Can't Wait Wednesday #264

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 worldwide sensation as you’ve never seen it before. Step into a bold new Divergent series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.

Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives.

She has a plan: she's going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind.

But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changes—her world, her plans, even Beatrice herself.

Her ensuing decision thrusts her into the crosshairs of an underground rebellion, and into the path of a boy with secrets as dangerous as her own—a boy with only a number for a name.

One choice will change everything.

I feel like I was in the minority for enjoying the Divergent series--ending and all! It was fitting to the story. Still had a gut wrenching reaction. But this new book has me SUPER curious! I know everyone is thinking things might go in another way where we get a different kind of ending...but I'm half wondering if there will be that "you can't escape your fate" kind of twist! Will we see it coming or will things actually go in another direction? I can't decide! Lol.

TITLE: The Sixth Faction
AUTHOR: Veronica Roth
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
GENRE: YA Dystopian
RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2026

Return to the world of Truly Devious as Stevie Bell and her friends travel to New York to solve a murder in the next standalone mystery from New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson.

Stevie might be the greatest teenage detective Ellingham Academy and the world has ever seen, but even she can’t figure out what happened with her boyfriend, David. What she needs is a distraction: a good old-fashioned murder. Stevie is much happier dealing with dead people. They’re a lot less confusing—they don’t send cryptic texts and make out with other girls in British pubs.

But then Stevie gets exactly what she wanted when a dead body turns up in the middle of a Manhattan apartment complex, and this one is . . . complicated. Caught in a web of messy alive-people feelings, Stevie finds herself questioning all human connection. Is magnetism only manipulation? Can you trust anyone? Does anyone realize that they’re joining a cult—before it’s too late? And are things with David really over?

Shockingly, this is one series I am actually caught up in! Now have I read her newest book from last year? Not yet...but it's in the TBR pile! Lol.

TITLE: The Velvet Knife
AUTHOR: Maureen Johnson
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
GENRE: YA Mystery
RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2026

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the House of Night series Kristin Cast comes the next spicy and spellbinding light romantasy in the Towerfall series.

In a world built on illusion, the truth is often deadly…

Juniper Chase has perfected the art of being exactly what everyone needs, especially her best friend's older brother, Beckett Davenport. He's the one man she's spent years pretending she doesn't want…and the one man she cannot have.

When a magickal tarot card rips her and Beckett from their world and into the enchanted Kingdom of Swords, Juniper is mistaken for their future queen, but slipping into the role should be instinct. After all, she knows how to play a part.

Except things in the Kingdom of Swords are not what they seem. Prince Luca Sterling, the man she's meant to marry, is hiding something beneath his devastating charm. Juniper can feel it, because in this kingdom, her instincts are literal power. And the deeper she falls into the prince's glittering, carefully crafted world, the clearer it becomes:

This kingdom is built on lies, and it's collapsing under their weight.

To uncover the truth behind the throne and the ancient Tower pulsing at the heart of the kingdom, Juniper will need the help of the man who sees her more clearly than anyone ever has. And when Beckett takes to his position as her guard with a fierce yet gentle protectiveness that brings new heat between them, Juniper uncovers the truth between them, too.

But exposing Luca's lies could send the realm crashing down around them. And choosing the truth might cost Juniper her future, her heart, and any chance of making it home.

Still need to start this series too but it seems like they are standalones from what I recall! Kristin toured here for the first book at least! It sounds like fun! I love books that involve tarot as it's always interesting to see what the author will do!

TITLE: Death
AUTHOR: Kristin Cast
PUBLISHER: Bloom Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: October 13, 2026

 

August Wrap-up

Well it's been another month! I didn't do so well with the reading challenge this month, but I was still avidly reading! The problem actually was that I was reading reallllly long books! They all were nearly 500 pages! One was an ARC, so the page count is an estimate, so yeah! 500ish x 5 is 2500 pages as a rough, rough estimate! Plus there were other stresses throughout the weeks and work is steadily picking up, so August was pretty busy!

ARC Reads:

The Wretched Divine by Adalyn Grace (9/22/26)

New Release Reads:

The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn (7/6/26)
The Killing Rules by Bree Despain (8/4/26)

TBR Reads:

The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten (7/15/25)
Shadows of Perl by J. Elle (9/3/24)

Top Ten Tuesday #693

 

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: Titles Beginning with the Letter "B"

*in no particular order
**I am going rogue because I could only find 2 titles in my collection that fit the original topic!

10. BREATH OF FIRE by Amanda Bouchet
9. BELLADONNA by Adalyn Grace
8. BLUE BLOODED by Amanda Carlson

7. BLOODROSE by Andrea Cremer
6. BITTERBURN by Ann Aguirre
5. BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by April Genevieve Tucholke

4. BLACK ICE by Becca Fitzpatrick
3. BELLE MORTE by Bella Higgin
2. BE RIGHT BACK by Bill Wood

1. BUTCHER & BLACKBIRD by Brynne Weaver

 

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:

Shadows of Perl by J. Ell (3.5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Fortress of Ambrose by J. Elle

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong

Other Posts of Interest:

The Book Circus Challenge
Top Ten Tuesdays #692
Can't Wait Wednesday #263
Books from the Backlog #200
Book Blogger Hop #426
Stacking the Shelves--This is It!

Stacking the Shelves--This is It!!

 

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. Well, I the offer I put in on the townhouse last week was actually accepted!! I am now in the long grueling process of buying a home and OMG my head hurts! This was something school could never prepare you for! Lol. What's making it somewhat worse is that my original lender is out on maternity leave, her backup is on vacation for a few days, but I do still have people I can reach out to, it's just hard still. For one they have a wrong address down in ALLLLLLLLL the paperwork. For the last few years I've used my parents' address as my mailing address who live in the neighboring state to me, it's like legit right over the border, so it's not far at all and I lived with my sister. I would go back and forth between houses and whatnot when it was needed for one reason or another, but for whatever reason they took my "mailing address" as my "residential address" and I am like no no no. I've told them twice now and the documents I need to sign still reflect the mailing address and I keep saying I do not feel comfortable signing these because they say I LIVE at my mailing address and not my actual address. The bad thing is everything is virtual now. They use an app for all the paperwork, they work remote. The dang "papers" are always loading when I try to go back and forth to read them, like I'll be reading page 7 and be like wait, what did it say on page 4, scroll back and have to wait for it load...it's aggravating. They did start sending me a PDF version of it, but that's when I saw the wrong address again on the papers and I am like I can't sign this because it's saying I live somewhere I don't. I felt like this would come back to bite me in the you know what eventually, but at the time I was worried about getting my important mail. A few other little things are popping up as well, but it is the weekend and we're heading to a holiday. But hopefully we can get these things cleared up eventually.

I am so glad I have a long weekend coming up because I have to say this was a very long week! I had a headache trying to deal with some of this new homeownership-ness. I did make some progress on a few things with it. I'd get that paperwork signed if someone will tell me when I can expect to see my actual address reflected in the paperwork! Lol. This week I also have a book signing to go to! And naturally, my B&N copy of the book has NOT shipped yet but my other preorders have! I'm like WHY?! I just need that ONE book to ship ON TIME so I can get it ON TIME! Lol.

This week I actually didn't get much. I guess there were no preorders for this week, but I know next week is another story! I did get my Fairy Loot book for the month which I once again forgot which title it was but I was excited to get it because it was one I wanted and I had forgotten about ordering it before its US release!  This FL cover is alright. I mean, I kind of like the US one better when I think of it, but I'll still just keep this one. Gotta start cutting back on the multiples. Minus Stephanie Garber of course! Lol.

And that was it for me this week! What all did you get?

Review--Shadows of Perl by J. Elle

 

The dazzling romantic fantasy world of House of Marionne continues in this dark and deadly sequel full of forbidden magic, devastating lies, and broken hearts.

A must read for fans of Stephanie Garber, Leigh Bardugo, and Alex Aster.

Unleash the darkness. Claim your power.

Quell Marionne’s explosive final Rite of Induction to House Marionne sent shockwaves through the magical world, unearthing long buried secrets and her own deadly power. But she paid a steep price: her family and her love. Fleeing Chateau Soleil for House of Perl, for once Quell is celebrated instead of shunned. She has finally found somewhere to belong. But secrets lurk in every House, and Quell’s quest to find her mom threatens to lead her deeper into the shadows.

Assassin Jordan Wexton, second-in command of the Dragun brotherhood, must protect the source of all magic, the Sphere. Yet the biggest threat to the Sphere is Quell Marionne—the girl he loved, until she claimed the deadly, outlawed toushana. As the Sphere cracks and war brews among the Houses, can the only way to save the world be to kill his own heart?

Now, these two lovers-turned enemies must confront their competing ambitions and conflicting loyalties. Or die. The future of magic hangs on their decision.

Shadows of Perl is J. Elle's second installment in the House of Marionne trilogy and I must say I forgot quite a bit about what happened in the first installment. I had notes, so I remember the main points, but I struggled with remembering who everyone was. There were a LOT of characters in this one. While some roles were minor, there were just so many I was struggling to remember the who's who of it all. I wish books like this, where you have a large assemble, would have a character guide in the beginning. True, this book does give some House history and magic information, but a character guide would have been really nice!

Quell has left her grandmother and House Marionne and is off in search of her mother who she separated from all that time ago. She is desperate to find her mother after learning of the atrocities her grandmother was committing. But there's a larger problem at stake as well. House leaders are in search of the Sphere. The big "sphere" that contains all the magic. And since magic equals power, ultimate power, everyone is trying to get it. And with Quell's toushana powers, she just might be able to find it...if she can learn how to wield her powers correctly.

Quell is on her quest with Yagrin, Jordan's brother and there's no love triangle between brothers to deal with thankfully, as I was honestly worried about that. Jordan is not out of the picture yet, though there is still a great deal of tension between him and Quell as he's hunting for her since she has toushana. Lots of drama.

I'll admit that this one did kind of slow me down. I had a busy week on top of things and getting back into the story was sometimes a struggle. Especially when an unfamiliar face popped up that we were supposed to remember. It also didn't help that the occasional character would have another name they used as well and it was just a bit confusing for me.

I feel like this wouldn't be an Elle book if there wasn't still some romance (of course I base this off of having only read the first book in this trilogy, lol!) and there still is. Naturally Jordan and Quell cross paths again and things were interesting. There's a lot to unpack between them and while things were overly romantic or swoony, the tension was to die for! And there may have been a little bit of swoony moments happening!

The ending was full of chaos--the good kind! Lots of action scenes happening and the chaos that comes from that. Big things were happening that are going to change everything for the third and final book. While I was struggling with this book for the most part, I feel like the majority of it was being overwhelmed with all these characters. Yes, I felt like I could remember a few of them, but then there were the ones I really didn't remember who kept coming onto the page making things more confusing. Hopefully by diving into the third book next I won't have that problem as much, but yeah, a character guide would've gone a long way to jogging my memory. I think I will need a bigger notebook for note taking so I can jot down every character next time so I have a better idea of who they are for the sequels.

But all in all, this was still a fun read. I enjoyed the action and the tension between Quell and Jordan. Definitely looking forward to seeing how things will wrap up!

Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars

 

Book Blogger Hop #426

 

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

This week's topic is: What grabs you and keeps you hooked in a book?

MY ANSWER: A good storyline/plot for sure! That's usually what grabs me first with the blurb! Characters are another must...they must be enjoyable in some fashion. Loving them or loving to hate them! Writing style matters too, as I have to be able to follow and "see" the story happening. I've had books where the style just didn't mesh with me and I wasn't really able to follow what was happening. Can't really recall in what manner this happened in. Or even what books they were. You don't always remember those "not for me" books.

Books from the Backlog #200

 

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's Random Life in Books!

Something freaky's going on with Sunshine's new house... there's the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs. But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mom believes her. Sunshine's always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort...

If there is something, or someone, haunting her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can't help them?

As things become more frightening and dangerous, and the giggles she hears turn to sobs and screams, Sunshine has no choice but to accept what she is, face the test before her and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

The first in a frighteningly good new series based on the popular YouTube sensation The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network, created by Paige McKenzie.

According to Goodreads, I added Paige McKenzie's The Haunting of Sunshine Girl to my TBR pile in April of 2018, but this was a case of Jessica forgot to mark it when she got it! Lol. I can't remember if I got it when it released in 2015 or if it was one I picked up in 2016 at BEA. I remember being able to get the second book of the series there...so I was trying to remember if I already had book 1 or if I happened to get it there too. Really have no memory of when I got it since I have the tendency to forget to add books properly to Goodreads. Seriously, I still do it. Lol.

This is one that still sounds like a fun read and I want to give it a try at some point! I love ghosty books!

Can't Wait Wednesday #263

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.

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

I love Jennifer's Lux series! It was one of the first YA books I read by her, actually started with Half Blood but started this one when I saw that Katy was a reader! I've been collecting the books in their multi-covers ever since! Lol. So naturally I've been picking up these reprints Entangled has been doing! Apparently they have not revealed the final cover...but you can bet I'll be picking up a copy!

TITLE: Opposition
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
PUBLISHER: Entangled Teen/Mayhem Books
GENRE: YA Paranormal
RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2026 (for the new edition)

Final Destination meets The Cabin at the End of the World in this supernatural horror from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, in which a series of car accidents traps a group of strangers at a dive bar.

A forested road at night, slick from the pounding rain and eerily illuminated by flashes of lightning. Just before midnight, a car swerves to avoid something—or someone—mysteriously standing in the road, only to slam into a fallen tree instead. In the pitch black, four more cars follow in a pileup no one can seem avoid.

Stumbling out of the wreckage, soaked from the rain and nursing various injuries, five strangers find themselves in a backwoods dive bar, waiting for daybreak and hoping for cell service. But as tensions rise and the storm rages on outside, the occupants of the dive bar start to notice that not everything is as it seems. Time is moving differently, and they quickly learn that going outside—whether to assist another accident victim or to hike for help—is a very bad idea.

There’s something in the woods, something that isn't natural. Could the figure in the road have been a warning? Or something more sinister? None of this is normal, and they'll need to work together to figure out what’s happening if they have any hope of surviving through the night.

Still ever so behind on Kelley's books but I still add them to my TBR pile! At least lots of them are standalones! Lol.

TITLE: Dive Bar at the End of the Road
AUTHOR: Kelley Armstrong
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press
GENRE: Thriller
RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2026

 

Top Ten Tuesday #692

 

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 6 Bookish Places I've Visited (Susan @ Bloggin' 'bout Books)

*in no particular order

6. COLUMBUS, OH LIBRARY--I went here over the summer for the Book Festival and oh wow was this library big!
5. TULSA, OK LIBRARY--I only have vague memories of this one, but I remember taking a picture of a statue of a big stack of stone books!
4. CHARLESTON, SC--home of YALLFest! I've attended this fun festival a small handful of times! It's always fun, but crazy! I've also vacationed here once and it was super cool in the touristy spots too!
3. SAVANNAH, GA--a long ago trip to do some site-seeing on the way to the signing day of the long ago Authors After Dark event! Never got to attend it in full, but I met so many great authors that day!
2. NOLA--so many great books have taken place here! I hit all the usual touristy spots and it was a really cool city! I've attended at least 2 author events in this city and have great memories of it!
1. WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER, ORLANDO--yes, we all have feelings towards Rowling these days, but honestly, the park when I first got to attend was so cool! It was truly like stepping into the books. I've only been twice in my lifetime (hoping for at least one more trip to see the third park) but it was pure magic!

The Book Circus Challenge

 

So I saw this challenge on Instagram the other day and thought it looked like fun! And me being me, I decided I'd make it a blog post instead of an Instagram post as I am not savvy enough to do posts like this on Instagram! Lol. I saw this on @stacisbookishprobs and borrowed this image from here to kick it off!

THE RINGMASTER
favorite main character

Tella obviously! Love that girl!

THE ACROBAT
has a crazy plot twist

Going old school with this one! The Kiss of Deception definitely had one that I remember being shocking! Of course, I think around the halfway point I started guessing that THAT might be the case because it seemed like the opposite was obvious...lol!

THE LION TAMER
a strong FMC

So my mind went into overload trying to think of an answer for this one! Finally settled on Odessa as I thought she was a pretty strong FMC. Yes, there were struggles, but overall I liked her character!

THE MAGICIAN
magical world building

 Definitely loved the world building of this series! It was pure magic and I loved every place we visited in all three books and I CANNOT WAIT for the fourth installment!

THE CLOWN
the funniest book I've read

I remember Kill the Farm Boy was just a laugh out riot! Definitely gave me Mel Brooks' vibes mixed with The Princess Bride and all those other good movies!

THE FINALE
favorite ending

This ending was bananas! I still remember thinking things were weird but never quite got to the point of figuring it out which still blows my mind! Lol.

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:

The Wretched Divine by Adalyn Grace (ARC)--Review to come at a later date

Currently Reading:

Shadows of Perl by J. Elle

What I Plan to Read Next:

Fortress of Ambrose by J. Elle

Other Posts of Interest:

Top Ten Tuesday #691
Can't Wait Wednesday #262
Books from the Backlog #199
Book Blogger Hop #425
Stacking the Shelves--The Pretty Awesome Haul