March 09, 2026

Weekly Spotlight - Books set in Japan

 
Shadow of the Fox
One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.

Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.

Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.

There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll… at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.

With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.



 
A Mortal Song

Sora's life was full of magic—until she discovered it was all a lie. 

Heir to Mt. Fuji's spirit kingdom, Sora yearns to finally take on the sacred kami duties. But just as she confronts her parents to make a plea, a ghostly army invades the mountain. Barely escaping with her life, Sora follows her mother's last instructions to a heart-wrenching she is a human changeling, raised as a decoy while her parents' true daughter remained safe but unaware in modern-day Tokyo. Her powers were only borrowed, never her own. Now, with the world's natural cycles falling into chaos and the ghosts plotting an even more deadly assault, it falls on her to train the unprepared kami princess.

As Sora struggles with her emerging human weaknesses and the draw of an unanticipated ally with secrets of his own, she vows to keep fighting for her loved ones and the world they once protected. But for one mortal girl to make a difference in this desperate war between the spirits, she may have to give up the only home she's ever known. With its breathtaking action, heart-wrenching conflict, and unexpected romance, this vivid standalone contemporary fantasy will delight fans of Julie Kagawa and Laini Taylor. Dive into the captivating world of the kami today!

 
Ink

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.


 
The Woman in the White Kimono

Oceans and decades apart, two women are inextricably bound by the secrets between them.

Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage to the son of her father’s business associate would secure her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community, but Naoko has fallen for another man—an American sailor, a gaijin—and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.

America, present day. Tori Kovač, caring for her dying father, finds a letter containing a shocking revelation—one that calls into question everything she understood about him, her family and herself. Setting out to learn the truth behind the letter, Tori’s journey leads her halfway around the world to a remote seaside village in Japan, where she must confront the demons of the past to pave a way for redemption.

In breathtaking prose and inspired by true stories from a devastating and little-known era in Japanese and American history, The Woman in the White Kimono illuminates a searing portrait of one woman torn between her culture and her heart, and another woman on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.

March 05, 2026

Soul Screamers Vol. 4


Soul Screamers Vol. 4
by Rachel Vincent
 
Book: Soul Screamers
Publisher: Harlequin
Pub Date: January 1, 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy
Format: Print
Source:  Bought
Book LinksGoodreads  Amazon  Bookshop
 
Saving the world has never come easy and Kaylee Cavanaugh's died to prove it.

The final collection of New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series is packed with emotion, with intrigue, with secrets, with family and above all, with love.

Don't miss WITH ALL MY SOULFEARLESS and a brand-new novella, LAST REQUEST.
 

My Review:  DNF.

After the last book, I was very hesitant to continue with the final volume. But I gave it a try and just couldn't get through it, not even half way. The last book really made it hard to continue this series and this book didn't change my opinion on it enough to like it again.

 
My Rating:

March 03, 2026

Soul Screamers Vol. 3


Soul Screamers Vol. 3
by Rachel Vincent
 
Book: Soul Screamers
Publisher: Harlequin
Pub Date: July 30, 013
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy
Format: Print
Source: Bought
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon  Bookshop
 
What happens when the reapers come for Kaylee? 
Don't miss Volume Three of New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent's compelling, spellbinding Soul Screamers series. 

IF I DIE 
Thanks to her mother's sacrifice, Kaylee Cavanaugh has lived most of her life on borrowed time, but now that borrowed time is almost up. Kaylee has only seven days left to prepare for the end. To say goodbye. And yeah, to stop an incubus from preying on her high school. Tick tock… 

NEVER TO SLEEP 
First time in print! 
Sophie Cavanaugh is sick of the social fallout from her cousin Kaylee's mental issues. Doesn't she realize people think "crazy" runs in the family? But then a cute boy, a fateful scream and a trip to a nightmare world leave Sophie wondering just what's real and how to get home….
 
BEFORE I WAKE 
Dying wasn't easy for Kaylee, but faking life is a whole new kind of struggle. The only good moments are those spent in Tod's arms. But death hasn't stopped her old enemies, and now everyone Kaylee loves is in danger….  

 
My Review:  Welp, it finally happened. The series went down hill for me. I  had high hopes the series would continue like the other two that I loved but this book changed all of that. 

First off, it should be no surprise something is going to go down that's going to get everyone involved into something bad and dangerous. Also, I'm really tired of breaking down who and what everyone is in every book. Once is enough for the main characters and then its fine for any new ones. But to repeat it over and over again is really annoying and makes me want to throw the book across the room. 

Nash is also getting on my last nerve. He is so codependent on Sabine its really just sad at this point. He's keeping Sabine at a distance, least trying to while she's all hot and bothered for him. Nash is still so fascinated with getting Kaylee back and will jump at any glimmer of hope she will give him. 

Eventually the love triangle came to play and Kaylee went from being together with Nash again to kissing Todd and soon found her soul mate so to speak. It was all just a hot mess. If that wasn't already enough we finally get to telling Sophie the truth about everything and her family. Though, it doesn't really stop how she both treats and sees Kaylee. Oh and to top it all off, Kaylee gets news about her life and how her second chance at it won't be as long as anyone had hoped for. Not that a sealed fate is going to change the fact that her enemies are still out there trying to hurt those she cares about and wanting to get a hold of her. Then a new after life role and really this book had so much going on as the other too but the way it screamed immaturity at points, the nagging, etc. It really disappointed me. 

 
My Rating:
✪✪

March 02, 2026

Weekly Spotlight - March Anticipated Reads

 
The Fox and the Devil
An obsession with a beautiful serial killer entangles a vampire hunter’s daughter in an immortal sapphic romance in this enthralling gothic fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy Undying.

Anneke has a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing—doctor, scientist, and madman devoted to studying vampires—up until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a surreally beautiful woman looming over his body. A woman who leaves no trace behind, other than the dreams and nightmares that plague Anneke every night.

Spurred by her desire for vengeance and armed with the latest in forensic and investigatory techniques, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch her mysterious serial killer. Because her father isn’t the only inexplicably dead body. There’s a trail of victims across Europe and Anneke is certain they’re all connected.

But during the years spent relentlessly hunting the killer, Anneke keeps some crucial evidence to infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to Anneke, occasionally soaked in blood, and always signed Diavola. Devil. The obsession is mutual, and all the more dangerous for it.

The closer Anneke gets to her devil, though, the less sense the world makes. Maybe her father wasn’t a madman, after all. Diavola might be something much worse than a serial killer . . . and much harder to destroy. Because as Anneke unearths more of Diavola’s tragic past, she suspects there’s still a heart somewhere in that undead body.

A heart that beats for Anneke alone.


 
Game On
I hate that woman.
Tyler Neumann has spent years looking for his father, and not because he wants to meet the man. No, he wants to destroy him. And he'll manipulate whoever he can to exact his revenge.

Including Stella McCormick. She's everything Tyler hates. Her wealth and privilege have protected her for her entire life, and Tyler thinks it's time she finally paid the price. Whether she's ready to or not.
I hate that man.

Stella might not believe in love at first sight, but loathing at first sight - no question. From the moment she sets eyes on Tyler in her tattoo parlor, she knows he's the devil planning to make her life hell.

Forced to play the part of his girlfriend and invite him into her family's glittering circles, Stella quickly clocks Tyler's ulterior motives. But love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and soon she doesn't know which is being blackmailed by a man who wants to ruin her, or that they can't seem to keep their hands off each other.


 
The Wings that Bind
The night's chaos left us breathless. Now the real nightmare begins.

A second dragon has awoken–her heart tainted and her power commandeered by two ruthless highbloods whose cruelty knows no bounds.

My dearest friend teetered on the brink of death. A dragon saved her, but now she's tied to him in a way I can scarcely understand. What will this new bond do to the woman I've come to love as a sister?

And then there’s Blake. Once my relentless tormentor—he betrayed me again, nearly condemning Nyxaris to a cursed, stone-cold fate. Now something has shifted in him. His gray eyes hide a secret he’s desperate to keep.

I saved Blake’s life, despite everything. Yet now my every heartbeat questions where we go from here.

With Bloodwing Academy in turmoil and a new headmaster no one saw coming, only one thing is This is going to be one hell of a term.

At Bloodwing Academy, power comes with blood, and betrayal is as common as ambition. 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!


 
 
Midnight on the Celestial
Roe Damarcus has never been afraid of the dead. Her power to summon spirits has awed the guests of her esteemed family’s galas for as long as she can remember. Her future is certain, and her gift will be another shining jewel in the Damarcus legacy.

But when she fails her realm’s trial to keep her magic and is deemed too dangerous for society, she faces a harrowing choice: give up her gift or serve a punishment sentence aboard the Celestial, a luxurious magical cruise ship where staff members compete for guest votes to earn a coveted retrial.

As a concierge, Roe juggles the demands of affluent guests, cruel bosses, and the suspicion that an infuriatingly handsome silks performer, Ivander, is determined to keep her from a retrial.

But the true dangers surface after her shift ends when the Celestial transforms into halls of nightmares that kill staff members after dark. Faced with the reality of serving aboard, Roe begins to question the ship, trials, and the system that put her there. But the moment Roe sinks into the ship's dark history, she's wrongly framed for a guest's murder. Vowing to conjure her own second chance, Roe will use whatever power she has to uncover the secrets of the ship, her family, and their entwined bloody past... before she becomes the Celestial’s next victim.

March 01, 2026

March Reading Challenge

 

Let's get reading! March Reading challenge is here!  

Here is a list of books to help you get started:

Historical Fiction:
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand
Rules for Ruin by Mimi Mathews 
The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Gonzales 
 
Humor Books:
The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs
A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper
To Kiss a Knight by Grace Hitchcock



We welcome you to comment with your suggestions and tell us which bingo spot you’re most excited about this month!



February 27, 2026

Book Spotlight - Pretty Vicious

 
Pretty Vicious
 
Laurel just wanted to survive college, keep her father fed, and fly under the radar.

Delivering pizzas was supposed to be the safe kind of side hustle, until the night she witnesses a murder at Ashford House, the most elite and secretive fraternity on campus.

Now she’s a prisoner of The Order, a blood-bound society that controls everything from politics to police. They rule with ritual, obedience, and violence, and they’ve decided Laurel doesn’t get to leave.

At the center of it all is Carrson Ashford, heir to the powerful Ashford legacy.
Cold. Commanding. Infuriatingly magnetic.
Under the rules of The Order, he “bonds” her, marking Laurel as his.

Body. Mind. Soul.

But Laurel isn’t here to be claimed. Not without a fight.
To save her father and her future, Laurel must navigate a twisted realm of initiation rites, brutal secrets, and a bond that may destroy them both.

In this world, there’s one rule: obey or die.

But love doesn’t follow rules. And neither does Laurel.


Talking Point:

Pretty Vicious explores several themes, but at its core is a question I couldn’t stop thinking about:

How much power, control, and even violence does a society needs in order to function successfully?

Carrson Ashford was raised inside a secret society called The Order. His world is built on loyalty, legacy, and control. He was taught from childhood that love is weakness, vulnerability is dangerous, and survival requires dominance.

Then the FMC of the story, Laurel crashes into his world.

She witnesses Carrson murder a rival, and under the rules of The Order, he “bonds” her to him. He does this to keep her silent, but also to keep her safe. 

However, Laurel is no damsel in distress. She challenges Carrson at every turn. She questions the system that shaped him. Carrson in particular, doesn't know what to do with Laurels' questions, her curiosity. He was raised for blind obedience. He also doesn't know what to do with the feelings he develops for Laurel. He was trained for everything except for love.

 The more time they’re forced together, the more the tension between them builds, not just physical, but ideological.  

I think it's this dynamic that fascinates readers about morally gray heroes in secret society/dark academia romance novels. It isn’t just their darkness. It’s the tension between who they were trained to be and who they become when love forces them to choose differently.

Carrson believes he’s the villain.

Laurel refuses to let him be one.



Now feast your eyes on this GORGEOUS character art



 



Author Bio:
Melissa Dymond is a mom, doctor, and writer. When she’s not working, you can find her drinking an iced white chocolate mocha while voraciously reading, scrolling social media, or planning her family’s next Disney vacation.

Always surrounded by boys, Melissa lives with her doctor husband, three amazing sons, and her adorable Siberian husky Buddy.

 




Links:

February 26, 2026

Soul Screamers Vol. 2


Soul Screamers Vol. 2
by Rachel Vincent
 
Book: Soul Screamers
Publisher: Harlequin
Pub Date: November 13, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy
Format: Print
Source: Bought
Book LinksGoodreads  Amazon  Bookshop
 
And the scream keeps coming…... Don't miss Volume Two of New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent's unique and fascinating Soul Screamers series.

MY SOUL TO KEEP
Aside from the whole "I scream when someone is about to die" thing, Kaylee Cavanaugh's life has gotten better. She's getting to know her dad, doing okay in school and has a hot new boyfriend who understands her in every way. Until the hellion Avari starts tempting everyone with an exotic new drug—demon's breath….

MY SOUL TO STEAL
Now on shaky ground with Nash Hudson, Kaylee is taking their relationship easy. But then Sabine—Nash's ex—storms into their lives. She's determined to get Nash back and there's nothing she won't do to remind him of what they had. And since Sabine has special abilities of her own, Kaylee is headed into a battle she's not sure she can win….

REAPER —First time in print!—
Though Tod Hudson died two years ago, thanks to his job as a Reaper he's never had to move on or let go of his family—no matter how much Nash would like him to! But few people know about how he came to accept the job of claiming souls….

 
My Review: Woah was this one busy. A LOT happens and moves decently fast so you aren't bored waiting for something to come along.

Nash... welp if there was anything good to say about him before, there sure isn't now. Boy did a stupid thing, got addicted and took a bit of time before he finally took responsibility for what he did. Plus what he had to do in order to get more was just wrong and Kaylee was right to break away from him. It wasn't just the addiction piece but what he sold to get more was one of the most painful parts and Nash may never earn her trust back again, let alone anything else or more. 

Then you have Todd who is trying to go the extra mile to save Addy, his girlfriend that he had when he was alive and still loves her even now. She is in deep and didn't know it until Kaylee and the boys told Addy what's really going on and what is about to happen to her. 

Todd wants to save her and so does Kaylee. It's big, dangerous, complicated and more than they should be handling on their own. But do they tell the adults and ask for help off the bat like they should???? Eventually the adults are aware but the trouble they face is bigger and it's only going to get harder after this.

Overall, I still really like this story and this volume might be even better than the last. There is so much going on and you're never given time to be bored waiting for something to happen. New skills are learned, demons tangled up with humans, a demon basically obsessed with Kaylee and so so much more. Worth the read and I'm excited to continue this series and see what else this author has written.


 
My Rating:
✪✪✪✪

February 24, 2026

Soul Screamers Vol. 1


Soul Screamers Vol. 1
by Rachel Vincent
 
Book: Soul Screamers
Publisher: Harlequin
Pub Date: November 22, 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy
Format: Print
Source: Bought
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon  Bookshop
 
It starts with a scream….

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent's compelling Soul Screamers series keeps getting better—here, for the first time, the original stories are compiled into one special volume….

My Soul to Lose
—The prequel: never before in print!—
Kaylee is just your average girl shopping at the mall with friends—until a terrified scream bursts from her that cannot be stopped. Taken to a hospital ward, will she be able to save her mind—and her life?

My Soul to Take
She's always felt different, but now Kaylee discovers why. The screams that cannot be denied mean that someone near her will die—and she can never save them. Because saving one life means taking another….

My Soul to Save
Going on dates with her boyfriend is still new to Kaylee. But when the singer of the band they're seeing dies onstage and Kaylee doesn't scream, she knows something crazy is going on. Soon she discovers souls can indeed be sold….


My Review: I'm finally tackling this series and was glad that I did. It was a pretty darn good fresh new take on paranormal with a banshee at the center which I don't see written much of. 

Kaylee is trying her best at being a normal girl. But when the urge to scream comes back it not only makes her look like she has problems but her aunt and uncle may send her back to the hospital for it and she is not crazy in the slightest. 

When Nash enters the picture and is able to calm Kaylee down in a way no one could before. He knows what she is and ends up having to be the one to break the news to her. Kaylee isn't human but a banshee who screams is a song for souls.

Now things make a little more sense to her. Even though she is still not thrilled about the fact that no one told her. Her uncle is one too and so are her parents. Oh and it's part of the reason why her dad just dropped her off and ran off to Ireland. Plus why being present in her life is heard because of her mums sacrifice. 

Kaylee's life is about to change in so many ways and things are just getting started. 

Overall I loved the story, the background, the characters. It's different, fun, many twists and turns and so much more.  

 
My Rating:
✪✪✪✪