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”
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”
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: June 24th, 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

  • Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly: I’m almost done with this romance, which means I’m currently in the third act break-up and it hurts, y’all! Mostly because I absolutely love London and Dahlia together! I went into this interested in the cooking show aspect but, right now, I couldn’t care less about the show, I just want them to be okay ๐Ÿ˜ญ I mean… it’s a romance so I know they will be, but why must they suffer?! Suffice it to say, I’m vibing with this book, haha.
  • Fiona and the Forgotten Piano by Kate DeMaio: I’m reading this middle grade fantasy for a blog tour and, so far, I’m enjoying my time! This was the winner of last years’ Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award and I didn’t get a chance to read it during the competition. I had to jump on-board the tour! I’m looking forward to reading more.
  • When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen: I just started this short horror because it’s due back to the library soon and I really want to read it before it goes back! I’ve heard great things about this and, so far, I’m having a good time. I get the feeling this is going to make me rage, though, but I expected that going into it! The events are happening at a wedding taking place at a plantation, after all…
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: June 24th, 2026”
top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: My Summer 2026 TBR

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 officially summer, y’all, and this week’s Top Ten Tuesday pays homage to that. I’ll be talking about the top ten books that are on my summer TBR! I don’t typically make seasonal TBRs, but there are definitely books I would like to prioritize these next few months.

Let me share them with you now!


The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
Heartstopper Vol. 6 by Alice Oseman
Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty
A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday: My Summer 2026 TBR”
book reviews

Book Review: Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy




Desperate to undo the curse binding them to each other, an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspellโ€”only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together.

Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics.

He can summon butterflies with a song, or turn someoneโ€™s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms donโ€™t earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic.

That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leoโ€™s complete oppositeโ€”respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon. The only thing they agree on is that getting caught using forbidden magic would mean the end of their careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. But Grimm casts spells, he doesnโ€™t undo them, and Leo doesnโ€™t mess with powerful magic.

Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To dissolve the curse, theyโ€™ll have to uncover the true depths of Leoโ€™s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, andโ€”much to their horrorโ€”work together.

Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them.

Continue reading “Book Review: Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy”
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: June 17th, 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 Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman: I’m now over 50% into the fourth Dungeon Crawler Carl book and this level has a lot going on! I’m loving the intricacies, though, and trying to figure out how Carl and co. will survive this one. I’m also loving the character growth we’re seeing in all the characters, not just Carl. I just read a kickass scene, too, that made me love Carl even more, haha. I’m hoping to have this read by the end of the month.
  • The Maiden and her Monster by Maddie Martinez: I started my read of the June Weirdo Book Club pick. This story is based on Jewish mythology and is incredibly atmospheric so far. At the beginning, I was feeling a little overwhelmed with the amount of unfamiliar words, but I’m now more settled in the world and don’t feel like I’m drowning ๐Ÿ˜… Now I’m more focused on the growing relationship between our two titular characters ๐Ÿ‘€
  • The Radium Girls by Kate Moore: I picked up my non-fiction read for the month just recently and I’m excited to get into it! I know it’s going to make me rage and cry in equal measure. I’ve been interested in this book for ages and I’m already enjoying the style of writing, so I’m looking forward to the experience.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: June 17th, 2026”