First Line Friday: 3/20

Hey all and Happy Friday! It’s been a few weeks since I last did this.

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

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

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

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

Here are the first lines:

The transformation occurred at approximately 2:23 AM, Pacific Standard Time. As far as I could tell, anyone who was indoors when it happened died instantly.

Know the book? If not here are a few clues…

Still got no idea? Here’s an extra hint or two to help you out…

Are you still thinking about it? All good – here are some lovely pictures of books to admire while you do so…

Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman!

(Didja guess it?)

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

SERIES: Dungeon Crawler Carl #1

LENGTH: 464 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Science Fiction, LitRPG, Fiction

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY: Dandy House

ORIGINALLY RELEASED: 2 October 2020

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman—now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

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

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

See ya ~Mar

WWW Wednesday: 3/18

Hey there, hope you’re having a good Wednesday!

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

✯✯ Well, this is a bit embarrassing, but you’ve caught me in between books. Oh well – hopefully I’ll start reading something by tomorrow. I’m definitely reading something this week, though. ✯✯

What I Recently Finished Reading

Brighter Than Nine by June CL Tan

★★ I thought it was better than Darker By Four, but it wasn’t quite as good as I was hoping. I did like it, however. Also, both book covers are awesome. I’m still deliberating on whether I want to give it 3.5 or 3.75 stars. ★★

What I Might Read Next

One Piece (Volumes 67 – 68 – 69: Punk Hazard) by Eiichiro Oda

☆☆ I’m definitely gonna start the next arc in One Piece wihhin the next week, but I’m not sure if I’m reading it next-next. It’s absolutely on my immediate TBR, though. ☆☆

The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards

☆☆ This has been on my radar for a few years, and I’m thinking about reading it in the very near future. I’m still not completely sure about it, however. ☆☆

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

WWW Wednesday: 3/11

Happy Wednesday everyone!

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?

The Thing I’m Currently Reading

Brighter Than Nine by June CL Tan

CURRENT STATUS: 6%

CURRENT FEELS: 😆 (very excited)

✯✯ I’m really looking forward to this! One of my most anticipated reads – and sequels – of this year! ✯✯

The Thing I Finished Reading Recently

Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews

★★ I really enjoyed this book. Review coming within the next couple of days! ★★

The Thing I Probably Going to Read Next

One Piece (Volumes 67 – 68 – 69: Punk Hazard) by Eiichiro Oda

☆☆ Not fully decided though I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be continuing with the next arc of One Piece, which is Punk Hazard and directly followed by Dressrosa. I’ve heard Punk Hazard is a good arc, so I’m looking forward to it. ☆☆

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

WWW Wednesday: 3/4

It’s been quite a long time since I last participated in this post. There were a couple of reasons, but I think the biggest one was that I’d mention most if not all of the Three Ws in my Weekly Wrap-Ups every week, so I thought it was a little redundant.

But I’ve missed it, so I’m back! I can’t believe it’s been over a year. The other big reason I stopped is that I was in-between books half the time whenever the middle of the week came around, so hopefully that stops happening. 🍀🤞

Also: I made a new cover image!!

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?

The Thing I’m Currently Reading

Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews

CURRENT STATUS: 2%

CURRENT FEELS: 😁 (excited)

The Thing I Finished Reading Recently

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

★★ I’m conflicted about this book, and my star rating keeps changing. It’s why it’s taken me this long to review it, (which I’m angling to do tomorrow) even though I finished it last weekend. ★★

The Thing I’m Probably Going to Read Next

Brighter Than Nine by June CL Tan

☆☆ I’m really looking forward to this one. It’s one of my most anticipated books and sequels for the first half of 2026. ☆☆

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

First Line Friday: 2/27

Hey there!

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

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

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

Here’s the first line:

It hadn’t hurt, the day he had cut out his own heart.

Know the novel? If not, here are a couple more hints…

Still don’t know? Here are some gorgeous photos of books to scroll past while you consider it a bit longer…

Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews!

(Didja guess it?)

Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews

LENGTH: 327 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Horror, LGBT+, Young Adult, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Feiwel & Friends

RELEASE DATE: 29 October 2024

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him.

Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality – Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork – whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster – Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator…

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

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

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 2/16 – 2/22

Happy New Week! It’s slightly later than I usually aim for, but I’m here with last week’s Weekly Wrap-Up!

This past week was pretty prolific for me, particularly on the blog. My reading wasn’t too shabby either though – I started a new book! Either way, I’m pretty happy with last week’s stuff.

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

Tuesday 2/17: January Reading 2026 / Top Ten Tuesday

Last Tuesday, I posted my Monthly Reading Wrap-Up for January 2026. Unfortunately, I posted it rather late in the month again. Ugh – I gotta stop that. 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: January Reading 2026

I also 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 for Armchair Travelers, but I wasn’t feeling it, so I went with one from a TTT a couple of weeks ago that I missed – Book Covers Featuring Cool/Pretty/Unique/etc. Typography.

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers Featuring Pretty and/or Unique Typography

Wednesday 2/18: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

On Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday again – two weeks in a row. 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: The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox

Friday 2/20: First Line Friday

This past Friday, I participated in First Line Friday for the first time in a few weeks. 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.

First Line Friday: 2/20

Sunday 2/22: Birthstone Book Covers

On Sunday, 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 February, and its birthstone is amethyst. So the colors to pick from are shades of purple.

Birthstone Book Covers: February 2026

Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, last week was much better the week before. And two weeks ago as well, honestly. I hope to not only keep up the pace with what I managed to do this past week, but to hopefully surpass it. Just a little. As always, however, we’ll find out what happens.

In regards to my blogging for this week, I’m planning on at least one book review, participating in at least a couple of the usual posts I engage in, and possibly doing a Bewitching Book Covers post. I’m wanting to do at least three or four additional posts this week, aside from this one.

Concerning books and reading, I actually just finished up Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson, so I’ll be starting another book soon. And I’ve already decided which one – Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn. I’m pretty excited about it. And I’m also pretty certain I know what book I’m going to read after that one – Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews. I’m also quite eager to read that one, too. After that, I’m not as sure, but I’m also reading Brighter Than Nine by June CL Tan (the sequel to Darker By Four) when it comes out. So that’s on the horizon.

Outside of books and blogging, not much else went on last week. Just my spouse and I trying to be healthier, but that’s pretty much it. As usual on weeks like that.

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

See ya ~Mar

First Line Friday: 1/30

Two weeks in a row with this! Happy Friday everyone!

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

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

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

Here are the first lines:

He sang along with the radio.

Something about taking a sad song and making it better.

After, he laughed until he could barely breathe.

Know the book? If not, here’s another hint or two…

Still not know? Here are some wonderful photos of books to look at while you consider it a bit longer…

Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune!

(Didja guess it?)

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.

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

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

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 1/19 – 1/25

Jeez, I can’t believe it’s been another week already. Oh well, time flies when you’re being relatively productive, I guess.

Last week wasn’t too bad, in regards to both my reading and my blog activity. I finished a book and reviewed it – and it was my first of both for the year too! I also managed to post a few times, and am happy with the amount of blog posts I was able to do. So yeah, a pretty good week overall.

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

Wednesday 1/21: The Ashfire King Review

Last Wednesday, I finally posted my review for The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah. It’s the sequel to The Stardust Thief, as well as the second book in the Sandsea Trilogy. This one was a long time coming – but I finally read and reviewed it!

The book ended up being slower than I expected for a good portion of it, but I liked it overall. The plot and characters are still great, and the writing is as engaging as ever. I gave it ★★★★☆.

The Ashfire King Review

Thursday 1/22: Birthstone Book Covers

On Thursday, I participated in Birthstone Book Covers at a more reasonable time for the first time in months. 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 January, and its birthstone is garnet. So the colors to pick from are shades of red.

Birthstone Book Covers: January 2026

Friday 1/23: First Line Friday

Last Friday, I participated in First Line Friday for the first time in a few weeks. 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.

First Line Friday: 1/23

The Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, my reading and blogging this past week was pretty good. I’m pretty happy with all that I did. I hope this week is just as good.

Concerning the blog this coming week, I want to participate in at least a couple of the usual weekly posts that I participate in as well as do a book review. So hopefully I’ll finish the book I’m about to start reading before the end of the week so that I can review it.

Speaking of what I’m planning to read next, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune. I already have it checked out from the library. I haven’t read any of his works in a couple of years, so I’m looking forward to it. This has actually been nebulously on my TBR for about a year, lol. I was going to read Water Moon and The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao, but I ended up not feeling either of them at the last second.

Being in late January, we’re now in the midst of winter, and it really displayed that in my area late last week. It snowed quite a bit, and said snow is still piled on the ground even now. It’s also been freezing cold and will continue to be for at least the next several days. Brrr. In other news, my spouse and I are still trying to be healthier.

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

See ya ~Mar

First Line Friday: 1/23

Hey there. It’s been a bit since I last participated in First Line Fridays – about a month, actually.

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

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

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

Here are the first lines:

Time has no borders except those people make. On this particu-larly cold autumn day, Ishikawa Hana fashioned that border out of the thinnest layer of skin.

Do you know what the book is? If you don’t, here are another couple of hints…

Still have no idea? Here are some lovely and cozy pictures of books to admire while you think about it a little longer…

Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao!

(Didja guess it?)

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

LENGTH: 374 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Contemporary, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Del Rey

RELEASE DATE: 14 January 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see only a cosy ramen restaurant. And just the chosen ones – those who are lost – will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as its new owner to find the pawnshop ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike other customers. For he offers help, instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own – and risk making a choice she will never be able to take back.

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

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

See ya ~Mar

To 2026 | Happy New Year 🥂📖

Jeez, I can’t believe the new year has already begun. 2025 was crazy in a lot of (mostly bad) ways, and the last few months really flew by. I’m hoping that 2026 is a much better year than last year was!

And yeah, this is later than I usually do this post. Sorry, the latter part of this week was kind of busy.

Once again, I’ve got some goals and a bookish New Year’s resolution for this year. I’m very excited about all of it. Hopefully some of it’ll go better than the last couple of years. Here it comes.

For 2026

For this year… I’m not strongly decided on anything. Last year was just so tough and it was honestly the worst year of my life. And I’m still working on finding my footing from all that had happened.

I’d like to continue with the blog, as I do enjoy it. But I’d also like to try to work on some of my other original writing, and a lot of times after finishing up a post for the Blog That Nobody Knows, I feel like my writing battery has run out. Which is weird, because part of the reason that I started this blog in the first place was because I was trying to get into the mindset for writing more often. I dunno. I still want to try to keep up with this blog, and I probably will, but I might post a little less often.

In 2025, I read 20 books and over 6,000 pages. Which wasn’t nearly as good as my reading in the years before, not to mention I didn’t even come close to my reading goal last year. I’m hoping to do much better than that in 2026 – I’d like to read at least 30 books this coming year. Well, I’d actually like to read one book a week and read 52 books this year, but after last year, I want to take it easier with my reading goal.

List of Goals for 2026

📚 Read 30 books

📚 Keep posting on the blog

📚 Try to read more books outside of fantasy and science fiction

📚 Write and maybe publish a novel – like come on I have so many ideas, I just have to use them

…And that’s kind of all I’ve got for my goals for books and blogging. I do have a few other goals, but they aren’t really relevant to the blog. The other goals are also more related to my personal life, so I’m keeping them to myself.

I definitely want to start to be a more productive and proactive person though. I think I’ve been better about it lately, but I know I could improve even more, so that’s what I want to do. So anyway everybody, cheers to a great 2026 and Happy New Year!! 🥂🎆🕛🎉