Hey bookworm friends! If you’ve been around my blog for some time you’ll notice I love to combine multiple memes in one post. Efficiency! Since I’m changing the way I post my reading wrap-ups this year (quarterly instead of monthly), I’ve shuffled some things around. So It’s Monday, Let’s Catch Up will combine several of the weekend and Monday update memes together. It’ll be my way to update on what I’m reading, what I’ve added to my shelves and what I’ve posted recently. And obviously I can’t leave my favourite, Music Monday behind! I will aim to post these updates roughly twice a month, on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.
Link-ups
Music Monday was created by Drew @ The Tattooed Book Geek
Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer
It’s Monday What Are You Reading is hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Marlene @ Reading Reality
Music Monday
I’ve had Bubblegum Bitch by Marina (and the Diamonds) stuck in my head lately. So when it came on during my chores this morning, I took it as a sign to share it for Music Monday 😉. It’s such a catchy song and I really love Marina’s voice; she’s 100% one of my favourite pop artists!
Album: Electra Heart│ Year Published: 2012│ Genre: Electropop /Dance-Pop
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Just Finished
I finished the 13th volume of Witch Hat Atelier last night. While I’m excited to be caught up to the series now, it was by far my least favourite of the installments because the focus was on characters I don’t like as much. That said, it’s still a series I very much love and I’m hoping next time we’ll get more interactions between Coco and the rest of Quifrey’s students.
Currently Reading
My buddy read of the Leviathan series continues on we’re on Goliath now which is the last book. I’m also reading an ARC of Cello’s Gate, an indie Sci-Fantasy which releases on March 25 so I’m hoping to finish it soon!
Up Next
I don’t think I’ve complained on here yet about my falling out with Netgalley. But due to their switch to .lcpl files, I can no longer download books onto my Kobo 😭! There’s no way I’ll be reading e-books on my laptop so now I have to hold off on using them until they fix that. Has anyone else been impacted by this issue? Anyway, now I have to wait until the ARCS I had been accepted for come in through my library. Coming soon is the trad pub edition of T. Kingfisher’s Swordheart. I can’t wait to see that pretty cover in person!
On The Blog Recently
Reading Challenges:
– What to Read for the 2025 SFF Title Challenge: Possible Choices
Memes:
– Women in STEM in Books│Meme Medley Friday #6
– Top 10 Books That Feature A Glittering Ball
Wrap-Ups:
– A Trip to Colombia│Monthly Reset #7
Reviews:
– UPON A STARLIT TIDE by Kell Woods │ Review
Bookish Lists:
– Spring 2025 New Releases on My Radar
Stacking The Shelves
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, whether it be physical or virtual. Reading Reality posts on Saturdays but you can post any day that works for you— don’t forget to visit the link-up on Saturday to join in on the fun!
This week, Stacking The Shelves consists of my current Hoopla borrows, an ARC I signed up for and books I got for free during FaRoTines. A Valentine’s FaRoFeb event, where they email free Fantasy Romance books for 14 days! Check it out if you want to sign up for next year.
ARCs
- Human Scars on Planet Skin by Effie Joe Stock with Nathaniel Luscombe. ARC currently available on BookSirens!
Hoopla Borrows
- Korgi: The Complete Tale by Christian Slade
- Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Mary Best
Free FAROFEB Books
- Whispers of Ink by Isa Medina
- Ashvale: The Vampire’s Thrall by Jade Church
- When Legends Spark by Casey Blair
Let’s chat in the comments!
What are you currently reading? Or, have you added any shiny babies to your collection lately? If not, please send me a song you like 🖤
I’m looking forward to Swordheart! I held back from requesting on NG, so now I’m on the library hold list. Hope you enjoy your upcoming reads!
Ah, nice! My hold just came in I actually just got back from the library! I hope yours comes soon too :D! Thanks and happy reading!
Ah, efficient to a fault you are! I see some great titles in here, and guess what they will absolutely be contributing to the growth of my Beanstalk TBR (speaking of green fingers, eh?). I’m sorry that Witch Hat Atelier was a letdown for you, fingers crossed the next book in the series will be better!
I didn’t know about NetGalley. I use their app on my phone, and it has worked for me since I mainly read on my phone or Kindle (can’t do physical books because of baby snatching and grabbing and drooling if you’re not careful lol) have you thought of trying this way? Hope this issue will be sorted out soon!
Happy reading!
AHAHAHA bringing a whole new meaning to green thumb. Most people grow real life plants. Us? metaphorical bean stalks! 😂
A bit of a bummer but out of 13 volumes, one not so strong one is still ok hehe. But yes keeping my fingers crossed for the 14th one!
Ah, yeah if you don’t read on Kobo, this change won’t really affect you at all so I’m glad you managed to escape that 🙂
Haha ah yes I see how that might be a bit hard to balance plus you don’t want to be holding a massive doorstopper + baby! lol. I don’t enjoy reading on my phone or laptop. I tried but immediately my eyes glaze over so I don’t think it’s going to be a valid solution for me but thank you 🥰. Happy reading to you too 😀
Swordheart looks good! I would probably enjoy it on audio. You’ve got some neat-looking titles in your tbr pile! Happy reading.
Yeah it does sound like it would be fun on audio, I like fairy-tale style stories on audio and the last T. Kingfisher I read was audio! haha Thanks and Happy reading to you too 😀
It finally happened, you shared a song I know!! I adore Marina and I think I love pretty much every song she’s written. I can’t remember one of her albums as well as the rest (a sign I need to play it again soon 🤔) but the ones that I do I don’t think I skip a single track on.
I’m sorry to hear that the latest book in that series was your least favourite. It’s frustrating when characters your not as into take centre stage. I’m sorry again about your Netgalley experience ❤️ I hope it gets fixed soon. I hope you enjoy your current two reads and I agree that the cover of Swordheart is stunning 😍
Yay for free ebooks too. They’re so hard to resist when they pop up. I have something by Casey Blair on my TBR but I can’t remember what 🤔
I’m currently reading Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil followed by a surprise arc that totally made my week when it was offered to me. Then I’m reading the latest Hunger Games. So hopefully having such wonderful books to be excited about will get my reading back on track 🤞
Ahhaha Finally! It was bound to eventually happen and I love Marina too, she’s so talented! I’m also excited for her new music, have you heard her new single yet?! I agree all of her songs are bangers!
haha thanks yeah it’s a bit annoying but overall I still love the story so its ok 🙂 Thanks lovely! 🥰 And oh my gosh, my hold of Swordheart arrived and it’s SO pretty in person the colours are so bright! 😍
Oh really? That’s interesting, Casey Blair is not an author I’ve heard of before, I just thought the free book sounded fun haha.
Ahh nice, I can’t wait to see your thoughts on Bury Our Bones. And curious about the surprise arc! Wow you definitely have amazing list of books waiting for you, I hope you have the best time! 😀
She really is 🥰 I love her voice, music and lyrics. It’s all so wonderful. Omg no I didn’t realise she had one (see I’m terrible at keeping up with music). I’ll have to look it up on YouTube.
I’m glad you still enjoyed it overall. Ooh yay that’s wonderful. I’ll have to watch out for it in store next time I visit a book one so I can see it in print. I hope you enjoy it.
Okay so I don’t know who I was thinking of because I looked at her page and I can’t find the book I had in mind. But she is on my TBR with her Tea Princess series 😂 and I hope you enjoy the free read.
I’ll let you know how I find it 🥰 I’ll give a brief idea of my thoughts in my wrap up too but save my actual review until nearer the release date. It really made my day ❤️ thank you. I hope you have a great time too.
Ah yes definitely go ahead and check it out! and that’s fine the only reason I know is coz it popped up on my YT algorithm!
Yes, & I think the UK cover is the same as the one I’ve seen 🙂
haha oh lol I dont think I know the Tea Princess Series.🤷♀️thanks either way 🙂
Okay that makes sense. & I’m so glad to hear that!
I just looked it up and found two new to me songs. I don’t know if you meant Butterfly or Cupids Girl but I love both and can’t wait for her new album now 😍 how does she make all her songs so catchy, change style every album and yet still undeniably have her own unique sound 😍😍
I’ll see if I can spot it this week then 😊
I think the title caught my eye 😂
Swordheart is on my TBR list, too. I’m so sorry you will be affected by the NG decision. Can you read NG ARCs on your phone with the NetGalley Reader app? I’ve used the app for audiobooks once or twice, but I don’t like to read on my phone too much; it strains my eyes.
Oh nice, I’ll be reading Swordheart soon and I’m excited! & thanks 🥰 The issue is that I don’t enjoy reading books on my phone or laptop screen, it hurts my eyes/head to do it for a long time so it’s less than ideal. Basically the best option was removed. yeah.
Ah, I’m sorry to hear about that NetGalley change affecting you as a Kobo reader! That’s good to know actually because I’ve been thinking more about possibly getting a Kobo even though, as an international reader, the books are quite a bit more expensive. I just hate everything that has happened with Amazon and I wonder if the NG changes were at all related to that. It defo hasn’t made accessing their books easier and their online reading platform is so slow, I hate it!
Human Scars on Planet Skin sounds so interesting (and that cover is so awesome) and I’m curious about Swordheart so I hope you end up enjoying it 🙂 I hope you’ve had a great week!
Thanks. I actually love my Kobo and I actually think it’s so shitty of Netgalley to do that especially with everything that’s happening with Amazon and Kindle. Because as a result of their change they’re alienating Kobo users and could potentially push more people into Kindle’s arms. I’m sure it’s related to that at least in some part, it’s definitely not an isolated decision. Yeah I tried to use their online platform exactly once and it wasn’t a good experience.
It does sound interesting and I agree the cover is so cool 🙂 Thanks so much Dini, Hope you have a great week too!