first lines friday

First Lines Friday: July 10th, 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!

Welcome to another First Lines Friday post! This week, I’m featuring a romance that I just got through Book of the Month Club. I’ve been a member for what feels like ages and I find myself more often than not enjoying the random romances I pick up from them every now and then.

Let’s hope this one starts out with something that gets me even more excited to read it!


The Line(s):


The Build Up:


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday: July 10th, 2026”
cant wait wednesday

Can’t Wait Wednesday: July 8th, 2026

Canโ€™t-Wait Wednesday is a meme where you get to flail about whatever upcoming book youโ€™re excited to read. Though it is generally a new release, it certainly can be any book thatโ€™s on your TBR! This meme is currently hosted by Wishful Endings and itโ€™s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.


Hello, reader!

Today on the blog, I’ve decided to do another Can’t Wait Wednesday post! There are a ton of books I’m looking forward to in the second half of the year, but today I’m featuring a specific one that I’m so excited to read.

Let’s jump in!


This is an August release that I’ve been anticipating since last year! Here’s some hints as to what it might be:

  • This is a sequel to a YA horror/fantasy from last year
  • It features some pretty gnarly creatures
  • I loooove the cover

The book I’ve chosen for Can’t Wait Wednesday is…

Continue reading “Can’t Wait Wednesday: July 8th, 2026”
top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Titles That Contain The Word “Book”

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!

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is a fun one! You get to pick your top ten books that have titles that contain a word of your choosing. There’s so many ways I could have gone with this. I could have picked a summery word to go with the season. I could have picked one of my favorite things, like cats or chocolate, and featured books with those in the title. What I ended up going with is probably so simple it’s silly, but my absolute favorite trope to read is a book about books or with bookish themes. So, I figured, why not make “book” my word of choice!

Now let me share my list with you!


The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams
The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
The Book Made me Think of You by Libby Page
Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday: Titles That Contain The Word “Book””
goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: July 6th, 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 Monday, everyone! I hope you all had an excellent weekend and are ready for another week. I’m ready for another Goodreads Monday, myself! This week, I’m working with 840 books on my “Want to Read” shelf which is a few more than last time because I have no self-control ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜‚ Still, let’s see what book the random number generator pulls up for me today and whether or not it will get to stay.


Book:
Beneath Cruel Fathoms

Author:
Anela Deen

Publisher:
Fine Fables Press

Publication Date:
May 1st, 2019

Pages:
389

Genre:
Fantasy/Romance

Synopsis:
After a violent storm destroys her ship, Isaura Johansdottir knows better than to hope sheโ€™ll be rescued from Eislandโ€™s vast Failock Sea. Adrift and alone, her plans to start over lost, itโ€™s a tragic conclusion after the disastrous end of her marriageโ€”until sheโ€™s saved by Leonel, one of the merfolk, a creature long believed extinct. In repayment for her life, Leonel enlists her help to investigate the Failockโ€™s mysterious and deadly plague of squalls. But when Isaura discovers Eislandโ€™s ruthless new Lord commands the storms, her life will be in more danger on land than it ever was at sea.

As guardian of the Fathoms, Leonel must find the cause of unnatural storms ravaging the tidal currents and destroying the sea life. There are rumors of dark magic stirring in the Orom Abyss, the resting place of old, vanquished gods who tried to submerge the land millennia ago. Yet without proof, no one in King ร†girโ€™s court will listen to him. And if itโ€™s discovered he broke the Blue Laws to save a shipwrecked landweller, he might not survive the consequences.

As storms spread, Leonel and Isaura uncover secrets as forbidden as the bond that grows between them. Betrayal lurks in the restless sea, and when ancient powers lay siege to Eislandโ€™s coast, the truth may be drowned along with everything else.

Continue reading “Goodreads/TBR Monday: July 6th, 2026”
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”
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”
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”