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.
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!
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.
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 ★★★★☆.
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!
“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.”
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!
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!
Hey there everybody! Another month, another bunch of new books that are coming out! Yep, it’s The Most Intriguing New Books of February 2025.
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!
RELEASING: February 4th
From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes a young adult thriller about a world where happiness is contagious but the risks of catching it may be just as dangerous as the cure.
A deadly and unprecedented virus is spreading. But those who survive it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen before: utter contentment. Soon after infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone.
More and more people begin to revel in the mass unburdening. But not everyone. People in power—who depend on malcontents and prey on the insecure to sell their products, and convince others they need more, new, faster, better everything—know this new state of being is bad for business. Surely, without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos. Campaigns start up to convince people that being eternally happy is dangerous. The race to find a vaccine begins. Meanwhile, a growing movement of Recoverees plan ways to spread the virus as fast as they can, in the name of saving the world.
It’s nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their agenda. Three teens from very different backgrounds who’ve had their lives upended in very different ways find themselves at the center of a power play that could change humanity forever.
RELEASING: February 4th
Deceit and betrayal abound in this dark YA romantasy about an heir to the throne who can summon an army of animals and a thief who plans to manipulate her to pull off a once-in-a-lifetime heist.
Will he steal her heart or her chance at the throne?
Daughter and heir to the throne, Mancella Cliff yearns for a life without bloodshed. But as a child, she emerged from the Broken Citadel with the power to summon animals—only after killing them with her bare hands. Her magic is a constant reminder of the horrors her father, the ruler of the realm, has forced upon her to strengthen their power.
Silver is a charming thief struggling to survive in a world torn apart by Mancella’s father’s reign. When a mysterious benefactor recruits him for the heist of a lifetime, a chance to rob the castle, Silver relishes the opportunity for a real future—and revenge. But he’ll have to manipulate Mance and earn her trust to pull it off.
As the deception and carnage mount, Mance must find a way to save her realm without becoming the ruthless monster she’s been bred to be. And when Silver discovers that his actions are fueling the violence that Mance wants to prevent, he’ll have to choose between his ambition and the girl he’s falling for.
RELEASING: February 4th
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.
Note: Like Masters of Death by Olivie Blake, from a year and a half ago, this is technically a rerelease. But it’s still a new release, not to mention new to me, the same as Masters of Death was, so I’m gonna count it just like that one.
RELEASING: February 11th
The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves
Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project yet: studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.
Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.
Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world: How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.
RELEASING: February 11th
Once upon a time, among the bloodred trees of Thirstwood, a young forest princess became friends with a lonely boy from underground. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket–or so he thought–because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the queen of the underground and the forest king declared war.
Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of enemies at a time. Then battle-hardened Zeru abducts her, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it’s only a matter of time before the war they’ve escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat to forest and underground folk alike grows in the shadows.
From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the first book in an enchanting, adventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.
RELEASING: February 25th
Perfect for fans of Brigid Kemmerer and Lexi Ryan, this debut romantasy stand-alone novel blends an immersive world, unique magic system, and swoon-worthy romance to create an unputdownable read that explores the great and terrible lengths to which love compels us to go.
Elia Tallis’s key conjuring abilities, when used with her father’s magic, allow her to open a path to any location. But Papa is dying, and Elia has been forced to painfully tether him to life so she can siphon his magic to provide for her siblings. The god of death, angry to be denied his due, punishes her by claiming her youngest brother as a servant.
Desperate to save her brother, Elia accepts a potentially deadly commission from Trys, a kindhearted prince with his nose stuck in a book. Trys wants Elia to help him find a legendary scroll. In exchange, he’ll give her his hand in marriage, securing her and her siblings’ futures and allowing her to release Papa to the afterlife.
Despite the danger of their quest, Elia and Trys find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. But when Trys finally reads the scroll, it transforms him into a monster beyond comprehension. Elia will have to wield her power in ways she never thought possible, braving a world of endless darkness and the nightmares dwelling within it to bring home the prince she’s growing to love.
RELEASING: February 25th
A specter is haunting the Atlantic!
After growing up together on the luxurious SS Lark, Neeta Pandey and Emery Botwright are ready to start their lives. Emery wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and sail the Lark forever, while Neeta yearns to travel the world. But neither will have any future at all if the Lark’s new owner, Mr. Honeycutt, has his way.
Mr. Honeycutt . . . The first-class passengers adore him, while he makes the ship a nightmare for the crew. Twisted by unnatural appetites, the rich are actually transforming into something less than human, and their insatiable demands soon push the staff toward a—quite literal— burnout.
Something otherworldly is undeniably aboard the SS Lark, something horribly hungry. But it’s not Wick Farley: vampire, secret agent, and paranormal investigator. Alone and at sea, with only Neeta and Emery to help him, he must uncover the truth about Mr. Honeycutt. And fast—before a ravenous craving for power consumes them all.
Taylor Robin’s debut graphic novel is a thrilling supernatural adventure told in crackling, vibrant colors.
So yeah, these are all of the books releasing in the in February 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!
