the sunday post

The Sunday Post: September 27th, 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!

It’s been a rainy, windy weekend, but now it’s time for another edition of The Sunday Post! It was a bit of blah week though it was certainly a busy week. Plenty to share to catch up on what I was up to in life and what I was up to on the blog.

So, let’s dive in!


My work week started off with my co-worker and I going to a conference! It was the annual NACMID conference that was both Monday and Tuesday. I had a great time listening to talks about mycology and molecular diagnostics and the future of clinical microbiology. They had a ton of wonderful speakers and the vendors had a lot of great pens ๐Ÿ˜‚ I always restock my pen collection for work at these conferences. The rest of week was just a normal work week, though I did start feeling poorly around Thursday evening.

Which leads to why we did nothing this weekend. I left work early on Friday because I was feeling bleh. Sore throat, small cough, and just exhausted. We were meant to go visit my eldest for Family Weekend at UConn on Saturday, but I felt gross and the weather here was even more gross. I didn’t feel like driving while also wishing I was unconscious ๐Ÿ˜… So I slept pretty much all day Saturday, which was much needed.

Today, I feel a little better. Good enough to go out into the gross weather and go grocery shopping with the family. It needed to happen and I needed to get some fresh air. I was feeling funky, y’all, haha. Grocery shopping went well, but I climbed back in bed and slept until… now because I was run down. So maybe still recovering a little, heh. At least the sore throat is gone! Thrilling week, I know.

Continue reading “The Sunday Post: September 27th, 2026” →
book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Blog Investments


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!


Whatโ€™s the best investment youโ€™ve made for your blog?

Submitted by Billy, Coffee-Addicted Writer.

Continue reading “Book Blogger Hop: Blog Investments” →
first lines friday

First Lines Friday: September 25th, 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 First Lines Friday! We’re preparing for a nor’easter here in Massachusetts, so the family and I are going to be hunkering down this weekend. But, for now, it’s time to feature a new book and it’s first line to see if it can capture our interest. The book I’ve picked today is something I’ll be reading soon, but I haven’t cracked the cover just yet. It’s a genre-blender and I’m excited to give it a read.

Now let’s see if the first line can hook us.


The Line(s):


The Build Up:


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday: September 25th, 2026” →
book tag

Book Tag: The New Releases Book Tag

Hello, reader!

Today felt like a good day to do a book tag. I ran across The New Releases Book Tag awhile ago and it has taken me this long to actually do it. I am nothing if not a procrastinator ๐Ÿ˜… But I’m here now and I’m excited to participate!

The Rules
Thank the person who nominated you (I wasnโ€™t nominated but I saw this over at Janette @ Wicked Witch’s Blog and decided to join the fun!)
Answer all the questions down below
Pingback to the creator: Ellyn @ย Allonsythornraxx
Nominate 5+ bloggers youโ€™d like to know more about, to do this tag (I’m just nominating anyone who might want to do it, haha)


The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty was one of my most anticipated releases of 2026. I had a notification set for when the audiobook became available at my library. I was one of the first people to place a hold… and I just got to read it in September ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜‚ The read was well worth the wait, though. Absolutely stunning sequel and it had me jaw on the floor at the end! I cannot wait for the next installment.

Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang is another one of my most anticipated releases and it just came out at the beginning of September! I still haven’t picked it up yet, though I did get some money for my birthday that was specifically for books! It’ll probably go directly to this one. I love R.F. Kuang as an author and I’ve read almost all of her books. But I do drag my feet a little on the more literary fiction reads. Still, I’m eager to give this a read.

Continue reading “Book Tag: The New Releases Book Tag” →
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: September 23rd, 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

  • Tempest by Victoria Aveyard: This is the September pick for the Weirdo Book Club and I am of two minds. On one hand, I’m enjoying the setting because I love books set on or near the ocean. I’m a sucker for pirates, as well! On the other hand… I am boooored. The author went with dual timelines and each chapter alternates between “Before” and “After”. And I think that’s what contributing to my boredom. Whenever a chapter starts to get to something interesting, we move on to a new chapter/different timeline and the momentum just dies. I’m enjoying it, for the most part, but I wish it didn’t feel so choppy.
  • The Gathering Dark edited by Tori Bovalino: I started this YA horror anthology because it’s on my Magical Readathon TBR and, so far, I’m having a good time. I’ve only finished two stories, but I’ve enjoyed them both! That’s a strong start for a short story collection when it comes to me. I don’t usually have a good track record with them, heh. Here’s hoping the stories stay strong!
  • Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie: Look at me reading two short story collections at once! I kind of love these Poirot shorts because we get to the unraveling of the mystery so much quicker. Also, so far, all these stories are featuring Captain Hastings, that adorable idiot. He’s legit my favorite character in all the Poirot novels, haha. I was immediately met with a bunch of racial slurs, however, so… there’s that ๐Ÿ˜… I do try to give grace because of the time she was writing these novels… but damn, Agatha, did we have to say it so many times?!
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: September 23rd, 2026” →
top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall TBR 2026

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! We’ve arrived into a new season and my second favorite one of the year: Autumn! Now, I’m not typically one to make a seasonal TBR because I am far too much of a mood reader. But this week’s topic is all about books we plan to read in Fall, so I cobbled together a list of possibilities. The reasons these books made the list run the gambit from being books in series I want to continue, dark academia books, and Netgalley reads I’m excited to get to. Either way, I hope I do read them all this Autumn and have a great time with them!

Alright, now let’s get to the list.


Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall TBR 2026” →
bookmark chat

Bookmark Chat: Romantasy vs Fantasy Romance

Hello, reader!

Iโ€™m doing something a little different for todayโ€™s post. Iโ€™m away from home for a work conference and I left my laptop at home, so I donโ€™t access to my usual resources to do my Goodreads Monday! So I decided to get chatty with yโ€™all and talk about a topic that has been on my mind lately: romantasy versus fantasy romance.

Now, why is this topic on my mind? Because I have been trying to find a romantasy that I enjoy and itโ€ฆ has not gone well, haha. But I know I enjoy a fantasy that has a romance in it! So why canโ€™t I get into romantasy novels?

At first I thought it was perhaps because Iโ€™m not a big romance reader. I only really started reading the genre regularly in the past couple of years. Before that, I shame-facedly will admit, I was of the mind that romance wasnโ€™t worth reading. Yes, I was an idiot ๐Ÿ™‚โ€โ†•๏ธ But I have since read quite a few romances that I loved!

I have noticed a similarity in the romances that I like, though. They tend to be fun! Even if there are more serious topics tackled, the ones Iโ€™ve loved have had an overall light-hearted vibe. And I think therein lies my issue with romantasy. Most of the ones I have tried have been on the darker side with high stakes and โ€œenemyโ€ to lovers vibes.

Still, I have enjoyed high stakes fantasy novels that have a romance. I think that is because the romance isnโ€™t the main focus of the novel. I can handle it when the world-building and plot are more central and not the kissing. I find the tension feels a little more real in a fantasy romance, too.

Now, Iโ€™m not saying Iโ€™m going to give up on romantasy. Iโ€™ve learned my lesson from romanceโ€ฆ I have a feeling I can find something in this newer genre that will appeal to me, as well! Any suggestions would 100% be appreciated ๐Ÿ˜

the sunday post

The Sunday Post: September 20th, 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! It’s time for another weekly wrap up all about life and the blog in this week’s edition of The Sunday Post. Time to share what I’ve been up to and the blog posts I managed to get out this past week.

Let’s jump in!


This past week was my birthday week! That being said, it was much less eventful than the previous one ๐Ÿ˜… I usually take time off around my birthday, but there were a lot of people absent from work this past week, so it wasn’t possible. But my day was still pretty nice because my co-workers got me cake and ice cream! And the other microbiology supervisor got me some champagne and a gift card to buy books! So it was a good day.

We also had our first rehearsal for our choir’s new season! That’s always a busy time because I’m on the board, so I have to help with registration and getting everything set for the first day. But I always love seeing everyone at practice and getting to hear the music come together as we learn. I’m so glad that I joined! It’s been a great outlet in my life.

We had to wait for the weekend to celebrate as a family because this past week was busy with appointments. My youngest made me a cake on Saturday all by himself! It was very sweet of him and it tasted delicious. It was my favorite kind of cake, too: yellow cake with a chocolate frosting. My youngest also made me the sweetest card which made me cry happy tears, haha. My other bday presents are still on the way, though having a weekend to just chill and read was a present in and of itself.

Now we’re gearing up for next week. Hopefully it’ll be a good one.

Continue reading “The Sunday Post: September 20th, 2026” →
book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Overlooked Books


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!


If you could recommend one overlooked book, what would it be and why?

Submitted by Billy, Coffee-Addicted Writer.

Continue reading “Book Blogger Hop: Overlooked Books” →
first lines friday

First Lines Friday: September 18th, 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!

It’s the end of the week. I don’t have to work this weekend. And it’s First Lines Friday time! I’m feeling good, haha. This week, I’m featuring a book I finished recently. It wasn’t my favorite book from this author, but I had a good time with it and I love the cover. That’s really the reason I chose it for today because this book has high “cover buy” potential.

The first line certainly caught my attention. Now let’s see if it can catch yours!


The Line(s):


The Build Up:


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday: September 18th, 2026” →