Can't Wait Wednesday #210

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The highly-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black's stunning adult debut, Book of Night.

There'd always been something wrong with Charlie Hall. Crooked from the day she was born. Never met a bad decision she wasn't willing to double down on. She may be good enough to steal a shadow from a tower, but will she be good enough to steal back a heart?

I read the first book sooo very long ago, my mind is drawing a blank. I'm hoping I have notes somewhere on it as I do remember it giving me a bit of a hard time but since it's a duology I feel like I ought to complete it and plus Holly is coming here on tour and I already bought my ticket! Lol. 

TITLE: Thief of Night
AUTHOR: Holly Black
PUBLISHER: Tor Books
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2025

#1 New York Times-bestselling author Tricia Levenseller makes her adult debut in What Fury Brings, a sexy, empowering romantasy featuring a warrior general who must kidnap and train a husband in order to take her rightful place as queen.

There's a shortage of men in the kingdom of Amarra. After a failed rebellion against the matriarchy, most noblemen in the country are dead. Now the women of Amarra must obtain their husbands (should they want one) by kidnapping them from other kingdoms.

Olerra, a warrior princess vying for the throne, is determined to prove her worth by kidnapping a husband. And not just any husband. To outmaneuver her treacherous cousin, she needs the best. Fortunately, the second-born prince of their greatest enemy is widely known for both his looks and his sweet, docile temperament. He's the perfect choice to secure her claim to the throne.

Sanos, heir to the Kingdom of Brutus, has nothing but contempt for the idea of a society run by women. Trained from birth to fight, lead, and follow in his father's overbearing footsteps, his path has always been set. Until he takes his younger brother's place in a drunken prank and finds himself kidnapped, carted off to the Amarran Palace, and informed that he is to become the husband of Queen Potential Olerra. Sanos needs to escape before anyone learns his real identity, but the more he gets to know his captor, the less sure he is of what he truly wants.

It's a Tricia Levenseller book, so YES I am excited!! Cannot wait to read this one!!

TITLE: What Fury Brings
AUTHOR: Tricia Levenseller
PUBLISHER: Feiwel
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2025

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker. 

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"'If you continue to act like a reasonable human, I should think we could keep it up. Now, tomorrow morning, we're to go into town. You've money to transfer, and then we're going shopping. It's about time you owned your third pair of pants.'" p 103

TITLE: The Darkness Within Us
AUTHOR: Tricia Levenseller
PUBLISHER: Feiwel & Friends
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2024

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Recently(ish) Added Books with a High Page Count

*from least to greatest

**going off Goodreads numbers which can sometimes be off by a few pages

10. CARVING SHADOWS INTO GOLD by Brigid Kemmerer--496 pages
9. THE COVETED AND THE CURSED by Lylah Taylor--499 pages; a kindle read
8. THE NOTORIOUS VIRTUES by Alwyn Hamilton--512 pages

7. ONYX STORM by Rebecca Yarros--527 pages
6. A RECKLESS OATH by Kaylie Smith--528 pages
5. BESPELLED by Laura Thalassa--544 pages

4. THE ROAD OF BONES by Demi Winters--560 pages
3. HOLY TERRORS by Margaret Owen--560 pages
2. A COURT THIS CRUEL & LOVELY by Stacia Stark--560 pages

1. ONCE THE SKIES FADE by Vanessa Rasanen--600 pages

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray (ARC)--Review to come at a later date

Currently Reading:

The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury (ARC)

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesday
Can't Wait Wednesday #209
Books from the Backlog #148
Book Blogger Hop #371
Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves

 

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Reading Reality.

Another week in the books. This wasn't too bad of a week. I got to attend Brigid Kemmerer's signing. She was coming into St. Louis for some mini con that was also happening this weekend. I had looked into that but it was really only Brigid in attendance that I knew, so I just went to the signing here. That way I could avoid downtown too! Lol. My aunt also came into town so I hung out with her and my mom. Work wasn't too bad. It's picking up a little each day since we're in our busy season. The weather was horrible though. We're talking heat warnings. We were going to go to a festival that is held annually that I normally love going to but mix dangerously high heat warnings AND crowds on a small tiny street for vendors and you got the makings of not a fun time so my family decided to skip the event. Largely because of the temperatures. We can deal with crowds for the most part, but add in insanely high temperatures and we're all just lie nope!

Here's what I got this week:

Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer--SIGNED keeper copy! Plus an art print!

And then I got my Fairy Loot August book. This one wasn't really on my radar but it sounds intriguing enough, so I might read it at some point at least!

(sigh...I miss my bookshelves and books! This shelf is actually with me in my parents' house but my books are still in storage. The separation is killing me but the house search has become dismally slow the last few months.)

That was it for me this week! My TBR pile is pretty content with me this week since I just added a keeper copy and a potential read! Lol. What did you get this week?

Books from the Backlog #371

 

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: Do you visit and share books in Little Free Libraries in your area? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

MY ANSWER: I don't have too many in my immediate area. But when I have books or swag that I need to donate I will look one up. Whether I'm headed in a certain direction or go to the few I know about if I am in that area. I love taking a peek in them whenever I find them. Sometimes I find something, but rarely. I do like putting things in there. Even if it's just swag as I think other readers might enjoy that if they find these hidden libraries!

Books from the Backlog #148

 

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. This is a fun meme hosted by Carole @ Carole's Random Life in Books.

A spindle. A beautiful girl. A century-long slumber.

There is a story that longs to be told. It searches for its heroine, its prince, and the magic it needs to come alive. It will stop at nothing for its happily ever after.

One girl in search of answers. Two powerful forces at war. Three curses braided together.

After the spell protecting her is destroyed, Rose seeks safety in the world outside the valley she has called home. She has been kept hidden all her life to delay the three curses she was born with, curses that will put her into her own fairy tale and have drastic consequences if they take effect. Accompanied by Griff, the handsome and mysterious Watcher, and Quirk, his witty and warmhearted partner, Rose tries to escape from the ties that bind her to her story. But will the path they take lead them to that freedom, or will it bring them straight to the destiny they are trying to avoid?

I added Sarah Prineas' Rose & Thorn to my TBR pile in October of 2016 as I had her first book of this series in there as well! I love a good fairy tale retelling and they both sounded good, so I ordered this one without having read the first one. A bad habit I got into but when it came to reading the book a few years later, I found that looking for the sequel is a LOT harder these days! So here is my bad habit, but with good reasoning! Lol.

Can't Wait Wednesday #209

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes Tiger’s Trek, the electrifying new installment in the Tiger’s Tale series, set in the captivating universe of the beloved Tiger’s Curse saga.

Five unlikely companions are thrust into the dreamworld, a realm teeming with shadowy monsters and dangerous mysteries. To save their empire from the ruthless Death Draughtsman—a centuries-old collector of magic—they must confront their deepest fears, gather their strength, and unlock the secrets hidden in their hearts.

The stakes have never been higher. The Draughtsman’s growing power threatens not only the citizens of the empire but also the untamed Siberian plain ruled by the Nomadic Alliance. Hope lies with the reappearance of the ancient protectors—the tigers. If the tigers and their human allies can unite in time, they might stand a chance at breaking the curse and restoring balance.

But courage comes at a cost. Twin tsarevnas and their companions—a meticulous hunter, a defiant priest, a restless outcast, and a guarded soldier—must decide if they’ll risk everything to fight for their people, or turn their backs in order to save themselves.

Their intentions are noble.

But heroes aren’t remembered for their intentions—they’re remembered for their sacrifices.

Dive into an epic tale of bravery, loyalty, and the power of dreams in Tiger’s Trek, a story that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

I STILL need to read the last Tiger's Saga book Colleen put out last year, the year before? They are always so massive lately so hence the reason why it's slipped the cracks a bit! I still love this series so I had to get these continuations!

TITLE: Tiger's Trek
AUTHOR: Colleen Houck
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Publishing, Inc
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: September 9, 2025

THE SECOND BOOK IN THE CRUCIBLE TRILOGY FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES, #1 USA TODAY BESTSELLER, THE GAMES GODS PLAY

She has won the games of the gods, can she stand against the titans? Lyra may have survived the Crucible, but now she faces an even more dangerous test - a deadly race against time begins in Tartarus.

The games continue in the thrilling and highly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling romantasy The Games Gods Play. Welcome to Tartarus!

It should be no surprise that I still need to read the first book of this series as well! I loved her YA series so I was wanting to try her Greek mythology adult book before going back to some of her other adult titles.

TITLE: The Things Gods Break
AUTHOR: Abigail Owen
PUBLISHER: Red Tower Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: October 21, 2025

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker. 

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"As though she can hear me, the queen says, 'There will be a choice to make at the end of this. You must make it alone. Two paths lie before you, and where one leads to greatness, the other leads to death.'" p 65*

*Quote comes from the ARC, therefore it and its page number are not final.

TITLE: Bitten
AUTHOR: Jordan Stephanie Gray
PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
GENRE: YA Paranormal
RELEASE DATE: September 30, 2025

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Books Guaranteed to Put an End to Your Book Slump

*in no particular order
**very subjective I guess, I've never really had a book slump myself.

10. SOME GIRLS BITE by Chloe Neil--classic Urban Fantasy with a newly turned vampire who has a penchant for good food and snark!

9. HEMLOCK ISLAND by Kelley Armstrong--two words: Supernatural. Thriller.

8. FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT by Darynda Jones--a fun paranormal mystery series coupled with romance and oh so many laughs!

7. ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff--a unique storytelling format set in space with an AI.

6. HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost--more classic Urban Fantasy with vampires and lots of action!

5. IN NIGHTFALL by Suzanne Young--a twisty mystery thriller with a supernatural twist!

4. WHAT'S A GHOUL TO DO by Victoria Laurie--paranormal mystery series with ghosts and haunted locations!

3. OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout--the perfect YA Paranormal read with aliens. Think along the lines of Roswell, but our heroine is a book lover!

2. DOOMED by Tracy Deebs--a YA Apocalypse novel that still freaks me out after all these years...What would happen to society if all technology was shut down?

1. LEGENDARY by Stephanie Garber--I was going to say Caraval, but I had to go with my girl, Tella! She is still my favorite of the sisters and I just love her story!