

November has two birthstones – Topaz and Citrine. So yellow, gold, and yellow-orange are the colors!

Rules:

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

**Beautiful Chaos** **by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl**

**This Woven Kingdom** **by Tehereh Mafi**

**Touched by an Alien** **by Gini Koch**

What are your favorite books with yellow or golden or yellow-orange book covers? If you participated in Birthstone Book Covers, which books did you choose this November?

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

See ya ~Mar

The Most Interesting Looking New Books of November 2025

Hey there everybody! Another month, another bunch of new books that are coming out! Yep, it’s The Most Intriguing New Books of November 2025. I know pretty late in the month this time – I generally like to get it out by the first Tuesday of the month – but there’s been a lot going on in the recent weeks, and I’m just now trying to get back into things.

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! Similar to last month, this month there are only three books that have caught my eye. (Mot to mention, they’ve all already come out, as they were new releases from the first half of the month. Shhh. Let’s pretend that didn’t happen.) Oh well, my To Be Read Stuff is kind ridiculous right now anyway, lol.

RELEASING: November 4th

The Cruel Prince meets Powerless in this dark academia romantasy that will tattoo itself onto your heart

In the cursed Kingdom of Aragoa, the punishment for magic is death.

Even the students at Vandenberghe Academy aren’t spared. When Viola Sinclair’s deadly shadow magic is discovered, the queen gives her assassin a new assignment and a new cursed tattoo: seven-thorned rose on his arm for the seven days he has to hunt Viola down and kill her. If he doesn’t, he will be the one to die.

The assassin is Roze Roquelart–entitled prince, arrogant fellow student, and the one person Viola hates more than anyone. Roze should revel in the chance to end her life, but he desperately needs something from Viola and her magic. And he’s willing to spare her life–and fake their engagement–to get it.

Forced to work together, Viola and Roze must contend with deadly threats, dangerous secrets, and an impossible attraction. Will they give in to their deepest desires, even if it means destroying Aragoa–and risking both their lives?

HER WORST ENEMY. HIS ONLY CHANCE.

Be swept away by the sizzling, irresistible enemies-to-lovers romantasy with magic more destructive than your darkest nightmares.

RELEASING: November 4th

A time-bending love story between a prickly young woman and a carefree stranger, who are tasked with saving the universe–after accidentally destroying it in the first place.

Genevieve Newhouse and Ash Hargreaves weren’t supposed to meet like this. Unless it was always meant to be…

Gen is a fastidious science prodigy with a chip on her shoulder, and she can turn herself invisible.

Happy-go-lucky Ash has just escaped a sheltered (read: cultish) childhood, and he can manipulate time.

The gifted eighteen-year-olds cross paths at the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair, where Genevieve’s experimental physics project causes an apocalyptic explosion. Ash tries to avert catastrophe by gallantly rewinding time a few minutes, but instead, he transports them back to 1893. The duo finds themselves trapped in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming era, with no idea how to return to their own time–or if their own time even exists. Their cataclysmic leap across decades might have destroyed the world as they know it…

Fate and free will intertwine in this page turning historical romance that sets two irresistible strangers down a chaotic, potentially apocalyptic path. “Will they or won’t they” takes on a whole new meaning as Gen and Ash fight for survival while falling in love.

Hand to fans of Immortal Longings and Anatomy: A Love Story, and don’t miss companion novels Murder for the Modern Girl and A Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife.

RELEASING: November 11th

A young woman cursed with a fatal heartbreak-induced sickness must race against time to find a cure and protect her family legacy from the ancient finfolk that would destroy it, the fiancé that would kill her for it, and the boy who would love her if she forsook it.

The seafaring humans of Kirkrell have always been plagued by finfolk—bloodthirsty fae who haunt the seas, sinking ships and cursing bloodlines. Yet it’s only by hunting magical whales that Kirkrell can prosper. Nineteen-year-old Annie is heir to the Fairfax Whaling Company, but their family’s success came at a cost: a curse by which heartbreak turns Fairfaxes slowly into monsters. And six years ago, the shipwreck that killed Annie’s parents left her with scales spreading up her arms, claws sprouting from her fingertips.

The love of her fiancé, August, salved her heart for a while—but when she learns August is maneuvering to take over the company, the curse worsens. Fearing her time is running out, she strikes a bargain with a disreputable young captain, half-finfolk and half-human Silas Price: on a voyage to hunt whales in the far north, Silas will take Annie to the finfolk queen, who can lift the curse in return for a promise to end whaling forever.

As Annie, August and Silas sail north, she is determined to uphold her family’s legacy, but the threat of the finfolk tests her resolve. Lies corrupt her relationship with August; meanwhile a dangerous connection with Silas blooms—but he’s keeping secrets too, and his might be the most dangerous of all.

As heiress, it’s Annie’s responsibility to deliver whale magic to her city. But as heartbreak looms, she must choose between saving herself and her family’s legacy—and hope it doesn’t cost her everyone she loves.

So yeah, these are all of the books releasing in November 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: 12/9 – 12/15

Darn it. I’m practically posting this on Tuesday once again. Anyway. Ugh. December (and sometimes January and February) is just rough. I dunno why.

So, I didn’t read nearly as much as I’d wanted to, book-wise. Hopefully, this week I’ll be able to hunker down and really dig into a new novel. Please, for the love of God, Me.

Let’s just wrap up last week already…

Wednesday 12/11: November Reading 2024

Last Wednesday, I finally, finally, finally posted my monthly reading wrap-up for November. (Ludicrously late, I’m super aware.) 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.

Monthly Wrap-Up: November Reading 2024

Friday 12/13: First Line Friday / Friday the 13th

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

Last Friday also happened to fall on the 13th – oooh spooky! – the second of this year since it was a leap year. The other Friday the 13th was in September.

First Line Friday: 12/13

Sunday 12/15: Bewitching Book Covers

Yesterday, I – for the first time in months – did another Bewitching Book Covers post. Bewitching Book Covers (formerly known as Majestic Mondays and Tasteful Tuesdays), is when I gush over a book cover that I like and analyze it (sometimes). It’s something I (clearly) haven’t done in a while, but really want to get back into doing.

Bewitching Book Covers: The Crone of Midnight Embers

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, didn’t get the amount of novel reading that I had wanted to last week. I really, really want this week to be better, though. At least I finished Noragami, even though I deliberately put it off for two days because I knew it was the end and I was savoring it.

Regarding the blog, I’m planning on participating in a couple of my normal weekly posts. I also really want to get a book review out – I’m disappointed in myself for not doing so last week. I’m also definitely gonna participate in a certain monthly post.

Concerning the books I’ve got highest on my TBR – and on loan from the library – I really want to get reading The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch or I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle next. (I should probably read TLOLL first though – I rented it first, so it would be the responsible thing.) I’m not sure what I want to read after these, however.

Oh! And there was a book fair the weekend before last that I forgot to mention in my last wrap-up. It was awesome!! We got so many books – and for less than $15, too! I loved it and am so glad we went!

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

See ya ~Mar

Monthly Wrap-Up: November Reading 2024

I know this is super freaking late, but here I am with my November 2024 reading wrap-up. Finally.

I don’t know if I’ve ever been this late in the month with this post, but I hope it never happens again. Ugh, I don’t know what it is about December, but every year my novel reading and (sometimes) blog posting just completely tanks. I hate it.

Last month, I think I did pretty decently with it reading. I technically only read three novels, but it felt like (and is counted as) seven, so I’ll take it. Though I haven’t had the best start with this month (or any start at all really 😆😅), I’m hoping I’ll at least read a few books in December.

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

November Reading 2024

I read 7 books and 2,732 pages

😐 MOODS: I had less Moods in November than I did during October, but I still had six of them. As usual, the biggest Mood of the pie was Adventurous, but it was very closely followed by Emotional. They were then followed by Mysterious and Funny, and those Moods were then closely followed by Tense and Dark.

👢 PACE: My books from last month were all medium paced and nothing else. I don’t think that’s ever happened before.

🔢 PAGE NUMBER: Everything I read was between 304 and 489 pages.

📖 FICTION/NONFICTION: It was once again all fiction in November. Per usual.

🎭 GENRES: There were four Genres in the books I read in November, which was less this past month than the month before, but still decent. Somehow Romance is at the top of the bar graph this time, even though I read just as many Fantasy books. I dunno, I guess I thought they’d organize them in alphabetical order if they had the same amount? Anyway, the two other Genres here were LGBT+ and Young Adult (which aren’t genres they’re demographic, but I’ll shut up about that from now on).

📄 FORMAT: This particular pie graph is once again wrong. (As it always is.) The majority of books I read were physical copies, but two of them were digital.

⭐ RATING: My median star rating for last month was 3.96. The ratings I gave were between 1.75 stars and 4.5 stars, so yeah.

📉 PAGES READ DAILY: I did most of my reading during the middle of November. I read between the 8th and the 15th, as well as during the 21st and 22nd. My highest reading spike was on the 13th.

The Books I Read in November

★★★★✯ • my review

★★★★✯

★★★★✯

★★★★✯

★★★★✯

★✫☆☆☆ • my review

★★★✯☆ • my review

Wrapping Up the Wrap-Up

So yeah, I wish I had read more books than I ended up doing, but it is what it is. And yeah, this wrap-up is rather late, but for some reason I wanted to get my MDZS review out first. I dunno why. I did want to post this yesterday, but, well life got to me.

I’m really hoping that my reading for December will pick up this week, but I’m honestly not sure. Like I mentioned earlier, for some reason I find it harder to read books and blog about them in December. (If I’m being honest, I think it’s probably a winter thing, because it happens in January and February too. Hopefully they’ll be better, as well.)

Anyway, thanks for joining me in checking out my StoryGraph stats for my November reading in 2024. Thank you also for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 11/18 – 11/24

So with this post, I’ve officially been doing Weekly Wrap-Ups for four weeks now, which is a month of Mondays worth of posting! Yay! I feel like I’m really on track now.

Regarding my reading and posting from last week however… Yeah, it could’ve been better. I really only got through one book, unfortunately, and I posted a little less than I’d have liked as well. Oh well, let’s see what I can do this coming week. Honestly, seeing as this week is gonna be busier ’cause of the holiday, I’ll be happy if I can match my posting from this past week.

Anyway, without further ado, let’s get on with the wrap-up!

Wednesday 11/20: Birthstone Book Covers

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

Birthstone Book Covers: November 2024

Friday 11/22: First Line Fridays

On Friday, I participated in the weekly post, First Line Fridays. Two weeks in a row! Oh yeah! First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words. It’s a fun little post that focuses on guessing books based on their first lines.

First Line Friday: 11/22

Sunday 11/24: Snow Drowned Review

Yesterday, I posted my review of Snow Drowned by Jennifer D. Lyle. It’s a pretty recently released horror-fantasy novel. I ultimately gave this book ★★★✯☆.

Snow Drowned Review

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, I wasn’t super happy with the amount of posts I did last week. I would’ve liked to have done at least one more. I also kind of wish I’d at the very least started reading another book, but whatever I guess. It is what it is.

Because of Thanksgiving, I’m not sure how much blogging I’ll be able to do. I always get a little busier during weeks with holidays, and this sometimes affects the amount of blog posts I put out. I’m still hoping to do three or four additional posts this week besides this one though. Two that I’m definitely gonna do include: a book review, and my annual Books I’m Thankful For post that I do around Thanksgiving.

Regarding the things I did last week beyond blogging and reading books, there once again wasn’t a lot that I did. My schedule was completely messed up though, my time was managed terribly as a result, and I definitely didn’t get enough sleep as well. (I’m actually pretty sure that this might have affected my reading and posting last week. Whoops.) I’ve already rectified all this though, so hopefully this week will be a lot better.

This week, of course, is the week of Thanksgiving, as well as the start of the Holiday Season, so I’ll naturally be doing a lot with that. I’m also gonna be doing more cleaning.

Anyway, as always, thank you to everyone for reading, and I hope you all have a fantastic day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 10/28 – 11/3

Bet you didn’t expect to ever see this post again. I think the last time I did this post was at the end of January this year. I did say I was going to discontinue it because it was becoming too much after all. But I’ve been giving it some thought for the past couple of months, and I’ve decided that I’d like to try keeping up with this post again.

I’ve been doing pretty well with my posting lately. At the very least, I’m happy with the last few weeks on the blog, which is honestly what I want the most out of this blog.

Anyway, let’s get on with the post! Here’s to the furry weekly wrap-up in almost a year! 🥂🍻

Monday 10/28: Fall 2024 Book Recs

Last Monday, I finally got around to posting my Fall Book Recommendations for 2024. Basically, it was a list post that consisted of books I liked that I thought had autumn and/or spooky vibes. I had about seven of them this time. Check out the full post if you’re interested in which books made the cut this year.

Best Books with Fall Vibes: Fall Book Recommendations of 2024

Tuesday 10/29: Top Ten Tuesday

On Tuesday, I participated in Top Ten Tuesday. The topic of last week was Halloween Freebie, and I went with a bit of a medley – a Creature Feature or monster mashup if you will.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community.

Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Freebie

Wednesday 10/30: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

This past Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday again. It was the first time I’d done so in the past couple of weeks.

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.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Snow Drowned

Thursday 10/31: Halloween

And last Thursday was Halloween. Again, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!! 🎃👻🐈‍⬛🧹🦇🕸️ I hope that everyone enjoyed theirs.

Sunday 11/3: Sheets Series Review

Yesterday, I finally posted my review for the Sheets series. I had wanted to post it on Halloween, but it just didn’t work out, unfortunately. Oh well.

Sheets and its sequels, are a trilogy of cute graphic novels that feature ghosts that wear actual bedsheets. Yes, really. I enjoyed the series and ended up giving it a median rating of ★★★★☆.

My review of the Sheets Series

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, it’s been awhile. I wasn’t ever sure if I ever planned on starting up this series of posts again, but I guess I have. We’ll see how long this lasts this time, haha. Hopefully I’ll keep it up? 🤞🍀

(Also, last week I officially crested 400 blog posts on the Blog That Nobody Knows! Yay! 🎉💖)

I’m generally pretty happy with what I ended up posting last week. Regarding this coming week, I’m planning on finally getting out my Monthly Reading Wrap-Up for October 2024, probably (hopefully) tomorrow. I also have another couple of posts I’m planning on doing, and am of course hoping to get another book review out.

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

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 11/20 – 12/4

So it’s been some time since my last weekly wrap-up. It wasn’t very weekly, was it?

But hear me out! I only skipped last week’s because I was only able to post once the week before. And I didn’t think that that really warranted a weekly wrap-up post just for that. It seemed… overkill.

So I’m doing the past two weeks in this one post. That’s it, that’s what I really wanted to say. On with the wrap-up.

Thursday 11/23: Thanksgiving Day

I didn’t do a post this day, or on the day after, so here’s a very, very late Happy Thanksgiving!! 🦃🥧 I hope that everyone who celebrated enjoyed good food and good company!

Sunday 11/26: Books I’m Thankful For

Two Sundays ago was the only post I managed to do the week of Thanksgiving, unfortunately. But seeing as it was said week and I hadn’t done my Books I’m Thankful For post of the year yet, I decided to do that one.

Books I’m Thankful For: Leven Thumps

Thursday 11/30: System Collapse Review

This past Thursday, I finally got my book review posted for System Collapse by Martha Wells. It was a perfectly fine addition to the Murderbot Diaries. I gave it ★★★★✯.

My review of System Collapse

Friday 12/1: First Lines Friday

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

First Line Friday: 12/1

Sunday 12/3: November 2023 Monthly Reading Wrap-Up

Yesterday, I posted my monthly reading wrap-up for November 2023. 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.

Monthly Wrap-Up: November Reading 2023

Books I Read in the Last Two Weeks

One Piece: Volumes 19 - 20 - 21 by Eiichiro Oda

One Piece: Volumes 22 - 23 - 24 by Eiichiro Oda

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, that’s it. This time I wrapped up not one, but two, weeks. And since both these past weeks are finally done and acknowledged on the blog, my conscious is now clear.

This coming week I’d like to do a Tasteful Tuesday, seeing as it’s been a few weeks since I last did it. I promise, I really do want this to be a weekly thing! It just… hasn’t worked out that way lately.

I’m also definitely going to be posting my book review for Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett later this week. It’s been a long time coming, and I’ve been dying to talk about this book since I read it. I had originally hoped to post the review for it last week but… yeah. Oh! And I’ll probably participate in Spell the Month in Books this coming weekend, too. I’m not sure what else I’ll do this week, however.

close up of christmas decoration hanging on tree — *Photo by Gary Spears on Pexels.com*

Also, speaking of stuff I did last week that didn’t have anything to do with reading books or the blog, I changed the home decor. Yup, I put the Christmas decorations up! And decorated the tree! And changed the scents around the house. So now everything’s all festive and perfect for the season at Mar’s!

But yeah, as always, thank you all so much for reading and I hope you have an amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Spell the Month in Books: November 2023

Guess who crashed again last night?

Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks. I started participating in it a few months ago. It’s typically a Saturday post (as I might have mentioned above), but let’s all agree the Mar had a busy day yesterday and maybe, accidentally fell asleep before they could post.

So yeah, it’s November! Yay! The month where fall intensifies 🍂 and the holiday season begins 🎶 and everyone is cooking 🥘 up a storm whether it’s for Thanksgiving 🦃 or baking something 🥧.

Without further ado, let’s spell November with book titles!

N

Nightbane

AUTHOR: Alex Aster

RELEASE DATE: 7 November 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The seductive and action-packed follow-up to Alex Aster’s instant #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and internationally bestselling novel, Lightlark.

Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark’s seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart.

Alex Aster’s intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla’s memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates.

O

Once Upon a Broken Heart

AUTHOR: Stephanie Garber

RELEASE DATE: 28 September 2021

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Once Upon a Broken Heart marks the launch of a new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after from Stephanie Garber, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval.

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings…until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game — and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy…

My review of Once Upon a Broken Heart

V

The Village Healer's Book of Cures by Jennifer Sherman Roberts

Village Healer’s Book of Cures, The

AUTHOR: Jennifer Sherman Roberts

RELEASE DATE: 1 November 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In seventeenth-century England, a female healer enflames the fury of a witchfinder in this propulsive novel about murder, revenge, and the dangerous power of knowledge.

Mary Fawcett refines the healing recipes she’s inherited from generations of women before her―an uncanny and moral calling to empathize with the sick. When witchfinder Matthew Hopkins arrives in her small village, stoking the fires of hate, he sees not healing but the devil at work. Mary’s benevolent skills have now cast her and her young brother under suspicion of witchery.

Soon, the husband of one of Mary’s patients is found murdered, his body carved with strange symbols. For Hopkins, it’s further evidence of dark arts. When the whispering village turns against her, Mary dares to trust a stranger: an enigmatic alchemist, scarred body and soul, who knows the dead man’s secrets.

As Hopkins’s fervor escalates, Mary must outsmart the devil himself to save her life and the lives of those she loves. Unfolding the true potential of her gifts could make Mary a more empowered adversary than a witchfinder ever feared.

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Exit Strategy

AUTHOR: Martha Wells

RELEASE DATE: 2 October 2018

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Murderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right?

Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?

My review of The Murderbot Diaries

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Masters of Death

AUTHOR: Olivie Blake

RELEASE DATE: 8 August 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

From Olivie Blake, the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes Masters of Death, a story about vampires, ghosts, and death itself!

Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.

Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death.

When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.

My review of Masters of Death

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Blood & Honey

AUTHOR: Shelby Mahurin

RELEASE DATE: 1 September 2020

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The hotly anticipated sequel to the New York Times and IndieBound bestseller Serpent & Dove—packed with even steamier romance and darker magic—is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

My review of Blood & Honey

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Ella Enchanted

AUTHOR: Gail Carson Levine

RELEASE DATE: 30 April 1997

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

This beloved Newbery Honor-winning story about a feisty heroine is sure to enchant readers new and old.

At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy’s gift—the “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it’s to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate…

Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.

A tween favorite for 25 years—now shared with today’s young readers by moms, teachers, and other adults who remember the pleasure of discovering this fun fairy-tale retelling themselves!

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The Ruthless Lady's Guide the Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry, The

AUTHOR: C.M. Waggoner

RELEASE DATE: 12 January 2021

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Sparks fly in this enchanting fantasy novel from the author of Unnatural Magic when a down-and-out fire witch and a young gentlewoman join forces against a deadly conspiracy.

Dellaria Wells, petty con artist, occasional thief, and partly educated fire witch, is behind on her rent in the city of Leiscourt–again. Then she sees the “wanted” sign, seeking Female Persons, of Martial or Magical ability, to guard a Lady of some Importance, prior to the celebration of her Marriage. Delly fast-talks her way into the job and joins a team of highly peculiar women tasked with protecting their wealthy charge from unknown assassins.

Delly quickly sets her sights on one of her companions, the confident and well-bred Winn Cynallum. The job looks like nothing but romance and easy money until things take a deadly (and undead) turn. With the help of a bird-loving necromancer, a shapeshifting schoolgirl, and an ill-tempered reanimated mouse named Buttons, Delly and Winn are determined to get the best of an adversary who wields a twisted magic and has friends in the highest of places.

What books have you been reading lately? Have you been reading any with an autumnal theme? What have you thought of them?

Thanks again for reading, and have an amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar