top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors From 2025

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!

Though 2025 was a bit all over the place, I did read some incredible books last year. I also read quite a few new-to-me authors that I’m eager to read more from in 2026. So today’s Top Ten Tuesday theme, 2025 Bookish Discoveries, gives me the perfect opportunity to share them with you! Quite a few of these are authors that have been around for ages, but I finally picked them up in 2025. Some of them are debut authors that captured my imagination with their first novel. All of them make me want to read more!

Now, let’s get to the list.


Kylie Lee Baker
B.K. Borison
Costanza Casati
Delilah S. Dawson
Tananarive Due

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors From 2025”
goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: January 26th, 2026

Goodreads Monday/TBR Monday is a bookish meme hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog invites you to post about what books are on your Goodreads โ€œto readโ€ lists or TBR lists, the progress you have made on your current books and reading challenges, and any other bookish news!


Hello, reader!

Well, for once the meteorologists got it right and we got absolutely dumped on here in New England. Not the most snow that I’ve ever seen, but there’s quite a bit! So, while I’m waiting to go into work since we’re on a delay (the joys of working in healthcare… no snow days), I figured I would do my Goodreads Monday post!

I hope all of you who also got a ton of snow are staying warm and safe.


Book:
Vinegar Girl

Author:
Anne Tyler

Publisher:
Hogarth

Publication Date:
June 1st, 2016

Pages:
237

Genre:
Literary Fiction/Romance/Retelling

Synopsis:
Pulitzer Prize winner and American master Anne Tyler brings us an inspired, witty and irresistible contemporary take on one of Shakespeareโ€™s most beloved comedies.

Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity, pretty younger sister Bunny? Plus, sheโ€™s always in trouble at work โ€“ her pre-school charges adore her, but their parents donโ€™t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner.

Dr. Battista has other problems. After years out in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. Thereโ€™s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, all would be lost.

When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, heโ€™s relying โ€“ as usual โ€“ on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time heโ€™s really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two menโ€™s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around?

Continue reading “Goodreads/TBR Monday: January 26th, 2026”
the sunday post

The Sunday Post: January 25th, 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 snowy Sunday, depending on where you live, haha. I was skeptical we would be getting as bad of a storm as they predicted but… well… New England is proving me wrong ๐Ÿ˜… I’m so glad I didn’t have to work today and could enjoy the snow from my cozy house. I do have to work tomorrow so wish me luck out there!

For now, though, it’s time to recap last week in my Sunday Post! Let’s catch up on what I’ve been getting into.


Ya girl was in pain this past week. I was having a lot of abdominal pain, so much so that I ended up calling out of work one day and going to urgent care. Apparently, I have a UTI ๐Ÿซ  Clearly I have not had a lot of those cause I thought there was something way worse going on, lol. No one told me a UTI could hurt so bad! Thankfully, I’m now on antibiotics and I’m feeling a lot better. I did catch up on some reading whilst I was curled up in bed with my heating pad, though. I’ve already read 7 books this month, which is one more than I read last January! I’m pretty happy about that.

I was off this weekend which meant that I got to go hangout with my best friend on Saturday. She lives in actual Boston (unlike me, living my best life out in the ‘burbs ๐Ÿ˜‚), so we don’t get to see each other nearly as much as I would like to. Like, ya know… every day. We went to yoga, had brunch at this tapas place called Barcelona with some yoga gals, and went to visit our mom (she’s pretty much adopted me at this point). Mom isn’t doing great and is currently in rehab trying to heal from a broken arm. Thankfully, my best friend has a job where she can visit almost every day, so at least mom isn’t alone. Still, I can’t wait til she’s well enough to get out of there.

Today, since we were most definitely not going anywhere, I broke out the January This Month’s Craft box! My husband got me a subscription for Christmas and it’s become a fun activity for my son and I to do together. Last month was soap making and this month is pottery! We made pinch pots (or bowls from the way the shapes turned out, lol) and are currently letting them dry before we do the decorating. I’ll make sure to share photos of the final products!

Continue reading “The Sunday Post: January 25th, 2026”
book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Books & Snacks


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!


Which book pairs perfectly with a certain snack in your opinion?ย 

Submitted byย Billy,ย Coffee Addicted Writer

Continue reading “Book Blogger Hop: Books & Snacks”
first lines friday

First Lines Friday: January 23rd, 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 using Twitter, donโ€™t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!


Hello, reader!

We made it to the end of the week ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿพ I’m excited to spend the next couple of days not thinking about work before I have to potentially fight through a foot of snow to get back to it on Monday, lol. Welcome to New England! But we’re gonna think “cozy” and my pick for this week’s First Lines Friday should help with that! Now, this novella may not be the epitome of the cozy vibe, but it certainly left me feeling warm and comfy!

Let’s see if the first few lines will pull you into the story.


The Line(s):

Interrupt
Wake up processor
Restore memory
Decoding request for service
‘Water detected’
Property protection protocol
Queue Command check
Command check timed out
HEEI main start
Relay emergency notification
Emergency
Emergency
Emergency”


The Build Up:


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday: January 23rd, 2026”
book reviews

Book Review: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman




The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl seriesโ€”now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.

You know whatโ€™s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know whatโ€™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. Thatโ€™s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriendโ€™s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the worldโ€”or just get to the next levelโ€”in a video gameโ€“like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon thatโ€™s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ainโ€™t your ordinary game show.

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

Continue reading “Book Review: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman”
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: January 21st, 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

  • Pounded By Produce by G.M. Fairy: Y’all, I can’t with this book๐Ÿ˜‚ It’s just so silly and cringe! Like, how am I supposed to not want to cringe into the sun when there are lines like —> “Alone with two of the sexist vegetables in the world.” Like, come ON! I can only read a few chapters at a time before I have to walk away, lol. Still, I suppose I’m being entertained? Woof…
  • Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel: This historical retelling of the relationship between King Philip of France and King Richard the Lionhearted is gay as hell and I’m into it. I mean, I know these two yearners are about to break my heart, but I cannot look away! The audiobook is well-narrated, too, which draws me into the story even more.
  • Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz: I just started this sci-fi novella today and I’m having a good time! It’s about robots that decide to run their own restaurant after they are abandoned by the owners of the previous shop in which they worked. The characters are interesting and I’m eager to see where this story takes me.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: January 21st, 2026”
top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Goals for 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!

For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, I’ll be talking about my goals, bookish and non-bookish, for 2026! This is something I think about at the beginning of every year and 2026 is now different. What is different is that I’m trying to choose goals that will cause me the least amount of stress this year, haha. 2025 was a wild ride and I would like 2026 to bring a much calmer energy, thank you very much.

That being said, let me share my top ten 2026 goals!


  1. Read at least 65 books.
  2. Utilize my library more.
  3. Don’t be afraid to DNF!
  4. Finish at least 5 series, but hopefully more.
  5. Work on my Netgalley backlog.
Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday: Goals for 2026”
goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: January 19th, 2026

Goodreads Monday/TBR Monday is a bookish meme hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog invites you to post about what books are on your Goodreads โ€œto readโ€ lists or TBR lists, the progress you have made on your current books and reading challenges, and any other bookish news!


Hello, reader!

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr Day! This is the first MLK Day in awhile that I was off of work and it was nice to be able to chill. Little disappointed in the state of my country on this MLK Day, but that’s a topic for a different post๐Ÿ˜…

For now, let’s get to my Goodreads Monday pick!


Book:
House of Salt and Sorrows

Author:
Erin A. Craig

Publisher:
Delacorte

Publication Date:
August 6th, 2019

Pages:
403

Genre:
Fantasy/Horror/Retelling

Synopsis:
In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last–the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge–and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister’s deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who–or what–are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family–before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Be careful who you dance with…

Continue reading “Goodreads/TBR Monday: January 19th, 2026”
the sunday post

The Sunday Post: January 18th, 2025

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!

Ya girl is coming to you after a looong day at work and I am tired. Thankfully, tomorrow is a holiday and I don’t have to cover it this year, so I get to relax a wee bit. I plan to spend some of that down time reading, of course, but sleeping in is what I’m really looking forward to ๐Ÿ˜‚

Before that, it’s time for this week’s Sunday Post! I actually left the house for things other than work this past week so I have stuff to talk about, haha. Let’s jump into it.


I had a day off this week because I was working the weekend and I spent that hunting down a book. I’m participating in a read-along for the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and I had purchased the first book in 2025 in preparation. I have a bad habit of buying all the books in a series when I haven’t even cracked the first book open (looking at you, Jade City…), so I told myself that I was only going to get Dungeon Crawler Cart, just in case I ended up not being into it. Welp, I spent my Thursday tracking down the next three books in the series and I probably wouldn’t bought all of them if hardcovers weren’t so expensive! So you could say I’m liking the series, lol.

The husband and I were actually social this week, as well, and went out to karaoke with some friends from the choir group we’re in. It was at this tiny Chinese restaurant/lounge that has karaoke every Friday and Saturday night, which apparently is a thing here near Boston. I dunno, maybe it’s a thing everywhere and I just wasn’t paying attention before, lol. Either way, it was a lot of fun! There weren’t a ton of people, so we got to sing pretty much all we wanted to and, as mentioned, it was with a bunch of choir folk, so showtunes were involved. It’s also the reason I’m so tired today because we didn’t get home til midnight and I had to be up by 5:30 am๐Ÿ˜… Still, it’s nice to be social every once in awhile!

Now I’m just preparing myself mentally for the fac that we’re supposed to get snow tonight (BOO) and waiting for some comfort food. The plan for after dinner is to curl up with a book, a hot cocoa I extorted my husband into making, and my heating pad. It’s gonna be amazing ๐Ÿ’–

Continue reading “The Sunday Post: January 18th, 2025”