book reviews

Book Review: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 edited by Rebecca Roanhorse




Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author and guest editor Rebecca Roanhorse and series editor John Joseph Adams select twenty pieces that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year and explore the ever-expanding and changing world of SFF today. 

Todayโ€™s readers of science fiction and fantasy have an appetite for stories that address a wide variety of voices, perspectives, and styles. There is an openness to experiment and pushing boundaries, combined with the classic desire to read about spaceships and dragons, future technology and ancient magic, and the places where they intersect. Contemporary science fiction and fantasy looks to accomplish the same goal as everโ€”to illuminate what it means to be human.

With a diverse selection of stories chosen by series editor John Joseph Adams and guest editor Rebecca Roanhorse, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 explores the ever-expanding and changing world of contemporary science fiction and fantasy.

Continue reading “Book Review: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 edited by Rebecca Roanhorse”
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: March 11th, 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 Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman: I’m still plugging along with this book. It’s taking me so long that you might think I’m hating the experience, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Life has just been throwing (expensive…) surprises at me and the stress is definitely affecting my reading. Every time I pick up this book, though, it let’s me just fall into the story and, if I didn’t already love it, I’d love it for that alone.
  • What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher: One thing T. Kingfisher is good at (among many things) is writing a sarcastic but kind main character that is highly relatable. This series has that in spades! I’m loving this second installment in the Sworn Soldiers series, with visits from characters past and new characters to pull me in. The creepy stuff hasn’t started up yet, but I’m eagerly anticipating it.
  • She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva: I legit just started this audiobook, so I can’t say much about whether I’m enjoying it or not. I can say I’m liking the narrator, haha.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: March 11th, 2026”
top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Ordinal Numbers

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! This week, we’re featuring books with ordinal numbers in the title. As I found as I scrolled through my Goodreads shelves that I apparently haven’t read enough books that meet the criteria to fill out ten spots, haha. I’ve decided to pick five of my favorite books with an ordinal number and then five books from my TBR that I’m hoping to love.

That being said, let’s get to the list!


The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Ordinal Numbers”
monthly tbr

March 2026 TBR

Hello, reader!

It’s a new month, y’all, and that means it’s time to build another monthly TBR! I didn’t do too bad with my February TBR, having read five (and a half) of the nine books I had listed, which isn’t too shabby. I probably would have been able to read more if February didn’t speed by like a freight train. Now it’s time to turn my sights to March and what I’m hoping to get to read.

With that being said, let me share with you my March TBR!


  • AFB Book Club
    • Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
    • The theme for March was “books set in Australia” and this was the winner of the poll. I’m gonna be honest, I’ve never really had an interest in this blockbuster of a book. But this is one of the big hitters of the thriller/mystery genre and I’m using this as an excuse to see what all the hype is about. We’ll see how it goes!
  • Literally Dead Book Club
    • The Fisherman by John Langan
    • I’ve already started reading this horror novel and it’s kind of like if Pop Pop sat you down to recount some stories from his past but those stories included a huge helping of eldritch horrors. A lot of rambling about so-and-so was what’s-his-face’s son and also I HAVE WITNESSED THE LEVIATHAN. Not gonna lie, I’m kind of loving it ๐Ÿ˜‚
  • Weirdo Book Club
    • She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva
    • Look, I noticed that the painting on the cover is one where a woman is sawing a man’s head off and I was instantly intrigued. The synopsis sounds like there will be a healthy dose of feminine rage and I’m here for it.
Continue reading “March 2026 TBR”
wrap up

February 2026 Wrap Up

Hello, reader!

We’ve entered a new month which means I need to wrap up my reading for the last one! First of all, I know February is the shortest month of the year, but it feels like it absolutely flew by. How is it already March?! Still… the faster we get to Spring, the better, so let’s freakin’ go.

February wasn’t quite as good a reading month as January, but I still had a good time. So now let me share what I read!


In February 2026, I read 7 books for 2,435 pages. Funnily enough, that’s 5 more pages than last month even though I read two less books! No DNFs this month, though there was one that I kind of wish I did… Curse my need to finish book club books.

Look at mystery/thrillers knocking fantasy out of the top spot! My genre list is a lot more colorful this month and I think that’s because I read quite a few books that could fit into multiple genres. I do love a novel that subverts expectations, so I love a genre-bender!

I love that my physical reads and my audio reads are neck-and-neck this month. I only read one digital book, which doesn’t feel great, but I’m hoping to improve that number in March. Especially since most of my Netgalley books are gonna be read via e-book (if I don’t already own it… I know, kind of defeats the point๐Ÿ˜…). But I’m hoping to keep up the good work with the audiobooks! I’m really loving them this year.

I flew too close to the sun last month with two five stars… I didn’t have a single one in February! Most of the books I read were 3.5 stars this month and that feels… okay? At least they all weren’t two stars! Still, here’s hoping January hasn’t cursed me and those five stars from last month are my only two of 2026… ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

Continue reading “February 2026 Wrap Up”
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: March 4th, 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 Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman: Book three in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series certainly starts off with a bang! I’m loving getting back into this messed up world and learning about all the new rules for the new floor. I’m looking forward to seeing where Matt Dinniman is taking the story now!
  • All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles: I’m very nearly done with the audiobook for this one and the main character just did something SO STUPID I nearly stopped ๐Ÿ˜‚ Imma let him finish but my goodness… critical thinking skills where not in the room that chapter. Still, if I’m that invested in a character’s choices, you know I’m probably having a good time!
  • What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher: I read the first book in this series last year and was rather intrigued by the main character and the gothic setting. Looking at my previously mentioned book, I apparently have a type, haha. I’ve quite literally just started the e-book because I was looking for a quick Kindle read and I’m loving the atmosphere of it so far. Here’s hoping I like it as much as I did the first book.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: March 4th, 2026”
top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Fantasy

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! Today is a genre freebie, so I thought I would talk about one of my favorite things: fantasy books with bookish themes. Whether that is because the main character is bookish, a book is highly featured, or there are other bookish notes, this is one of my favorite tropes in any novel and fantasy is my favorite genre. Seemed like a good pick, haha.

Now, let me share ten of my favorite bookish fantasy novels!


The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Nightbooks by J.A. White

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Fantasy”
goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: March 2nd, 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 Goodreads Monday, everyone! I hope y’all have had a good start to your week. I spent my day off listening to an audiobook and doing a paint-by-number, so it was incredible๐Ÿ˜ Now it’s time to randomize my Goodreads TBR and see which book we come up with. My “Want to Read” shelf has jumped to 835 books, but let’s not talk about that, haha. I need to come to terms with the fact that my TBR will never get smaller. Not a terrible problem to have!

Alright, now let’s get to this week’s pick.


Book:
The Final Gambit

Author:
Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher:
Little, Brown And Company

Publication Date:
August 30th, 2022

Pages:
375

Genre:
Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:
Averyโ€™s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about.

To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets and they know her.

But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her helpโ€”and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.

Continue reading “Goodreads/TBR Monday: March 2nd, 2026”
goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: February 23rd, 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!

Welp, the weather folks were spot on again with the blizzard warning and we got absolutely dumped on ๐Ÿ˜‚ I’ve spent the day watching the snow, playing Stardew Valley, and dreading digging my poor car out of the snow. It’s been a very chilly Monday, haha. Now, though, it’s time to distract myself from the weather and do Goodreads Monday! My ‘Want to Read’ shelf is currently sitting at 834 books, which is the same amount as last week. Look at me resisting temptation!

Now, let’s see what the randomizer picks for me today.


Book:
His Majesty’s Dragon

Author:
Naomi Novik

Publisher:
Del Rey

Publication Date:
January 3rd, 2006

Pages:
299

Genre:
Fantasy

Synopsis:
Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.

When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future-and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

Continue reading “Goodreads/TBR Monday: February 23rd, 2026”
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: February 18th, 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 Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 edited by Rebecca Roanhorse: I promise I’m still reading this ๐Ÿ˜ญ I ran into a string of ‘meh’ stories, which is what always seems to happen to me when I read short story anthologies, and it’s made me feel pretty ‘meh’ about picking it back up. But the next story is by an author I enjoy, so I’m hoping it will get me back on board!
  • On by One by Ruth Ware: I’m listening to the audiobook for this one and the narrator is killing it! Which would be more exciting if I wasn’t already getting bored, lol. I want to shake one of our POV characters and that’s certainly not helping with my enjoyment. But anxiety is a hell of a mental illness and I don’t know all the details yet, so I should stop judging her so hard and give her a chance. I’ll try, at least…
  • I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman: I just started this novella and… um… I don’t know how I feel about it ๐Ÿ˜… Is the narrator supposed to be insufferable? Am I meant to care about the mystery of why these women are locked in a cage? They don’t even care! Well… the narrator does and she’s making it everyone else’s problem. I really hope something actually happens soon cause this book and I are not getting on.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: February 18th, 2026”