Weekly Wrap-Up: 11/17 – 11/23

Hey there. I’m a little late with this, but it’s still really early in the week, so I’ll take it. Ugh. Still getting back into things.

Like the couple of weeks of the month, I still haven’t really read any books, unfortunately. I really, really want to, though! I don’t know why it’s so hard to get into the mindset of novel reading right now, but I’m very annoyed about it. As for my blogging last week… well, at least there was some of that, even if I only ended up posting twice. Erghhhh. (I’m kind of frustrated with myself about this, lol.)

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

Friday 11/21: First Line Friday

Last Friday, I participated in First Line Fridays for the first time in a couple of months. 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: 11/21

Sunday 11/23: Bewitching Book Covers

On Sunday, I finally got around to posting another Bewitching Book Covers. The gap wasn’t as long as last time, but it’s still been over a month since the last time I did one of these posts. So I thought it was more than time for another one.

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.

Bewitching Book Covers: Seven Deadly Thorns

Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, last week wasn’t what I was hoping it would be, but it definitely could’ve been – and absolutely has been – worse, so even though I’m annoyed about it, it’s not as much as I could be. I do want this coming week to be better, however. I really have to get back into gear.

I’m still debating about which book to read next, which has created the problem in which I don’t read anything at all. It’s very stupid, I know. I just gotta pick up a book and read, damnit! Ugh! My blog activity was okay, though. I would’ve liked it if it were better – and it should’ve been better – but it wasn’t, and I just gotta accept that. Hopefully I’ll be better with both reading and posting on the blog this coming week.

Regarding stuff outside of books and blogging, there wasn’t really anything big that went on last week, as usual. It was cleaning week, so we did that, but that was kind of it. I did do a couple of things to prepare for Thanksgiving as well, though. My spouse and I are also trying to watch what we eat more, and try to be healthier in general. We kind of fell off of that for a while, what with everything going on.

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

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 9/1 – 9/14

Heyyyy – look who it is! It’s me! I’m back with another Weekly Wrap-Up! Or, I guess a Bi-Monthly Wrap-Up in this case, haha.

The last couple of weeks have been a little busier than normal, but during the last one I managed to get some blogging and reading done. And I was happy with what I was able to do for both.

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

Monday 9/8: The Most Interesting Looking New Books of September 2025

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

The Most Interesting Looking New Books of September 2025

Wednesday 9/10: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

On Wednesday, I did another Can’t-Wait Wednesday. 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 Faerie Morgana

Friday 9/12: First Line Friday

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

First Line Friday: 9/12

Books I Read Last Week

Wrapping It All Up

So yeah, though the week before last was a little lacking, I made up for it some this past week. I’m hoping that I can keep it up this coming week, but ultimately time will tell.

For posts I want to do this week on the blog, I want to do a couple of my usuals, but I also want to do my monthly reading wrap-up for August 2025. I’d also like to participate in my favorite monthly post, but we’ll see.

In regards to books… I have a few that I’m eyeing right now, though I’m not sure which one I’ll end up choosing before the day is done (I’m giving myself a hard deadline of picking by the end of today). Voidwalker by S.A. MacLean is calling me a little bit, but I’m also considering a couple of other things.

Concerning stuff outside books and blogging, my spouse recently started playing the long-awaited sequel to a certain indie hit from 2017, Hollow Knight: Silksong. Admittedly, I haven’t been as into this one, as I’m not super into Hollow Knight (though I know some people are), so I haven’t seen too much of this game yet. But I’m really happy that my spouse and all the people who waited like seven years for this game are finally getting to play and enjoy it. We’re also still continuing to try to eat healthier and be more active.

Anyway, as always thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night! As well as a much better week than I’ve been having!

See ya ~Mar

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: A Mastery of Monsters

Hello and Happy Wednesday everybody! There’s a lot of books coming out lately that I’ve been interested in! Two weeks in a row!

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:

A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury! 🪶📚

This is one of the books coming out in 2025 that I’m pretty interested in. It has a great title and a great cover, and the book description is also pretty intriguing.

A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury

SERIES: A Mastery of Monsters #1

LENGTH: 592 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry

RELEASE DATE: 29 July 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Ninth House meets Legendborn in this thrilling first book in a dark academia fantasy series about a teen who’s willing to do anything to find her brother – even infiltrate a secret society full of monsters.

When August’s brother disappears before his sophomore semester, everyone thinks the stress of college got to him. But August knows her brother would never have left her voluntarily, especially not after their mother so recently went missing.

The only clue he left behind was a note telling her to stay safe and protect their remaining family. And after August is attacked by a ten-foot-tall creature with fur and claws, she realizes that her brother might be in more danger than she could have imagined.

Unfortunately for her, the only person with a connection to the mysterious creature is the bookish Virgil Hawthorne… and he knows about them because he is one. If he doesn’t find a partner to help control his true nature, he’ll lose his humanity and become a mindless beast—exactly what the secret society he’s grown up in would love to put down.

Virgil makes a proposition: August will join his society and partner with him, and in return, he’ll help her find her brother. And so August is plunged into a deadly competition to win one of the few coveted candidate spots, all while trying to accept a frightening reality: that monsters are real, and she has to learn to master them if she’s to have any hope of saving her brother.

Are you looking forward to the release of A Mastery of Monsters? 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: 5/12 – 5/18

I’m on time this week! Yay!

Not much to say this time. I posted three times which I’m fine with, even though I did do a book review. I’ll do that ASAP. I finished another book though, which is always a good thing. Especially since I seem to be in an on-and-off slump this year so far.

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

Tuesday 5/13: Top Ten Tuesday

Last Tuesday, I participated in a Top Ten Tuesday for the first time in a few 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 Ways in Which My Blogging and/or Review Style Has Changed.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ways in Which My Blogging and Review Styles Have Changed

Wednesday 5/14: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

On Wednesday, I did another Can’t-Wait Wednesday. Two weeks in a row, baybay! So many new interesting looking books lately.

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: Behooved

Saturday 5/17: Birthstone Book Covers

Last Saturday, 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 May, and its birthstone is emerald. So the color of the month was green.

Birthstone Book Covers: May 2025

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, last week was pretty good all around, though I think it could have been better. I’m happy with it though.

This week I wanna do a couple of my usual weekly posts, but I especially want to get my review out for Impossible Creatures. I’m hoping to do that in the next couple days. I also want to read either Behooved or finally start The Ashfire King. (Regardless, I’m planning on reading The Ashfire King before the month is out.)

Outside of my diet, nothing else has really been going on the past week with my life outside the blog and books. The weather has been really nice throughout the last week, though.

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

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 4/7 – 4/13

Ugh, late again. But not as stupidly late as last week. Here’s the Weekly Wrap-Up for this past week.

My blog activity for last week was really bad. I’d hoped that it would be better than the week before, but what can you do. My novel reading also sucked, which… sucks. I hope both are better this coming week.

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

Thursday 4/10: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

Last Wednesday, I did another Can’t-Wait Wednesday for the first time in a couple of weeks. There’s been a lot of new books coming out lately that I’ve been interested in.

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 Ashfire King

Sunday 4/13: March Reading 2025

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

Monthly Wrap-Up: March Reading 2025

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, last week kind of sucked for me with both reading and blogging. Here’s hoping that this week improves on that. 🍀🤞

I still want to read that sequel I said I kind of wanted to read last week, but there’s also a book coming out this week that I’m hoping to read this week as well. I also want to do three or four additional blog posts during this week, as well.

Regarding stuff outside of the blog… This week is another cleaning week at home. I’ve also started dieting and eating better this week, as well as being more active. But other than this stuff, nothing really else is going on. I guess Easter is this Sunday too, so we’ll be seeing family and stuff during that day.

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

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 3/17 – 3/23

Ugh, late again with this one. Oh well. Anyway, hi everyone!

So I’m mostly happy with everything I did last week. I would’ve liked to do one more blog post, and I almost did before I lost track of time on Thursday and Friday last week. I also would’ve liked to have read more books, but well… I’ll explain that a little later.

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

Monday 3/17: St. Patrick’s Day / The River Has Roots Review

Last Monday was St. Patrick’s Day!! ☘️🍻🍀🪙 Yay! We didn’t really do anything to celebrate, though. Except eat some St. Pat’s themed donuts, I guess.

I also posted my review for The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar. It’s a new fantasy novella that came out a couple weeks ago. I ended up giving it ★★★✯☆.

The River Has Roots Review

Tuesday 3/18: Top Ten Tuesday

On Tuesday, I participated in a Top Ten Tuesday for the first time in a few 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 Spring TBR.

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

Friday 3/21: First Day of Spring

Last Friday was the First Day of Spring!! 🌸🌱🌼🌿 Woohoo! Goodbye winter! I was kind of getting tired of the cold – not to mention March has been really nice so far where I live.

I was also planning on posting something on this day as well, but the time got away during part of last week. I’m a little disappointed about that, but it’s honestly fine.

Saturday 3/22: Birthstone Book Covers

On Saturday, I finally got around to joining in on 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.

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

Birthstone Book Covers: March 2025

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, I’m a bit disappointed with my posting for last week. But only a little – I’m actually pretty okay with the stuff I was able to do on the blog overall. Novel reading on the other hand… yeah that definitely could’ve gone way better. And it already is for this week! I’m making my way through another book, finally!

I’m hoping to at least start another book before the end of the week as well. Not necessarily finish another book, just start one. I’m also hoping to do four blog posts this week in addition to this weekly wrap-up. Fingers crossed.

Also, regarding the reading thing from last week… I was actually stressing myself out a little with trying to finish The Dragon Heir. I just didn’t feel like reading that book and trying to force it was getting me all anxious. I guess it’s still not time for me to read it – at this point, I’m not sure when that time is gonna come. Oh well. A similar thing also sort of happened with The Shattered Realms. I just didn’t want to read that major character death again (I actually DNF-ed Flamecaster about nine years ago, about halfway through). I also know that there’s like eight POVs by the last book in this series and that there’s several loose ends… and I don’t think I’m up for that, honestly. So yeah, that’s why I didn’t read anything last week.

Last week I also did some spring cleaning. The third Wednesday of the month is usually Cleaning Day, and that was also the case with March, so that’s what went on. It was pretty productive this time as well – I cleared out a couple of things I’d been meaning to get to, as well.

For this coming week, I’m planning on finishing the book I’m currently reading – Dragonfall by R.L. Lam – unless I decide it’s not for me and DNF it (though I don’t anticipate that happening). I’m hoping to at least start another book after that as well; right now I’m thinking either The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson or A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand. We’ll see what happens.

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

See ya ~Mar

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

Whoops, it’s been a couple of weeks. Oh well, Happy Tuesday everybody!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. This week’s topic is Books on My Spring 2025 to-Read List. And… I think it’s pretty self explanatory, haha.

I have a lot of books that I’ve acquired recently. Firstly, because the holiday season was just a few months ago and I got several books for Christmas. And also because I went to a book fair a few weeks before that where they were practically giving the books away, so I accumulated several there. So yeah, who knows which of everything I’m eventually going to end up reading, but several of these novels are on my TBR nonetheless.

So anyway, in no particular order (because I don’t really have a planned order of reading most of these), here are the books on my spring TBR!

Luminous by Silvia Park: I’m not sure when exactly I’ll read this, but I’m hoping in the next month or so. This one looked interesting to me.
The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson: I’m not super sure when I’ll read this one either, but I’d also like to read it in the next month.
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune: I’d definitely like to get to this one sometime this spring.
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallero: I’d actually been planning to read this one earlier this year in like January or February, but it didn’t happen. It’s also one of the books I got during the holidays. Now I’m not sure when I’ll get to it, but it’s still on my more immediate TBR, so…
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas: This one has been on my To Be Read Pile for forever. Like, at least a year or two. Hopefully I’ll at least get started on this book by Easter, but I’m definitely planning on finally knocking out the Crescent City novels sometime this year.
Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima: This is something I’m going to read very soon, actually. It’ll probably even be what I read next. I’m feeling nostalgic for The Seven Realms quadrilogy, so what better to read than its sequel series?
The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah: I really enjoyed The Stardust Thief when I read it a couple years ago, and I’ve been watching for the sequel ever since.
A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand: This is another book that I’m not sure when I’ll get to. I’m hoping sooner rather than later, however.
The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde: This is another novel I got during the holidays. I’m not sure when I’ll get to it, but like the rest of the books here, I’d like to read it sometime this spring.
Drwgonfall by L.R. Lam: Once again, yet another novel on my To Be Read Pile that I’m not sure when I’ll get to. Hopefully soon, though.

Are you looking forward to spring? It’s just a few days away now – March 21st is this Friday! How’s the weather where you’re at? What new books are coming out this spring that you’re excited for? What’s on your TBR this season?

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

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 1/20 – 1/26

…Annnd another week has gone by. Wow. I can’t believe we’re already in the last week of January. Heck, February actually starts this weekend. Time flies…

I think with regards to my posting last week, I definitely redeemed myself for the week before. ‘Cause I did five blog posts in one week – one day I even double posted! Also, I’m getting my Weekly Wrap-Up out at a reasonable time on Monday for once! Yay!

I haven’t read as much as I’d have liked though, and am hoping to do more of that this coming week. So hopefully this week will be great for both reading and posting!

Anyway, on with the wrap-up!

Tuesday 1/21: Top Ten Tuesday / Liar’s Kingdom Review

Last Tuesday, I actually posted two times. The first post was a Top Ten Tuesday post. Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. This week focused on the Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection or TBR List.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection or TBR List

The other thing I posted last Tuesday was a book review. It was of a new release and a Cinderella retelling called Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Calella. I was pretty excited about it, and it was on my interesting new books list for January, but I’m not sure if it lived up to the hype for me. I gave it ★★★✯☆.

Liar’s Kingdom Review

Wednesday 1/22: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

On Wednesday, I did another Can’t-Wait Wednesday. It had been a couple of weeks since I last participated, but there’s another upcoming release I’m a interested in.

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 Outcast Mage

Friday 1/24: First Line Friday

Last 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.

First Line Friday: 1/24

Sunday 1/26: Bewitching Book Covers

Yesterday, I – for the first time in a while – 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 Ten Thousand Doors of January

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, I was really happy with my posting for last week. Here’s to hoping that I can keep it up this week as well! That, and read more books. I wish I would’ve read more last week! 🍀🤞

Regarding what I want to read next on my TBR: I’ve decided to read This is How You Lose the Time War next, and then probably A Study in Charlotte. They’re shorter books, and I’d like to up my book count up for January as much as I can, what with my abysmal reading so far this month and with ur being so close to the end of the month.

Concerning my life beyond books and the blog… not too much is going on still. I have started doing more home cooking finally, though. Last week I tried a couple of new recipes, and I’ve baked a couple of things over the last couple of weeks, as well. I’m really happy with doing this, and I really hope I keep at it. I’m kind of afraid it’s just going to be another thing I drop after a bit, and that’s not really something I want. 🍗🍳🥐🍪

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

See ya ~Mar

First Line Friday: 1/24

Hey everyone! How’s your Friday been going?

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:

When Red wins, she stands alone.

Blood slicks her hair. She breathes out steam in the last night of this dying world.

Do you know the book? If you don’t, here’s a few more hints…

Still not know what it is? Ruminate on it a bit more whilst admiring these nice pictures of books…

Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone!!

(Didja guess it?)

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

LENGTH: 198 pages

GENRES: Science Fiction, Romance, LGBT+, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Gallery / Saga Press

RELEASE DATE: 16 July 2019

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

From award-winning authors Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone comes an enthralling, romantic novel spanning time and space about two time-traveling rivals who fall in love and must change the past to ensure their future.

Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, becomes something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean the death of each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win. That’s how war works, right?

Cowritten by two beloved and award-winning sci-fi writers, This Is How You Lose the Time War is an epic love story spanning time and space.

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 amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar

To 2025 | Happy New Year 🥂📖

Wow. It’s been yet another year. I can’t believe it; 2024 really flew by quite quickly. Here’s to 2025 being an even better year than the last! 🥂🍻

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 2025

For 2025, I want to continue posting on this blog. I really enjoy it, and it helps encourage me to read a bunch of books. Last year I read over 50 books and over 21,000 pages. Not quite the numbers of 2023 – that year I read 65 books and over 23,000 pages – but it’s still pretty good. Especially if you consider that there are 52 weeks in a year – that means I read at least a book a week!

This year (2025), I want to read at least a book a week for a whole year’s worth again, so at least 52 books. And I want to post more consistently. I know that sometimes I tend to fall off the wayside at several different parts during the year, but I want to try to stop that. I’d like to try to post about 4 times a week on average at least.

List of Goals for 2025

📚 Read a book a week and review them on the blog

📚 Post more consistently on the blog

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

📚 WRITE AND PUBLISH MY DAMN NOVEL (like come on Me just work on it already!!) (UGH – I’m so frustrated with myself sometimes)

…Annnd that’s kind of it for my main list of Goals for this year. I have a couple of others, of course, but they’re a bit more personal and basically unrelated to blogging and reading and writing, so I’m keeping them to myself.

I definitely want to start to be a more productive and proactive person though. I think I’m okay about it now, but I know I could be better, do that’s what I want to do. Happy New Year everybody!! Cheers to a fantastic 2025!! 🥂🎇🕛🎉