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Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge 2026 - January Update: Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress & Starcourt Mall Escape

Happy Sunday everyone!  I hope everyone's been doing well so far this year.  It's a little more than halfway through January and I've completed my first 2 tasks for  Book Riot's 2026 Read Harder Challenge .  The tasks I completed in January required me to read a   queer picture book   and to p ick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat (last year's task to read  book  about a piece of media you love) .   I selected  Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress  by Christine Baldacchino  and  Starcourt Mall Escape  ( Stranger Things  #9) by Jennifer Brody  respectively.   Read on to see my mini reviews and my plans for next month: ❋   ❋  ❋  ❋  ❋  Morris from  Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress  by Christine Baldacchino  deserves the world. The tangerine dress does look like his mom's hair (and his hair too). And Moo, the ca...
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The Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings): Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

      On Friday's I take part in two weekly link ups - The Friday 56, currently hosted by  Anne @ My Head Is Full of Books , and Book Beginnings, hosted by  Rose City Reader .  For The Friday 56, you choose a book, a book you have just finished, a book you are about to start, your current read, and share a line or a few lines that grab you (but don't spoil anything) from page 56 or 56% of the way through the ebook. Post it and share your post's url on Anne's most recent Friday 56 post. As for Book Beginnings, you share the first sentence or so and your initial thoughts, impressions, or whatever else it inspires, and then link up your post's url with Rose City Reader. Happy Friday everyone!  This week I'm spotlighting one of my  The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge  books,  Blood Over Bright Haven  by M.L. Wang .  I've heard a lot of great things about this one, so I'm looking forward to it. Beginning: Thomil had taken the ...

Books From The Backlog: Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon

        Happy Thursday everyone! Welcome back to  Books from the Backlog , the weekly linkup I'm taking part of which is hosted by  Carole's Random Life in Books .  This is a great way to put a spotlight on books that I've had sitting on my shelf for awhile.  I don't know when I'll get to my weekly featured book, but I hope to some time hopefully soon. This Week's Neglected Book: Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon Published: September 15, 2020 Genre: Middle Grade Horror My Copy: Format: Paperback Pages: 308 Where I Acquired It: Thrift shop in Ohio Amish Country - very surprising to find horror there given the store more often has inspirational fiction than anything. Summary (From Goodreads): One of our most iconic childhood games receives a creepy twist as it becomes the gateway to a nightmare world. Justin knows that something is wrong with his best friend. Zee went missing for a year. And when he came back, he was... different. Nobody k...

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing In The First Half Of 2026

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by  That Artsy Reader Girl .  This week's topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing In The First Half Of 2026.  It was a tough choice to choose only ten releases coming out between now and June, but I have high hopes for these.  Here we go, in order by release date:  Twelve Months ( The Dresden Files #18) by Jim Butcher - Release date: January 20th, 2026 To Ride a Rising Storm ( Nampeshiweisit #2) by Moniquill Blackgoose - Release date: January 27th, 2026 Nightshade and Oak  by Molly O'Neill  - Release date: February 3rd, 2026 Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman - Release date: February 10th, 2026 River of Bones and Other Stories by Rebecca Roanhorse - Release date: March 3rd, 2026 Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher - Release date: March 24th, 2026 The Spell for Unraveling ( The Buried and the Bound #3) by Rochelle Hassan - Release date: April 28th, 2026 The Last Contract of Isako ...

Music Monday: Wednesday, Season 2 (2025)

Happy Monday everyone and welcome back to Music Monday!  Let's share some songs we've been enjoying!  If you would like to link up with me, please see the rules below. Rules: Every Monday share a few songs you've been enjoying.  It doesn't have to be a specific genre, new, or one of your favorites - just something you'd like to share with others.  If possible, share a music or lyric video of the song and your thoughts on the song(s), artist(s), and/or music video(s). If you would like to participate in Music Monday, please join the link up by sharing your post's url.  Welcome to the first Music Monday of 2026!  I've even made up a new logo  Today, I'm featuring my three favorites from   Wednesday , Season 2 (2025).  I think I enjoyed season 2 even more than I did season 1.  As always, Thing is still my favorite and he gets a great storyline this season.  Give a listen to the cello covers of The Dance of the Knights , Don't Fear the ...

The Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings): Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

      On Friday's I take part in two weekly link ups - The Friday 56, currently hosted by  Anne @ My Head Is Full of Books , and Book Beginnings, hosted by  Rose City Reader .  For The Friday 56, you choose a book, a book you have just finished, a book you are about to start, your current read, and share a line or a few lines that grab you (but don't spoil anything) from page 56 or 56% of the way through the ebook. Post it and share your post's url on Anne's most recent Friday 56 post. As for Book Beginnings, you share the first sentence or so and your initial thoughts, impressions, or whatever else it inspires, and then link up your post's url with Rose City Reader. Happy Friday everyone!  This week I'm spotlighting one of my  The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge  books,  Not Quite Dead Yet  by Holly Jackson .  I really liked A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series, so I have high expectations for this.   Beginning: Dea...

Books From The Backlog: Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead

        Happy Thursday everyone! Welcome back to  Books from the Backlog , the weekly linkup I'm taking part of which is hosted by  Carole's Random Life in Books .  This is a great way to put a spotlight on books that I've had sitting on my shelf for awhile.  I don't know when I'll get to my weekly featured book, but I hope to some time hopefully soon. This Week's Neglected Book: Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead Published: 1996 Genre: Historical fantasy My Copy: Format: Mass market paperback Pages: 870 Where I Acquired It: Goodwill Summary (From Goodreads): Although born to rule, Aidan lives as a scribe in a remote Irish Monastery on the far, wild edge of Christendom. Secure in work, contemplation, and dreams of the wider world, a miracle bursts into Aidan's quiet life. He is chosen to accompany a small band of monks on a quest to the farthest eastern reaches of the known world, to the fabled city of Byzantium, where they are to present a...