Review | A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

March 19, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Sam Montgomery is worried about her mother. She seems anxious, jumpy, and she’s begun making mystifying changes to the family home on Lammergeier Lane. Sam figures it has something to do with her mother’s relationship to Sam’s late, unlamented grandmother.

She’s not wrong.

As vultures gather around the house and frightful family secrets are unearthed under the rosebushes, Sam struggles to unravel the truth about the house on Lammergeier Lane before it consumes her and everyone else who stands in its way…

Amazon | Goodreads

Be warned, if you have a bug ick, go into this book knowing there is a lot of talk and descriptions of bugs. Lots of bugs.

That being said, we follow Sam, who is an entomologist as she goes home to visit her mother. Not just because her job is on hold, but also to check on her mom and make sure she’s ok. When she arrives, she definitely understands why there is concern, as it seems her mother has lost a lot of weight and her personality/memories seem to have been altered in some way – or have they?

I thoroughly enjoy T. Kingfisher’s brand of horror and am slowly reading a lot of her backlist, but I wouldn’t say this one was my favorite. For me the pacing seemed a little slow, though it was very atmospheric and definitely creepy. I enjoyed Sam as a main character, with her blend of scientific logic and fierce concern for her mother. I also really appreciated the twist on family and generational trauma that this put a lens to, specifically how those who raised you can shape you and their flaws, good or bad.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | The Wizard’s Way by Lisa Kelly

March 12, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Magic runs in her blood. She just doesn’t know it yet.

Twelve-year-old Katie didn’t expect much from a summer at her grandfather’s creepy old mansion—certainly not strange voices echoing up the fireplace or a magical scroll that opens a portal to another world. But when her grandfather vanishes, Katie discovers a hidden realm called O’Mirra…and a mission she can’t ignore.

With her little sister Jenny and a young apprentice wizard named Aiden, Katie must brave a cursed swamp, battle twisted creatures, and unlock her hidden powers to bring her grandfather home. But a dark force called Diabolus has bound itself to Madgar, a power-hungry would-be king determined to conquer O’Mirra. If Katie can’t master her magic in time, she’ll lose not only her grandfather—but her very soul.

Author Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Two sisters, a missing grandfather and a portal to another world – what could go wrong?

In The Wizard’s Way we primarily follow Katie, a 12 year old who is dealing with the recent divorce of her parents which she blames herself for and the fact that she always feels out of place – and her sister Jenny, an 11 year old who is nearly her opposite. In the wake of their parents divorce they go to stay with their grandfather. Both sisters have different opinions about their parents’ divorce so there’s definitely some friction and disagreements.

The story really picks up when their grandfather disappears to another world and Katie and Jenny decide that they are the ones to save him.

The story does start slow, but once it gets going there’s a lot of adventure, growth, a little coming of age and a bunch of fun characters to meet. Katie and Jenny are far more complex than you would think in a middle grade, both with their unique personalities, insecurities and feelings.

There is a decent amount of world building that perhaps brings down the pace a little, but once the story really gets going it will fully absorb you. This is slated to be the first in a series, so it will be interesting to see what happens with Katie and Jenny in coming books.

Thanks to the author for reaching out and sending me a copy of this one!

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

March 7, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

You don’t have to eat food to know the way to a city’s heart is through its stomach. So when a group of deactivated robots come back online in an abandoned ghost kitchen, they decide to make their own way doing what they making food—the tastiest hand-pulled noodles around—for the humans of San Francisco, who are recovering from a devastating war.

But when their robot-run business starts causing a stir, a targeted wave of one-star reviews threatens to boil over into a crisis. To keep their doors open, they’ll have to call on their customers, their community, and each other—and find a way to survive and thrive in a world that wasn’t built for them.

Amazon | Goodreads

What happens when a group of robots wake up to discover their business shut down without any communication and debts they need to pay? They run the restaurant themselves!

Automatic Noodle tells the story of 4 robots who ‘wake up’ to discover that a number of months ago they had been shut down by their contract holders with no warning. Facing their own debts and wanting to stick together they need to figure out a way to re-open their restaurant, the way they want to.

On the surface this sounds purely like a fun and cozy sci fi, but there’s lots of commentary through the robots eyes that hit very close to home in the current climate. California is its own nation after a war with the rest of America, and working on rebuilding. One of the changes? Robots have civil rights…but not all rights. It’s very reminiscent of the gradual gaining of rights after slavery ended, or after women started getting rights (such as being able to have their own bank accounts…which here, robots cannot). The robots are in constant fear of being discovered while also trying to make enough money to survive without being sold off.

The relationships between the robots (and some human friends) are genuine and each of their personalities is unique. It’s a quick read, but definitely has a lot of heart at its core, tackling subject and prejudices that are common even today.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

March – TBR Card Challenge

March 6, 2026March 6, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

The TBR card challenge is back! I’m not going to harp on about how horrendous 2025 was but needless to say my TBR game definitely went by the wayside. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, it’s a game that was inspired by a couple booktubers a long time ago. You can read more about the original iteration here (the board and prompts have changed a lot since then, but the premise is the same).

Let’s take a look at this month’s picks!

Some great picks this month, that’s for sure!

Now technically the aim of this challenge for me is to get through my physical TBR, but I couldn’t resist putting one of my most anticipated reads on since I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy – Behind Five Willows by June Hur (out May 26th). Do I own every one of her books, yes. Will I auto buy pretty much anything she creates? Also yes.

For 5-star prediction and Horror/Thriller I decided to carry over a couple of books I had hoped to read in February but didn’t manage to get to – Automatic Noodle and Midnight Timetable. I’m forever trying to complete the Fruits Basket series, so of course when Manga/Graphic Novel comes up it’s either going to be Fruits Basket or Spy X Family. Finally I rounded out my selection with two new books that just came out The Calico Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen and The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

What are you reading this month?

Happy reading!

Check-in | Alphabet Reading Challenge

February 26, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

I have a number of challenges that I like to push myself with, one being the alphabet reading challenge. I’ve never been able to completely finish it, but maybe this is the year. I ignore words like ‘the’ and ‘a’ for this. Let’s look at where I am so far this year –

Not to bad of a start for being 2 months in and not really looking at where I was until now, I think. I’ll do periodic check-ins as I fill in more of the missing letters.

Who else is doing this challenge?

Happy reading!

Review | Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang

February 25, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Graphic novel superstars Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham join forces in this heartwarming rom-com about fate, family, forgiveness, and lion dancing.

Valentina Tran was named after Valentine’s Day, which used to be her favorite holiday. But when Val learns the truth behind what happened with her parents and why she’s being raised by a single father, she realizes true love is a lie. This is reinforced when she meets the spirit of Saint Valentine, who tells her she and her family are cursed to always be unlucky in love. Val is ready to give into her fate, until one Lunar New Year festival, where a mysterious lion dancer hands her a paper heart, and ZING. Val becomes determined to change her destiny, prove Saint Valentine wrong, and give her heart to the right person.

Meanwhile, lion dancing is the only thing that has given Jae peace after his dad passed away. It’s also what keeps him connected to his father’s side of the family. Both Jae and his cousin Leslie notice Val at the Lunar New Year festival, and for some inexplicable reason, Jae hands Val a paper heart. But it’s Leslie, with his K-Pop good looks, who starts to date Val. Jae still feels this connection with Val and feels it’s somehow tied to how he feels about losing his father.

Both Val and Jae struggle with the spirits who haunt them as they are inextricably brought together in a love story that is satisfying, sweet, and moving.

As a kid, Valentina believes in true love and has an imaginary friend who helps her create valentines every year for Valentine’s Day which is not only her favorite holiday but also her birthday. As she gets older certain truths come to light and she comes to realize that love isn’t the easy fairytale she once thought it was. She has to navigate the hard truths that come with being a teenager, the child of a single parent, figuring out not only who she is but who she wants to be and how much she values certain relationships.

This story is not only about the complications of young love (or love in general), but also struggles with family and how they might let you down, finding your own identity outside of what is expected of you and more. Hands down my favorite portions were all the talk and depiction of lion dancing, they were beautifully illustrated and perfectly accompany Valentina’s story.

Happy reading!

Review | What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher

February 23, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

The next installment in the New York Times bestselling Sworn Soldier series, featuring Alex Easton investigating the dark, mysterious depths of a coal mine in America.

Alex Easton does not want to visit America.

They particularly do not want to visit an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia with a reputation for being haunted.

But when their old friend Dr. Denton summons them to help find his lost cousin—who went missing in that very mine—well, sometimes a sworn soldier has to do what a sworn soldier has to do…

Alex Easton is back and this time they’re traveling to America to help out Denton, who we might remember from the first book in this series. Be warned, if you are claustrophobic or have an issue with caves/mines, this one might not be for you – since a lot of the book occurs in a mine, there’s a lot of descriptions of tight spaces.

As with the previous books, Alex and Angus journey together to help figure out what is going on in the Hollow Elk mine. Alex’s internal and sometimes external commentary on America and the situation is hilarious and as always their voice is unique and clear. I really enjoy the characters that Kingfisher crafts in this series, not just Alex and Angus, but the supporting characters too – they all have their own distinct voices, which can be hard to keep consistant.

I don’t know if more installments are planned in this series, but I would definitely pick them up if there were, I would love to see where Alex’s travels take them next.

Happy reading!

Review | A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa

February 16, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

For readers of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, The Dallergut Dream Department Store, and The Midnight Library, a sweetly magical and uplifting novel about a young woman who inherits an enchanted bakery that spirits visit on their last stop before the afterlife.

Twenty-seven-year-old Yeon-hwa has inherited a neighborhood bakery from her grandmother. Curiously, her grandmother’s will spells out two conditions: Yeon-hwa must keep the shop going for at least another month and only open it to customers from 10 PM until midnight. Yeon-hwa is hesitant at first; her grandmother was always distant, raising Yeon-hwa after her parents died in a car accident. But she agrees to the terms, hoping that running the bakery will help her to finally understand her grandmother after all these years.

Yeon-hwa soon learns that the Hwawoldang—the name means “flower moon temple” —is not an ordinary dessert shop. The customers who arrive late at night are spirits, there to attend to unfinished business before being reincarnated. The sweets they crave hold some deep significance in their earthly lives, and they expect Yeon-hwa to meet their requests, as her grandmother did.

With each customer who arrives, Yeon-hwa learns which special desserts live in their memories and will help them on their way. Aided by the shop’s resident black cat, Yeon-hwa learns how to find closure for her customers—and begins to unravel her own family’s secrets as well.

Yeon-hwa’s grandmother has just died, leaving her with more questions than answers and a pastry shop mired in debt that she has to keep open for at least 30 days, but only from 10 p.m. to midnight. Over the next month she discovers more about her grandmother as well as the various souls she meets and more importantly, finds herself.

I love translated cozy fiction, or healing fiction as some call it, so I had to pick this one up. The writing was lyrical and heartfelt, each character having their own unique personality as they came into Yeon-hwa’s story and then sometimes left just as quickly as they appeared. Each character has their own story and lesson to teach Yeon-hwa, helping her to discover who she really is. This is not only a story about findings yourself, but also grief, learning to forgive and so much more. Definitely have some tissues handy when reading as it is just as much catharsis and release as it is emotional.

Happy reading!

Review | the witch doesn’t drown in this one by Amanda Lovelace

February 11, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

In this one, the witch doesn’t burn or die or drown. In this one, she rages.

In the witch doesn’t drown in this one, celebrated poetess amanda lovelace revisits the titular voice behind her 2018 bestselling collection the witch doesn’t burn in this one. With candor, honesty, and well-earned wisdom, lovelace expounds on the roller coaster of feelings brought on by simply trying to exist as a woman in the sociopolitical climate of 2025’s America. Through poetry that encompasses a myriad of fem-centric themes, including queer love, trans rights, patriarchal oppression, and intersectional feminism, she demands that women of all backgrounds and lived experiences be seen, heard, defended, and loved.

the witch doesn’t drown in this one is a deeply felt and hard-won reminder that though some stories that start with bitch-fire end with tear stains, women are powerful, resilient beings who have always contained the strength to rise again, especially when we swim back to the surface together.

Having read most of Lovelace’s backlist, I was excited to see this one pop up. While most of their work is very raw and focused on modern day struggles that people, especially women, face – this collection is even more of a gut punch and timely. This collection is raw and in your face, talking about very current topics that have also affected women for centuries. It really provides a commentary on the current political climate, specifically towards women and the rights that have been being affected. Definite trigger warnings for domestic violence, rape culture, abortion, etc. (there is a full page of trigger warnings from the author in the front of the collection).

Happy reading!

Review | Milk & Mocha Comics Collection: Our Little Moments by Melani Sie

February 11, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Your favorite internet duo, @milkmochabear, is back with even more cozy and charming comics to brighten your day! Cozy up with a blanket and join Milk and Mocha in their sweet little moments.

With even more never-before-seen comics—and two pages of exclusive stickers—Milk & Mocha continue to delight readers worldwide with their newest comic Our Little Moments. Sweet Milk and stoic Mocha prove the old adage that opposites really do attract. Dedicated to all the little daily interactions, big and small, Milk & Mocha is perfect for anyone who has ever been in love.

I had somehow never heard of Milk and Mocha before, but they are so cute! Most of these are single page comics with very little text, but they are showcasing little moments in Milk and Mocha’s relationship and daily life. This is definitely one of those warm and cozy reads that you can quickly consume in a single sitting and be left with a smile on your face. The art for the most part is warm and bright, conveying their happiness perfectly.

Happy reading!