Can’t-Wait Wednesday: The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox

Happy Wednesday! It’s been four of these in a row now! I’m on a roll! (Thanks to all the new interesting looking books coming out, of course.)

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 Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan! 🦊🔥

The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan

The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan

LENGTH: 320 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: S&S/Saga Press

RELEASE DATE: 24 February 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

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

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

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

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

Are you looking forward to The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox? 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

Monthly Wrap-Up: January Reading 2026

Hey everyone, and here’s a belated Happy Valentine’s Day!! 💝🌹💌🌷🍫💐 This post is also extremely late in the month. I usually like to do my monthly wrap-ups within the first week or so into the next month, but that didn’t happen here this time. Oh well. But yeah, here’s my reading wrap-up for January 2026!

January was alright. I read a couple of books and my blog activity was pretty high, for me at least. I’d have liked to do better in regards to how many novels I read, but two books isn’t terrible, especially with how half of last year was. Hopefully I’ll do better for February, or at the very least, match my reading from last month.

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

January Reading 2026

I’ve decided to do things slightly differently this time around. The analysis of my Moods and such is staying the same, but I’m adding a few more stats up here.

I read 📚 2 books and 📑 923 pages in January, and my average star rating was ⭐ 4.0 stars. Also, the average length of the books I read was 📈 461 pages and my average time to finish was 🗓️ 3 days.

😐 MOODS: For this past month, my Moods were Adventurous, Tense, Funny, Emotional, and Dark, with the largest part of the pie chart being Adventurous.

👢 PACE: The pacing of of the books that I read in January was 100% medium.

🔢 PAGE NUMBER: Concerning my average Page Number per book, 50% of the books were above 500 pages, and 50% of the novels were between 300 and 499 pages. So one book was 500+ pages and the other was 300 – 499.

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

🎭 GENRES: All of the Genres I read in January were Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, and LGBT+. They were each only applicable once to either of the two books, so they’re all equal.

📄 FORMAT: The Format for both books was print, so they were both physical copies.

📊 STAR RATINGS: I’ve already mentioned this above, but this is what it looks like on the graph. Both novels I read I rated 4.0 stars, though.

📉 PAGES READ DAILY: I didn’t read anything over the first half of the month, unfortunately, but I did during the second half. I read quite a bit between the 16th and the 19th, but my biggest peak was at the end of the month on the 30th and 31st.

The Books I Read in January

★★★★☆ • my review

★★★★☆ • my review

Wrapping Up the Wrap-Up

So yeah, January wasn’t quite as good as I was hoping it would be, but I can only hope to go better this month. I’m happy with how consistent I was with blogging, though, even if I had wanted to do better with my book reading.

Regarding what I want to read next, I’m thinking Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson, and then maybe Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn. After that, I’m not absolutely sure. I’m also considering Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawsett, however.

This post was late in part because I wanted to get all of my reviews for the books I read last month out first, but also because I wanted to alter my monthly wrap-ups a little bit, but wasn’t super cute what exactly I wanted for a small while. But I’ve finally figured it out, so I’m finally posting this. Yay!

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

See ya ~Mar


MY LINKS:


Weekly Wrap-Up: 2/9 – 2/15

It’s Monday again, which means it’s time to wrap up last week!

Last week was… eh. I wasn’t really at my best, unfortunately, with either the blog or reading books. Oh well. Part of that was due to a rough last few days of the week, but a lot of it was just me getting busier or distracted with other stuff. This week I definitely want to do better.

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

Wednesday 2/11: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

Last Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday for the first time in a 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.

Thursday 2/12: The Bones Beneath My Skin Review

On Thursday, I finally posted my review of The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune. It took a little longer than I wanted (for reasons), but I’m happy to have finally reviewed it!

The book was a weird and wild ride throughout, and I enjoyed it. There were a few things that I didn’t care for about the novel, but it was an overall great reading experience. I recommend it to fans of TJ Klune’s other stuff. I gave it ★★★★☆.

Friday 2/13: Friday the 13th

This past Friday was Friday the 13th. It’s not a holiday or even close to anything like that. I just like acknowledging it for some reason. And since it’s in February this year and it’s not a leap year, we’ll have two Friday the 13th’s this year. So that’s kind of cool.

Saturday 2/14: Valentine’s Day

Last Saturday was Valentine’s Day!! 💝🌹💌🌷🍫💐 I hope anyone who does anything for it had a good one. We usually do ours on a different day, as most places are usually pretty busy (especially with it being on a Saturday this year). So on the day of, we didn’t do much. It’s still Heart Day, though, so I always like to point it out.

Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, last week wasn’t the greatest, but it could’ve been worse. I’m hoping to do better this coming week, though. So we’ll see how it goes.

This week I’m absolutely posting my monthly reading wrap-up for January 2026. I was angling to do it last week, but I don’t know what happened there. I’d also like to participate in a couple of my favorite weekly posts, as well as my favorite monthly one. And hopefully a book review if I get around to reading and finishing one. I actually know what I’m reading next for once, as well as the book I want to read after it.

Outside of books and blogging this past week,  Valentine’s Day happened, as I highlighted above. Other than that though, there wasn’t a lot that went on. My spouse and I are still working on being healthy, but that’s about it.

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

See ya ~Mar

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune | Book Review

“Sometimes you need to take things on faith,” she said quietly. “Even if you think you have no faith left, I promise you, you do. All of you do. It’s easier, I think, to stay lost. But when you’re found, when you open your eyes, you can finally see the truth for what it is.”

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune

LENGTH: 394 pages

GENRES: Science Fiction, Romance, LGBT+, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Tor Books

RELEASE DATE: 26 October 2018 (e-book only) / re-released 4 February 2025 (for print)

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A spine-tingling standalone novel by bestselling author TJ Klune – a supernatural road-trip thriller featuring an extraordinary young girl and her two unlikely protectors on the run from cultists and the government. 

There’s nothing more human than a broken heart. 

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his only brother wants nothing to do with him, and he’s been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington, DC.

With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family’s summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon, to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It’s not.

Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary ten-year-old girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn’t exactly as she appears.

Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.

My Review

I didn’t get that. Not before, Art had told him. I don’t think any of us did. Not until they felt a heart beating in a chest like I have. Not until I felt the bones beneath my skin. We’re not alike. Not really. We’re separated by time and space. And yet, somehow, we’re all made of dust and stars.

The Bones Beneath My Skin has been on my TBR for about a year, and I’m very glad I finally got around to reading it. It was weird and wonderful and exhilarating to read, and I had a pretty good time with it.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read TJ Klune, which was a large part of why I finally wanted to read this. I read and reviewed both The House in the Cerulean Sea and In the Lives of Puppets almost three years ago now, in 2023. Far too long to go without reading a TJ Klune novel, and I’m glad I finally rectified it. I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the other two, but it’s still a bit of a banger, and a must-read for fans of Klune’s other works.

Alex reached down and picked up his rifle, snapping it free from the harness. Nate grabbed a dropped metal baton.

“You know how to use that?” Alex asked.

“It’s a stick,” Nate said. “You hit people with it.”

Anyway, the characters were definitely the highlight of this novel. Our POV main character is Nate Cartwright, a young journalist seeking a stay at his inherited cabin to clear his head and figure out where to go next, after suffering some devastating losses. He has the biggest character arc of the bunch, and I loved watching him fall into a found family with Alex and Art. Found families always seem to be one of Klune’s strong suits, and The Bones Beneath My Skin continues this trend.

The other two protagonists – Alex Delgado (not his real last name, but I’m not gonna spoil it) and Artemis Darth Vader – are also phenomenal. Art is especially a treat, and I loved her dialogue. The established father-daughter dynamic was also wonderful, and I enjoyed all of their interactions. The interplay only gets better once Nate started being drawn in – these three are a fantastic trio. Some of my favorite scenes in the book are just the three of them hanging around the cabin doing stuff and talking. The chemistry and dialogue between everyone is also off the charts.

“You’re not toast,” she said. “You can be Nathaniel Cartwright. Then you can be someone else. And then if you don’t like it, you can be Nathaniel Cartwright again. You’re not toast. Bread doesn’t have a choice. You do.”

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered.

I also liked a couple of the minor characters, when though they don’t really appear much, or hold a lot of impact to the story. Eddie the gas station guy was great, and I also really liked Nate’s former coworker Ruth. I would have liked to see more of them, because I really liked the scenes with them and Nate, but I understand why they didn’t appear all that often. They kind of felt like they were only there to move the plot forward, though, which is a little unfortunate.

The story is also very engaging, and the pace is perfect. I like how the book starts off a little slower, and then around the halfway point, abruptly begins to ramp up. It just works so well.

The last third of the novel does slow down a bit though, and the plot feels like it goes on a little tangent for a bit, but it also feels necessary and connects nicely to the climax of the book. The ending was fine, but it didn’t hit right for me for some reason. I’m not sure why. It was still a solid read overall, however.

“I wondered what you would be like. Humans. What you would be capable of. How your minds would work. How your hearts would beat. You are animals. Fierce and wild. You are harsh and brutal and beautiful. There is no one like you in all the universe. You have the power for such destruction within you. And such joy. It’s a dichotomy that shouldn’t exist, and yet here it is. Within you. Within all of you.”

But yeah, I quite enjoyed The Bones Beneath My Skin and, as I mentioned above, I’m glad that I finally got around to reading it. Fans of softer sci-fi, aliens, found family, books with LGBT+ stuff, and of course – fans of TJ Klune – will probably like this novel.

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

See ya ~Mar


MY LINKS:


Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter

Hey everyone and 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:

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawsett! 🐈‍⬛📚

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawsett

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawsett

LENGTH: 368 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Del Rey

RELEASE DATE: 17 February 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

From Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Heather Fawcett comes a healing and heart-warming fantasy with magic shops, rescue cats and a second chance at love.

All strays are welcome here.

Agnes Aubert is very fond of making lists. These lists kept her afloat when she lost her husband two years ago. And now, as the founder of a cat rescue charity, her meticulous organization skills feel like the only thing standing between her beloved cats – His Majesty, Banshee and sweet elderly Thoreau, to name a few – and utter disaster.

But when Agnes is forced to move the charity, she soon discovers that her new shop is being used as a front; right under her feet is the lair of the decidedly disorganised – not to mention self-absorbed and infuriatingly handsome – Havelock Renard.

Havelock is everything Agnes doesn’t want in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue, perhaps even romance. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats…

Are you looking forward to Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter? 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: 2/2 – 2/8

Right on time this week! I know I’ve been saying this for the past few weeks, but man did last week fly by.

Last week wasn’t too bad, regarding my blog activity, though I didn’t do everything that I’d wanted to. I didn’t get to reading any books either. Oh well. I’ll aim to do better this week.

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

Tuesday 2/3: The Most Interesting Looking New Books of February 2026

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 The Most Interesting Looking New Books of February 2026. As always, it’s basically only fantasy and science fiction, as those are the two genres I primarily read. This time there were six books on my list.

Wednesday 2/4: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

On Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday for the first time in a 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.

Friday 2/6: Bewitching Book Covers

This past Friday, I posted a Bewitching Book Covers for the first time in over a month. 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). I also typically give the book covers funny rating systems – not the usual blank out of five stars kind of thing.

Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, last week was okay. It wasn’t great, but it was fine enough. I’m hoping that this week I’ll be a little bit better with my blog stuff, and that I’ll at least read one book. We’ll see.

For my posts, I’m at the very least planning on (finally) posting my review for The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune, as well as my monthly reading wrap-up for January 2026. I’d also like to participate in at least a couple of the usual weekly posts that I try to join in during most weeks.

Regarding books and reading, I think I’m going to read a February new release. After that, it’s a little bit up in the air at the moment. I’ll see what I’m feeling after I finish the next book I decide to go for.

Concerning stuff outside of books and blogging, I did a little more than my usual last week. I mean, yeah, my spouse and I are still trying to be healthier, but I also finally got around to changing the decor. So the Christmas and Winter decorations have at last been taken down, and now the Valentine’s Day stuff is up. Yay! I’m very happy to finally be switched over. So is my spouse, haha.

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

See ya ~Mar

Bewitching Book Covers: Stolen Midnights

Happy Friday everyone! It’s been almost two months since I’ve done this post, which disappoints me, but January was just so busy. But I’m here with another Bewitching Book Covers now!

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 that I’m highlighting is Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn!

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

SERIES: Stolen Midnights #1

LENGTH: 464 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press

RELEASE DATE: 3 February 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The first in a new magical young adult romantasy duology from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow. A palace darling and a thief join forces after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change their world forever.

In the city of Andalay, the ruling Fates bestow gifts among society’s most favored. When Damien, a cold and hardened thief, is hired to steal one of those gifts – meant for the “princess” of Ward One, Wren Hayes – he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets.

The gift? A locket containing his own photograph.

Once the locket is opened, hidden truths unravel, shedding light on the ruthless ways of the upper class. Yearning for the three Fates and the magical gifts they bestow, the lords of Andalay will go to any length to keep their power – including murder.

Brought together by destiny, and fighting a dangerous temptation that’s becoming harder to resist, Wren and Damien navigate a seedy world where the truth can destroy not only their lives, but the city itself. 

Book Cover Rating: 🌹🌹🌹🌹 • 4 lovely roses

I’ve decided that since Queen of Faces got the Can’t-Wait Wednesday post, I’m going to do a Bewitching Book Covers post for Stolen Midnights. (It also has a great cover, by the way.) And though the book cover for the novel that I’m focusing on today is more simple compared to others I’ve done posts about before, it’s still absolutely beautiful and I really love it.

First off, I really like the background. It’s deep blue with patches of tiny stars dotted around it in a lovely imitation of the night sky. And seeing as the book is called “Stolen Midnights” this is extremely fitting.

The next notable thing about the cover art – and the aspect that first caught my eye about it – is the roses. I love how big they are, and how they come in two shades of pink. It adds a little more color to the cover. Another thing I really like about them is how the colors of the roses naturally complement, but also stand out from the background. It’s also a nice touch that the entirety of the flowers themselves are on the cover, and not just the colorful part with petals. The stems also feature on here, with their thorns and leaves, and the green of them adds yet more color to the book’s cover.

The last thing I want to highlight is the typography. Most books I gush about here have pretty good composition styles on their covers, and this one is no exception. I like the typography itself, and how its paleness makes it stand out from everything else going on on the book cover. The words are also made up of two colors – white and a light gray or silver – and it makes it even prettier. I also love how the gray or silver parts of the words make those parts of the letters seem in shadow. It just makes the cover of Stolen Midnights pop even further. Such a gorgeous cover!

So yeah, here’s yet another beautiful book cover. What do you think about this cover art? Have you read Stolen Midnights? If you have, what did you think of it?

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

See ya ~Mar

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Strange Animals

Happy Wednesday everybody!

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:

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson! 🌲🦋

This one looks pretty cool! It’s been forever since I’ve last read a book focused on cryptids!

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson

LENGTH: 320 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Ballantine Books

RELEASE DATE: 10 February 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of wondrous supernatural creatures – and an unexpected home – in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.

Cryptonaturalist: one who studies cryptids; an expert in or student of supernatural history.

After a series of inexplicable encounters upends his life, Green finds himself alone and terrified in the Appalachian mountains, full of questions about the transformation he’s undergoing and the impossible creatures he’s starting to see.

When he meets a hermit named Valentina, he realizes that something more than chance has brought him to her door. For she has devoted centuries to researching the hidden world of cryptids that Green is only now beginning to perceive.

As Green begins his studies beneath her watchful eye, he comes face to face with time-stopping giant moths, cyclops squirrels, and doorways to elsewhere. Along the way come clues about his own nature and the powerful beings who led him here – and, most wondrous of all, a sense of fulfillment like nothing he’s felt before.

But Green’s new happiness promises to be short-lived, because alongside these marvels lurks a deadly threat to this place he’s already come to love.

Featuring incredible creatures and an unforgettable cast of characters, Strange Animals is a charming, addictive fantasy about the magic all around us.

Are you looking forward to Strange Animals? 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 February 2026

Hey everyone and Happy February! Another month, another bunch of new books that are coming out! Yep, it’s time for The Most Intriguing New Books of February 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! This month, six books have caught my eye!

RELEASING: February 3rd

This magical new YA romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow will steal your heart. Set in Andalay, a world where the ruling Fates bestow gifts among the favored, a thief must join forces with the palace darling after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change everything.

When Damien, a cold and hardened thief, is hired to steal a gift from the powerful Fates meant for Andalay’s sweetheart, Wren Hayes, he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets.

The gift? A locket containing his own phototroph.

Once the locket is opened, hidden truths unravel, ones that shed light on the ruthless ways of the upper-class society. Yearning for the three Fates and the magical gifts they bestow, the lords of Andalay will go to any length to keep their power—including murder.

Brought together by destiny, and fighting a temptation that neither understand, Wren and Damien navigate a seedy world where the truth can destroy not only their lives, but the city itself.

RELEASING: February 3rd

A desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, Brandon Sanderson, Lev Grossman, and R.F. Kuang.

Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and swap designer bodies like clothes, Ana can’t afford to escape her tattered form. When she fails the entrance exam to the prestigious Paragon Academy, her last hope of earning a new body implodes. As the clock ticks down to her last breath, she’s forced to use her illusion magic to steal a healthy chassis – before her own kills her.  

But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor’s smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith.

With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of renegades: an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters – and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.

RELEASING: February 10th

An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of wondrous supernatural creatures—and an unexpected home—in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.

Cryptonaturalist: one who studies cryptids; an expert in or student of supernatural history.

After a series of inexplicable encounters upends his life, Green finds himself alone and terrified in the Appalachian mountains, full of questions about the transformation he’s undergoing and the impossible creatures he’s starting to see.

When he meets a hermit named Valentina, he realizes that something more than chance has brought him to her door. For she has devoted centuries to researching the hidden world of cryptids that Green is only now beginning to perceive.

As Green begins his studies beneath her watchful eye, he comes face to face with time-stopping giant moths, cyclops squirrels, and doorways to elsewhere. Along the way come clues about his own nature and the powerful beings who led him here – and, most wondrous of all, a sense of fulfillment like nothing he’s felt before.

But Green’s new happiness promises to be short-lived, because alongside these marvels lurks a deadly threat to this place he’s already come to love.

Featuring incredible creatures and an unforgettable cast of characters, Strange Animals is a charming, addictive fantasy about the magic all around us.

RELEASING: February 17th

From Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Heather Fawcett comes a healing and heart-warming fantasy with magic shops, rescue cats and a second chance at love.

All strays are welcome here.

Agnes Aubert is very fond of making lists. These lists kept her afloat when she lost her husband two years ago. And now, as the founder of a cat rescue charity, her meticulous organization skills feel like the only thing standing between her beloved cats – His Majesty, Banshee and sweet elderly Thoreau, to name a few – and utter disaster.

But when Agnes is forced to move the charity, she soon discovers that her new shop is being used as a front; right under her feet is the lair of the decidedly disorganised – not to mention self-absorbed and infuriatingly handsome – Havelock Renard.

Havelock is everything Agnes doesn’t want in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue, perhaps even romance. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats…

RELEASING: February 17th

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

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

She just also happens to be a demon hunter.

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

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

RELEASING: February 24th

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

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

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

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

So yeah, these are all of the books releasing in February 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: 1/26 – 2/1

Another week has gone by, so it’s time for another Weekly Wrap-Up! This is kind of a quick start to the year, huh?

Last week was pretty good. I’m generally satisfied with both my reading and blogging. I didn’t get a book review out, but oh well – it’s not that big of a deal.

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

Tuesday 1/27: 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 Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025.

Wednesday 1/28: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

On Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday for the first time in a 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.

Friday 1/30: First Line Friday

Last Friday, I participated in First Line Friday again. Two weeks in a row! 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, last week wasn’t bad at all. I want this coming week to be just as good or better. I hope that ends up happening.

Concerning blogging and blogging adjacent stuff for this week, I want to do a couple of things. First, I want to participate in at least one of the usual posts that I jump into most weeks. I’d also want to post a book review. Most importantly, though, I want to do my Most Interesting Looking Books of February 2026 post, as well as my monthly reading wrap-up for January 2026. Gotta get those posts out. And for what book I’m reading next, I’m honestly not sure. I have a few ideas, though.

Outside of books and blogging, nothing much is going on. We’ve finally moved from January to February, which I think I like, as I think I might prefer the second month of the year to the first. I’m not sure, though. But yeah, the only thing really going on right now is that my spouse and I are trying to be healthier, and are eating more home-cooked meals and stuff.

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

See ya ~Mar