book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Book Soundtracks


The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Crazy-For-Books and is currently being hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Every Friday, a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer in the coming week. The purpose of the hop is connection and community. You can discover new blogs to follow, new books to read, and you may end up with some new followers, as well!


What book would make a killer soundtrack, and what would that soundtrack sound like?

Submitted by Billy, Coffee-Addicted Writer.

Continue reading “Book Blogger Hop: Book Soundtracks”
first lines friday

First Lines Friday: July 3rd, 2026


First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but donโ€™t give anything else about the book away just yet โ€“ you need to hook the reader first
  • Finallyโ€ฆ reveal the book!

If youโ€™re sharing on social media, donโ€™t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!


Hello, reader!

Happy Friday, everyone! I’m especially hyped for this Friday because it’s the start of my โœจvacaaaationโœจ! Let’s celebrate by featuring one of my current reads for this First Lines Friday. This is a romance that I am absolutely loving. It’s set in summer, it features a garden, and I’m just having a great time because of it.

Now let me share the first line to see if it might intrigue you, too.


The Line(s):


The Build Up:


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday: July 3rd, 2026”
book tag

Book Tag: Mid-Year Freak Out 2026

Hello, reader!

It pains me to say this… but we’re already halfway through 2026 ๐Ÿ˜ฆ Time is an illusion, I swear. Although the fact that there are only six more months of the year has me in a bit of an existential crisis, there is good news. That also means it’s the perfect time to do the Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag! I believe this lovely tag was created by Read Like Wildfire over on BookTube, but please correct me if I’m wrong!

Now, let’s jump in, shall we?


Though I started off the year with two five star reads, I really haven’t read a lot of hits this year. I’m currently sitting on only five 5 star reads! You’d think that would make it easy to choose my favorite from the bunch, but I have to admit I wavered a bit. In the end, though, I went with one of the first ones: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. I still think about this book fairly regularly even though I read it in January! It’s such a gripping, haunting story that is going to stick with me for awhile.

This is much easier because I’ve only read one sequel in 2026 that was five stars! That distinction goes to The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin has to take the prize. Not only was it incredible, but it managed to beat the second-book curse! I’m so glad I finally picked it up because it was well worth the wait. Now I just need to make sure I don’t wait another obscenely long amount of time before reading the last book in this trilogy.

Continue reading “Book Tag: Mid-Year Freak Out 2026”
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: July 1st, 2026


Itโ€™s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think youโ€™ll read next?

If youโ€™d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.


Current Reads

  • The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham: I’ve picked this e-book back off after taking a little break to read a book for a blog tour. I’m still on the fence on how I feel about this one, y’all. Now that our characters are in the dreamworld, I’m getting a bit more interested. The pacing feels so choppy, though, and I’m wondering if it’s because we’re jumping back and forth between timelines so much. I want to get to at least 50% and see how I feel… I’m really hoping I start liking it more.
  • The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston: I’ve been in the mood for romance, so I decided to pick this one up since it’s a library read and I’ll have to give it back sooner rather than later! Already I’m loving the setting of this one. A beautiful (possibly haunted?) house with a fantastical (possibly magic?) garden? Yes, please! Also, I’m 100% sure this book is going to make me cry with the way it opens… I’m looking forward to it ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜‚
  • This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page: SPEAKING OF CRYING ๐Ÿ˜ญ I just started this audiobook today and it’s already trying to break my heart. I mean… reading the synopsis I suppose I should have expected it but the novel really comes out swinging! I’m enjoying it, so far, and I’m readying myself for the pain, haha.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: July 1st, 2026”
top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Jul-Dec 2026 Releases

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish back in June 2010. It is currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and, as is stated on the blog, it was โ€œborn of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.โ€


Hello, reader!

It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday and this one is all about the hype! That’s because I’ll be sharing my top ten most anticipated releases for the rest of 2026! Now I’m sure I’ve featured/talked about quite a few of these books already, but, hey, that’s why they’re in my top ten ๐Ÿ˜‚ These are books that I’ve been eager to get my hands on since last year and I can’t wait to share them with y’all.

That being said, let’s jump in!


Heartstopper Vol. 6 by Alice Oseman (Pub Date: July 7th)
A Clash of Carnivores by Liselle Sambury (Pub Date: August 4th)
A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett (Pub Date: August 4th)
The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon (Pub Date: September 8th)
Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang (Pub Date: September 8th)

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Jul-Dec 2026 Releases”
blog tour · book reviews

BBNYA 2025 Winner Review: Fiona and the Forgotten Piano by Kate DeMaio


Hello, reader!

In 2025, I once again participated as a panelist for the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award! It was a tough competition but we eventually narrowed it down a group of finalists. Now, all the finalists have had their moments in the sun and it’s time to talk about our 2025 champion! This is an adventurous middle grade fantasy that was a lot of fun: Fiona and the Forgotten Piano by Kate DeMaio!

But, before I go on, let me tell you more about this award. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with, typically, 15 finalists (though we had 17 in 2025) and one overall winner.  If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

And, now, let’s talk about the book ๐Ÿ“š


  • Title: Fiona and the Forgotten Piano
  • Author: Sarah McKnight
  • Publisher: Wild Ink Publishing
  • Publication date:ย January 14th, 2025
  • Length: 247 pages
  • Genre:ย Fantasy/Contemporary Fiction
  • Age group:ย Middle Grade

Amazon::StoryGraph::Goodreads


Eleven-year-old Fiona isnโ€™t allowed in the Fermata woods. And though its unique trees are fascinating, Fiona has no problem following her motherโ€™s rules. That is, until the trees begin to sing.

Suddenly, it feels as though long forgotten memories are being unlocked in Fionaโ€™s mind. As she nears the woods edge, the trees fall silent, so silent even the leaves stop rustling. Fiona will finally break the rules and venture into the woods. Sheโ€™ll soon find herself traveling through portals to undiscovered worlds. And sheโ€™ll have to trust her instincts and her quirky new friends to bring back the music or she may get lost within its notes.

Continue reading “BBNYA 2025 Winner Review: Fiona and the Forgotten Piano by Kate DeMaio”
the sunday post

The Sunday Post: June 28th, 2026

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme created by @CaffeinatedReviewer! It gives you a chance to post a recap of your last week, whether that pertains to books or not. You can talk about however much (or however little) you would like.


Hello, reader!

Happy Sunday, everyone! We’re here again for another edition of The Sunday Post. I’m another week closer to vacation and it cannot come soon enough… Now it’s time to rehash what I got up to this past week both here on the blog and out in the real world.

Let’s dive right in!


This past week at work triiiiied my patience, y’all. You make one little change about a test and suddenly people have no idea how to collect/order anything anymore ๐Ÿซ  Still, it wasn’t a bad week because I had two days off since I worked the Sunday before and this Saturday.

Those days, however, were mostly taken up with taking the husband to get an allergy patch test done. Poor guy has had skin issues for awhile and they finally decided to see what he might actually be allergic to. It turns out we’re gonna have to make some adjustments with clothes and products, but hopefully this will help him enough where he doesn’t have to keep going back for steroid treatments.

We did get to hang out as a family on Friday after my husband’s last appointment. We went out to breakfast with the kiddos, then hit up a mall close to us that is actually still functioning. Spent way too much money, but it was fun! Then the youngest and I started a new Stardew Valley playthrough. I do love a co-op video game moment with my kiddos ๐Ÿ’•

Today, my best friend and her hubby came over for a lunch and ice cream moment. It was a perfect day for it, too! The sun was shining, it wasn’t too hot, and our favorite ice cream spot wasn’t too busy. All in all, it was a lovely day and a good start to the week before vacay starts.

Continue reading “The Sunday Post: June 28th, 2026”
book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Short or Long Reviews


The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Crazy-For-Books and is currently being hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Every Friday, a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer in the coming week. The purpose of the hop is connection and community. You can discover new blogs to follow, new books to read, and you may end up with some new followers, as well!


Do you prefer writing long, detailed reviews or quick, punchy ones?

Submitted by Billy, Coffee-Addicted Writer.

Continue reading “Book Blogger Hop: Short or Long Reviews”
first lines friday

First Lines Friday: June 26th, 2026


First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but donโ€™t give anything else about the book away just yet โ€“ you need to hook the reader first
  • Finallyโ€ฆ reveal the book!

If youโ€™re sharing on social media, donโ€™t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!


Hello, reader!

For this week’s First Lines Friday, I’ve decided to move away from the library reads and highlight one of my Book of the Month picks from earlier this year. Have I read the book? No. Am I eager to give it read and happy I picked it for my March pick? Absolutely!

I’m hoping the first line will get me even more excited.


The Line(s):


The Build Up:


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday: June 26th, 2026”
reading project

Project Library Love: June Visit

Hello, reader!

We’re about to head into July and I’m having a bit of an existential crisis about it ๐Ÿซ  I’m also realizing I haven’t told y’all about my June library visit for my Library Love project! Time to remedy that and share with you what books I snagged from the library this month and rehash what I checked out last month.


In May, I checked out three physical books and three audiobooks.

My physical picks were:

  • The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride
  • The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
  • When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen

My audiobook picks were:

  • The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni
  • The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
  • Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

Surprisingly, I did quite well with actually reading my library picks. I’ve read all but one of the books I checked out and I’m currently reading the last one. I’m hoping to have it done by the end of June and it’s a shorty, so I think I’ve got this in the bag!

Continue reading “Project Library Love: June Visit”