Last Week I Read:
What a week! This week was crazy, both with good things and not so good things! Work continues to be busy which is both a blessing and a curse I suppose. Then Thursday Adalyn Grace and Kaylie Smith came to St. Louis for a visit and I LOVED it! I finally got to see Adalyn in a conversation styled signing and it was awesome! I love Kaylie's books too and while I've read both of her adult ones, I still need to read her YA, but naturally, all my copies were already signed, but I got to get the rest of my books by Adalyn signed which is always nice! Lol. And then I started getting copies of Stephanie's book FINALLY! And ohh, I am LOVING what she is doing with this one!
And then FINALLY, the BIG ONE...I am officially a homeowner!! I closed on my townhouse and I officially have a home...that I can't quite live in just yet! Lol. My parents want to help me fix it up. There was some carpeting upstairs that was kind of smelly, so yesterday we spent most of the day tearing it up and basically trying to get it ready for when we install new flooring. We're going to make a few other updates and such throughout the place, including the basement which will be my LIBRARY room! The room I have been DREAMING about throughout my search for a house! And I am SOOO excited to get going on that! But we're basically taking this one level at a time, a piece at a time. We're hoping I can possibly get moved in officially next month. Luckily, I still have a place to live until we can make my new home livable! I will definitely share some pictures soon. Right now I just barely remembered to get all my "before" pics in, one was right after we already ripped up one section of carpet and I was like ahh, I forgot my BEFORE pic! So it's a halfy on that one, but you'll get the idea of it at least! Lol.
But now onto the goodies that I did get because oh my! This was a very special week! As you know it was the release of Stephanie Garber's book! My #1 MOST ANTICIPATED read for 2026! Sadly, I could not attend any of Stephanie's tour stops for it. I REALLY wanted to. Like before I was even putting an offer in on my new home I was researching flights but they were all too expensive and the closest stops were still like a 10 hour drive and we're still busy at work and I am just one of those terrible people who doesn't want to leave the team one woman down for two days, even though apparently everyone else is fine with it. Go figure. I know. I'm weird. I took maybe two half days for October and still felt a wee bit guilty, but I told myself, I'm still coming in for a few hours each day, so it's not as bad as needing to be gone for 2-3 whole days depending on what would've been my traveling situations. Hopefully I can see Stephanie next year. I mean, yes, I did get to see her in July, but I didn't have any TMOIE on me obviously and I really would like at least one or two signed TMOIE by her...
But back on track...onto the goods...
This week's question is: What’s the best investment you’ve made for your blog?
MY ANSWER: Huh. I honestly don't think I made any investments over the years. So very long ago I can't remember when it happened, I won a total blog design and I've been using that ever since! I have zero tech skills and prior to my win, I was using the free templates Blogger offered. I don't think I would even remember how to redesign things if I tried! Lol. This blog was always meant to be just for fun, so I didn't want to pour too much into it, I save that for the books!
The #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING Once Upon a Broken Heart series continues… Return to the Magnificent North and the BREATHTAKING LOVE STORY that has captivated readers all over the world!
Jacks and Evangeline Fox have finally found their happily ever after.
Everything here in the Hollow is wonderful and perfect.
Nothing is going to go wrong.
No one is keeping a secret . . . except for maybe one.
But don’t worry, it’s not going to rewrite reality or alter history or change the ending of Jacks and Evangeline’s story.
Definitely not.
Featuring cameos from fan-favorite characters and twenty full-page illustrations by Lotusbubble, the newest installment in the Once Upon a Broken Heart universe will immerse readers once again in this beloved, #1 New York Times bestselling series. Because every story has the potential for infinite endings.
As you will know by now, The Mirror of Infinite Endings by Stephanie Garber was my #1 most anticipated read for 2026 and after a long, long, looooong delay the book was finally in my hands and I read it the first chance I got, which granted was yesterday! Lol. This novella was so magical, so filled with wonder and enchantment that I seriously wanted to just slip away into the pages and leave reality behind! Stephanie Garber will do that to you...or maybe just me!
Our story starts long after the events of A Curse for True Love and we see Jacks and Evangeline having a happy ending in their favorite place, The Hollow. Evangeline is trying to start a new festival/holiday for the grand reopening of the little inn she and Jacks plan to run...or mostly that she plans to run with Jacks reluctantly helping her. Then she and LaLa venture out to a newly opened curiosity shop and since Evangeline was trying to open one just like her father's, decide that they will "take a look" in seeing if her shop might have steep competition or if it's something else entirely.
Upon finding the shop, Evangeline finds a mirror called the Mirror of Infinite Endings, a mirror that will allow you to see all the possible happy endings your life could have if you made one choice differently. With Evangeline's love of all things magical and her own curiosity, she steps through the mirror and is transported into another world where things ended quite differently for her.
This novella was just filled with so much magic. Perhaps it's because I was already so in love with Stephanie's worlds that making yet another return trip to this magical land felt like coming home! It was perfection! I loved returning to the Hollow and the Magnificent North!
Lotusbubble's illustrations before each chapter were amazing! I loved seeing Jacks and Evangeline and the Hollow and pretty much everything that was drawn! It was its own kind of magic! I was only sadden that the illustrations were just by the chapter start and not scattered throughout the story. There were intricate borders along the tops of the pages to indicate whose point of view you were in...because yes, there are two!
This story was truly created for the fans, as Stephanie has also mentioned. True, reading the trilogy prior to this one will mean more to the reader, but one could read it without that knowledge and get along well enough. There were will be references to things and events that you won't grasp as well without having read the previous books, but if you need just a taste of Stephanie's writing style, this would definitely give you an idea.
My most anticipated read of the year did not disappoint! It was just as magical as I ever could have hoped for and it was just perfect. The only complaint I'd have is that it ended too soon! I could easily have read double the length, if not more! I was so happy Stephanie decided to return to this world once more and I would not complain if she wanted to visit again and focus on that ending she gave us! That was something else! Needless to say, it was no surprise that The Mirror of Infinite Endings was a most spectacular and magical read from beginning to end...or one of its endings, right?
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
In MIDNIGHT JEWEL, Richelle Mead goes beyond the glitz and glamour of the Glittering Court, delving into the dark, political underbelly of Cape Triumph through the eyes of one girl who dares to fight for her freedom.
A refugee of war, Mira was cast out of her home country and thrust into another, where the conditions were inhospitable at best. In a life-altering twist of fate, she is given the chance to escape once more, and she takes it, joining the Glittering Court.
Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. There, Mira finds herself subjected to persecution, not only from her fellow Glittering Court jewels, but from her suitors, as well—men she would potentially be expected to give her life to.
By day, she goes through the motions, learning the etiquette and customs that will help to earn her anonymity, even making a couple true friends in the process, the forthright ladies’ maid Adelaide and the ambitious laundress Tamsin. But by night, Mira hatches a different plan entirely—one that, if exposed, could get her hanged in the highest court of Adoria.
MIDNIGHT JEWEL is the extraordinary story of a girl with few options who courageously forges a new path, finding love, passion, lifelong friendships, and maybe even a way to freedom.
I added Midnight Jewel by Richelle Mead to my TBR pile in June of 2018 and I feel like this time adding it to my pile a year after its release is likely accurate as I remember explicitly that Richelle toured by me for the final book of the series so I bought this one ahead of time! I know this series all takes place in the same world and follows these three girls and I only read the first book. It was definitely a different kind of series than her vampire ones but since I loved those I knew I wanted to give these a try. I liked the first one enough to get the rest of the series so hopefully one day I can finish them!
Respect the Legend. Idolize the Prodigy. Celebrate the Champion. But never underestimate the Rebel in this electrifying graphic novel adaptation of the Legend series's grand finale.
Eden Wing is a brilliant student. He’s about to graduate a year early from Ross University of the Sciences. But most people don’t introduce Eden this way. Instead, they say, “This is Eden, Daniel Wing’s younger brother.”
Ten years ago, Daniel was known as Day, the boy who led a revolution that saved the Republic of America. Day has since spent the past decade piecing together his memory of his time in the Republic, quietly hiding from the world―even if it’s meant giving up June, the love of his life.
When June suddenly steps back into Day’s life, rekindling the flames of their romance, the pair team up to rescue Eden who’s been drawn into Ross City’s dark side. But like the rest of the world, they may have underestimated Eden―what he’s capable of, where his loyalties lie, and how hard he’s willing to fight for what he believes.
Return to the world of Legend in this epic graphic novel adaptation of the pulse-pounding finale to the series, which brings to life the bestselling Rebel with full-color illustrations.
I didn't think I'd have time to read the next novella of the last series, so I hopped over to Rebel: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lu, adapted by Kyla Vanderklugt and illustrated by Kaari and it was such a fun and quick read! I loved the Legend novels and I remember Rebel coming out as a surprise, so I was equally surprised and delighted when it got the graphic novel treatment too!
Since it's been a few years since I read Rebel, I couldn't quite remember the story all that well. I just remembered it had some more focus on Eden, Daniel's brother. We do still get that vibe and we still get to keep up with Daniel (Day) and June too! The switching of point of views feels different in a graphic novel as there's no chapter header, you just suddenly see a different character in the panels. Whether you want to say it's easier or harder is up to you. I felt like it was pretty easy, but I am not a savvy graphic novel or comic reader.
I did enjoy coming back to this dystopic world again! It was a finely crafted world and Marie's talents truly shine! Of course, we have to thank Kaari for these gorgeous illustrations as well because they are beautiful. I love the style of the characters, how it's not too sharp or too soft, but that right kind of blend! And then Vanderklugt's adaptation is amazing. I mean, you take a 300+ page novel and turn it into a 200 page graphic novel and never lose the feeling of the story itself. That's wicked talented!
I love reading graphic novels of novels I previously read. One might call it "redundant" but I don't see it that way. You're reading it in a new form and seeing the story in a new light, quite literally too!
Rebel was a fast paced read that kept me turning the pages and roving over the panels as fast as I could as I really didn't remember the story from the first time around, so I was eager to see how things would turn out. I love that we got to see more of Eden and let his story shine through, while also offering us longtime fans more time with Day and June! This was a phenomenal read and I just loved it!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Lush romance and chill-inducing shivers combine in this YA tale of folk horror inspired by the legend of the Wild Hunt! Months after a harrowing performance, a teen girl reunites with her acting troupe for a camping weekend in the woods - only to find something they awakened has followed them there.
There's something on those moors that likes to hunt young maidens for sport....
When high school senior Hazel joins her school's elite theatre group, the Edgemoor Players, all she's looking for is one more extracurricular to add to her packed college resume. This year, the Players are putting on their most ambitious production a tragic romance inspired by local legends of a ghostly huntsman who is said to have once stalked the nearby moors.
That was then. Now, no one talks about the play, its disastrous final performance, or the strange, eerie happenings which preceded it. But when Hazel signs up for an extra credit camping trip months later, she finds herself suddenly reunited with her former castmates for a weekend.
Trapped together in the woods, Hazel will have to confront her old friends - including Roman, the Players' enigmatic leading man. And they will all have to reckon with a far deadlier truth: that what they started last year isn't over.
Months ago, the Edgemoor Players woke something up - and now it won't rest until it catches its prey.
A BEWITCHING FOLK HORROR FROM AMY GOLDSMITH, AUTHOR OF PREDATORY NATURES AND THOSE WE DROWN.
TITLE: A Darker Act
AUTHOR: Amy Goldsmith
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
GENRE: YA Horror
RELEASE DATE: October 13, 2026
They say love makes you foolish. At Bloodwing, it makes you dangerous.
I thought surviving a vampire academy was the hardest thing I’d ever have to do.
Then I fell in love with a boy who can turn into a dragon.
After the events in Veilmar, my only concern is for Blake. Will he survive the monster who possesses him? But as I fight a battle for the soul of the man I love, my dearest friend is up against the greatest danger a dragon rider can ever face.
Meanwhile, as Bloodwing reels from loss and betrayal, an ancient prophecy tightens its grip, and an unexpected triad is rising—one powerful enough to change the balance of power in Sangratha forever.
As the Veil cracks and the dead come back to haunt us, love becomes a weapon—sharp enough to destroy the world or strong enough to forge a new one.
This dark fantasy series tackles mature themes. Readers are advised to consult the trigger warnings before embarking on this intense, morally gray/black journey through the realm of Sangratha!
What was broken will be remade.
Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he's been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories, attracting powerful allies hell-bent on reclaiming what was once theirs: the human lands.
The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked. But with Prythian still piecing itself together in the wake of the devastating Hybern War, the task of uniting is proving more difficult by the day.
To make matters worse, those who rule and protect the Night Court are reeling from recent betrayals and revealed truths. The rifts dividing them seem insurmountable.
But to defeat Koschei's creeping shadow, they must find a way back to each other and resurrect their former alliances. To survive, they must find a way to repair the splintered harmony all around them.
I have mixed feelings over Maas' books these days. Am I still going to read this one? Of course. But ah, the mixed feelings are very, very strong.
TITLE: A Court of Splintered Harmony
AUTHOR: Sarah J. Maas
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury Publishing
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: October 27, 2026
