When you were younger, did you dream of leaving your home town? Or did you want to stay? I did not have big travel aspirations growing up. I do like traveling and seeing or trying new things, but I’m also pretty content to travel via my books.

My preorder copy of “In The Wild Light” by Jeff Zentner finally arrived and I’m READY! Zentner’s “The Serpent King” is one of three books to actually make me physically weep and ever since then, he’s been an autobuy author for me. I’m always excited when he has a new offering and am eager to dive into this one. This one is described as an examination of grief and found family and I’m just preparing myself for the feels. Even just reading the synopsis made me remember all the emotions I had as a teenager leaving home for the first time.

My brain is dying to go full force on witchy reads, but I’m holding off and reading this first. ha. What are you reading this week?

Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He’s been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen.

But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he would have to leave behind.

 When you were younger, did you dream of leaving your home

I can sit and read a book for hours, but I have trouble watching a 30 minutes TV show. Anyone else like this? I don’t know why I get so restless while watching TV 🤷🏻‍♀️ even when I like the show I’m watching! I have been watching YOU since it released on Netflix and I’m finally up to episode 7. 😂😂(Granted, this one is a little harder to watch, too) .

I was thinking the other day that I didn’t get the same vibe off Beck in the show that I got in the book, until I realized that I was just spacing the shows out too far from each other to get the full effect. (I guess the upside of binging a show!) I’ve decided that this weekend I’m going to just go for it and finish the remaining episodes. .

So far I’ve liked all the departures that they have taken from the book and thought that over all, it was pretty dang close and super well done. Book Joe’s mental commentary is still the best though 🤣. .

What are some of your favorite shows to watch lately? .

 I can sit and read a book for hours, but I have trouble

 photo challenge because 😍 See that art print? It’s actually the inside dust jacket of the LitJoy “My Lady Jane” exclusive edition and I’m dying. ✨😍✨The art page that is included INSIDE the book is absolutely stunning too. I’ve turned my jacket inside out so that the art is on the outside instead of the original cover. .

I’m all about collectors editions, and they really outdid themselves with this beauty in their June box! (Now that LitJoy has a book only option, you can still snag this edition, that comes with their exclusive trading cards, in their shop.) .

Ever since I read “My Lady Jane” earlier this year, I’ve been anticipating this next segment to the Lady Janies set. I’m looking forward to sitting down with the audiobook and hoping it’s every bit as hilarious as the audio for MLJ was! .

Do you spring for a collector’s edition or does it not matter to you? .

 I’m jumping in on the @litjoycrate  photo challenge because

Are you a middle grade reader? What are some of your favorite MG authors or books? It’s been awhile since I picked up a middle grade read, so today I compiled a list of middle grade reads I’m planning reading this year. .

I forgot to add Rick Riordan’s latest from the Apollo trials to this stack 😐, but I’m particularly excited for “Ice Wolves” by Amie Kaufman (super excited to read a work she’s done without a co-writer!), Ogre Enchanted by “Gail Carson Levine” because PREQUEL TO ELLA ENCHANTED!! Need I say more? Haha. And “Love Sugar Magic” because combining magic and food sounds like the recipe for a perfect book. “The Witch Boy” graphic novel, “The Boy, The Boat, and the Beast” and “Ending The Last” all sound wonderful too. So I’m setting these aside so I don’t forget them in the rush of adult and YA releases this year. .

No matter how old I get, I love reading children’s books. Middle grade is such a refreshing change from YA or adult reads for me. I love the strong focus on friendship and loyalty and adventure. I don’t want to say they are more simple because I find middle grade to be complex and deep in the themes and topics it addresses, but it’s nice to take a break from adult or romance drama. .

I snagged Orge Enchanted and The Burning Maze at BEA, but a big thank you to

 Are you a middle grade reader? What are some of your

Who is a side character that you’d like a full series for? Because I have “Shadow and Bone” on the brain, I’d love dedicated novels to The Darkling’s life, or even the Grisha trilogy from his POV.

Any “Iron Fey” fans already started “The Iron Raven”? (which is a continuation of the Iron Fey series, but with Puck as the main voice?) Thank you to

 for gifting me this copy! I haven’t finished the Iron Fey series yet so I’m holding off on starting Raven, but I love Julie Kagawa so her books are always in my line up as I make my way through all of her series.

I love hearing backstory from different POVs and often wish authors would write them for my favorite books. Continuations always come with mixed feelings for me, but I always love the idea of returning to a world and characters I love with more information!

You may have heard of me... Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool… King Oberon’s right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known as never before, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat to the lands of Faery and the human world unlike any before. With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort, Puck’s longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or forgotten.

 Who is a side character that you’d like a full series for?

Is there anyone who would actually want to live under the sea? Seems like there are more books about living in space than under the sea—and to me they are basically the same thing. (airless and terrifying. ha.) Ironically, the ocean and space are two of my favorite things to study and read about. ha. .

Serving up some mermaid vibes today because last week was a mermaid book mail kind of week. Big thanks to

_house for sending me a copy of “THE SEAS” by Samantha Hunt! This reissued edition hits shelves on July 10 (originally published in 2004) with gorgeous new cover art by

_gemma and a new intro by Maggie Nelson AND to

 for  this copy of “The Mermaid” by Christina Henry, which just released in June. I will be reading both of these books this month, so reviews to come soon. I just couldn’t resist taking a photo of them together for today. (I’ll put both book descriptions in my stories today) .

I’ve heard some pretty amazing things about both these books, and while I’m looking forward to reading them both, I’m particularly excited to read “The Seas”. My first reaction to hearing the word “Mermaid” is always to be excited about it, but the truth is, most (if not all) mermaid tales aren’t particularly happy, and these two reads both promise heartbreak. I wonder why that is. .

Has anyone already read either of these yet? Any one you recommend I read first?

 Is there anyone who would actually want to live under the

What are some of the most common bookish stereotypes? Do you have any that you really match with? I generally comply with: loves to drink tea and read, always has a book, and massive glasses wearing nerd 😂🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ .

Reading THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER was a book-lovers read for sure. It hit all the lovely stereotypes you’ll find in many of the people who live and breathe books every day. Honestly, this book was such a delightful treat. This year I’ve been doing my best to read the books on my shelves that I have kept and never get around to reading for whatever reason. I’ve had this book for years and I don’t know why I waited. .

Nina is a literary matchmaker. She loves pairing people up with just the perfect book for them (honestly, I also get such a huge thrill when someone likes a book I’ve recommended) But after she’s been laid off of her job as a librarian, she’s has to leave her comfort zone. After buying a van, and filling it with books, Nina moves to a sleepy little village and sells books. As she comes to love the place and the people, she has a number of experiences that lead her to believe she could write her own Happily Ever After. .

As much as I love to read and get so much pleasure from stories, and as much of an ode to book lovers that this book is, it is also a story about living your life outside of fiction. I am generally always lost in a book. I’ve got audio on while I’m cleaning and am reading from books when I’m in bed... and this book just made me think that I should remember to unplug from fiction some times and live in my own life and mind some times. I love books for the escape, but some times you have to more actively be part of your own. .

If you’re a romance lover and a person who loves to read, I think you’ll find this one to be a fun and relatable read! And honestly, I’d just love the life Nina has! .

 What are some of the most common bookish stereotypes? Do

Do you tend to prefer your books serious or more lighthearted. I think we all prefer a mix, and every serious book needs something to lighten it and visa versa— but overall I tend to lean towards a book that will crush my heart or lead me to in-depth conversations on life. Haha. .

That being said, I sometimes just need FUN and these books are that. I was just gifted a copy of “No Country for Old Gnomes” from

, the sequel to “Kill the Farm Boy”, and am delighted and eager to start it. Full of puns and riffs from popular tropes, the most common comparison to these books I’ve seen is “Monty Python meets Terry Practchett. .

The delight I got from “Kill the Farm Boy” was the same kind of laugh I used to get from reading politically correct fairy tales. It’s absurd, quirky, over the top,  and so much fun. .

A little taste of what to expect: “Enter three witches. What they entered was not a race. It was, in fact, a cave of ominous portent, which was different from a regular cave in that it possessed spooky lighting concept. This was achieved by kindling a fire in the cave and then covering it with the black iron bottom of a cauldron, in which something eldritch may or may not be stewed. But let’s be real. No one ever bought a cauldron and installed it in a cave to make a mundane soup. It was always, always going to be an eldritch stew. Especially since they’d brought the requisite bucket full of entrails, pouches of herbs, and assorted dried eyeballs.” .

Honestly, when you’re in the mood for something like this, they really hit the spot for a good laugh and a fun way to poke a little  fun at stories we all really love! .

 Do you tend to prefer your books serious or more

I do love a good curse, so today I thought I’d use that cellphone battery percentage game I’ve seen going around for some literary curses. Tell me which curse you have based on how much power your cell/computer battery has right now:

10 and below Cursed to lose one of your talents

I read Ashley Poston’s “Geekerella” a couple years ago and it just wasn’t for me. But when I saw the cover for “Among the Beasts & Briars” and read the synopsis, I knew I had to give this one a shot. (Thank you to

 for gifting me this copy). I love when authors write in different genres and give me something new to try out. Someone described it to me as something reminiscent of a child’s fairytale and that was a big selling point for me. I still regularly read children’s fairytale stories and would love to something with that feel that is also much longer! Do you have a favorite fairytale?

 I do love a good curse, so today I thought I’d use that

Okay, take this sentence in with me: “all-female bomber regiment known as the Night Witches that served during WWII”. Let’s say that again just to make sure we are appreciating this on all the level: “All-female bomber regiment known as the Night Witches that served during WWII.” .

This book arrived as a surprise mailing to me from

, and I’m going to tell you right now that if this book doesn’t blow my mind I’m going to be really sad. haha. In the description it was compared to “the tradition of impeccably crafted historical fiction” like “We Were The Lucky Ones”, “The Women of the Castle” and “Lilac Girls”. Those are three historical fiction novels that I really loved. (And it’s on March’s Indie Next, which I mentioned yesterday is a list I love reading from) So I’m really excited about this. haha. .

PLUS WHY HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF THE NIGHT WITCHES?? <furiously googles> .

I haven’t read “The Alice Network”, but I remember seeing it around a lot and people having amazing things to say, so I’m pretty excited to get into Kate Quinn’s latest. (If you’ve read “The Alice Network” I’d love to hear what you thought.) .

What is one book you’re excited to read soon? .

 Okay, take this sentence in with me: “all-female bomber

Few things delight and intrigue me more than mixed reviews. Enough negative reviews and more often than not, if I’m being honest, that book will drop off my immediate TBR. And while I love book hype (especially if I’m the one hyping), I often find that I go in more critical than I might have. But give me a book that half my friends didn’t like and the other half are raving about, and I’m more eager than ever to dive in with an open mind. Anyone else like this?

“Wicked Saints” is one of the biggest mixed reviewed books on my feed this year. The biggest point in its favor was when it arrived in my

 box. (I’m a rep for Parnassus and they send a box each month with a signed first edition YA book) They always pick an amazing book and it arrived right in the middle of some of my friends saying they were “meh” about it. So seeing it in the box immediately pulled a full stop on my writing it off. THEN a slew of wonderful reviews came in from other friends and I immediately knew this was a book I had to read.

. ⚔️ My library has it on audio, and my hold is nearly up. So I’ll be listening to it as soon as I get it. Have you already read “Wicked Saints”? What did you think about it? .

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself. A prince in danger must decide who to trust. A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war. .

⚔️ In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. .

 Few things delight and intrigue me more than mixed reviews

 is doing a monthly WORDS BY WOMEN Summer reading box, and today I’m teaming up with them to giveaway the July Nonfiction box to one winner. .

This month’s nonfiction box includes: “The Victorian and the Romantic” by Nell Stevens, “Personality Brokers: The Strange History of the Myers-Briggs and the Birth of Personality Testing” by Merve Emre, and "Know Thyself” by Ingrid Rossellini—as well as a leather handled Doubleday tote, Books Before Bros hat, gorgeous poster print by

 as well as a fun airplant and a packet of matcha tea. .

To enter: US entries only 👍🏼Like this photo

 👍🏼Tell me the name of one of your favorite female writers and why you love them. .

This giveaway will run until Sunday at midnight! A winner will be drawn at random and announced on this post. Good luck! .

 WINNER: @katestreip  . This summer @doubledaybooks  is

If you could keep only three books  from your shelves, which books would you keep? I would keep my 1977 Folio Society Lord of the Rings, the Barnes and Noble leather-bound edition of The Chronicles of Narnia, and my UK first printing of Strange the Dreamer with the sprayed edges. (My choices are based on monetary value + sentimental value.)

I went on a book buying spree last month and all my books are trickling in right now. “The Library of Legends” by Janie Chang has been on my to-buy list since it came out and I finally got around to purchasing a copy. This historical fiction book is based on true events from the second Sino-Japanese war) and mixes in Chinese folklore, as a group of university students are entrusted to protect a priceless treasure: a 500-year-old collection of myths and folklore known as the Library of Legends. As the group travels with the book across China, they awaken immortals and guardians spirits AND I AM HERE FOR THAT!! Honestly sounds incredible and I can’t wait to read it. (Plus the cover is stunning)

Has anyone read this yet? I know it’s been out for awhile.

 If you could keep only three books  from your shelves

Tell me one thing you love about your mother, or a mother figure, in your life. Between Mother’s Day this weekend and the release of the latest trailer for the film “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”— a story highlighting a daughter’s love for her mother, I felt like the women in our lives deserved a shout out today. .

) to share the new trailer. Based on the best-selling book by Maria Semple, the film hits theaters on August 16 and stars Cate Blanchett as

—a loving mom who becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. Bernadette’s leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads her to her triumphant rediscovery. .

I’ll have the link to the new trailer in my IG stories today! I’m a big fan of Cate Blanchett and have had this book on my shelf for years! I plan on reading it before the film releases! Have you already read it? How did you like it? .

 Tell me one thing you love about your mother, or a mother

Do you have a favorite Greek God(dess) or myth? I love Athena and Demeter and really enjoy reading all myths and anything related to them. I know that “The Lovely War” was all over Bookstagram when it came out in March, and I always knew I was going to read it because I love WWII historical fiction BUT I DID NOT KNOW that this book is the story of four lovers during WWI told by the goddess Aphrodite to her husband Hepaestus, and her lover, Ares, at the height of WWII. .

 rep box and I think I was just so busy at the time that it accidentally fell by the wayside. (Parnassus Next is a monthly YA subscription where subscribers get a signed first edition. The book is announced two weeks before shipping so you never miss your favorites, and is run by a pretty rad bookstore!) .

I was honestly kicking myself yesterday when I finally read the synopsis of this one. I love when historical fiction is mixed with fantasy or myths. I feel like I’ve had my perfect reading experience right in front of my face for months and have deprived myself of it. haha. OMG! I’m finishing up “Serpent and Dove” this weekend (which has been so awesome so far) and I’m kicking everything else off my list to read until I’ve finally read “The Lovely War”. Are you reading anything good this weekend? .

 Do you have a favorite Greek God(dess) or myth? I love

Do you have any daily rituals or routines? I’ve been reading “Into the Heartless Woods”, and although there are a lot of reasons I’m enjoying it, I have really been enjoying feeling like I am part of Owen’s routines and rituals. The cup of cinnamon tea he has every night as he marks his star charts, the details on his bread baking or stew making… these are all just small brief-but-regular inclusions into the story, but somehow they make me feel like I’ve truly been invited into Owen’s life and mind and I love it so much.

“Into the Heartless Wood” alternates chapters between Owen and one of the tree-siren daughters. The siren’s chapters are in verse and Owen’s in prose, and it all seems sort of out of a fairy dream. Owen is giving me low key Thackery Binx vibes and I’m living for it. I’m hoping to finish it in the next couple days. Do you have a favorite book that really immerses you into the world?

The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths. For centuries, a witch has harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow her domain. When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch’s wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens. But a shift in the stars foretells a dangerous curse, and Seren’s quest to become human will lead them into an ancient war raging between the witch and the king who is trying to stop her. Epic, heartbreaking, and darkly atmospheric, Into the Heartless Wood is the story of impossible love between a monstrous tree siren and a boy who lives at the edge of her wood.

 Do you have any daily rituals or routines? I’ve been

. I’ve given up on meeting my reading goal this year. I’m 13 books from meeting my goal of 100, and I anticipate only getting through 4 or 5 more books this month. I love reading for escape and education, but reading is also a luxury pastime that this year just didn’t always fit with my anxiety brain, home schooling, and shifting day time responsibilities I’d usually do while my daughter was at school to the evening when I usually had free time.

So I’ve tossed my goal aside and am celebrating the amazing books I’ve read this year and currently enjoying “Dragon Blood” by Mary Beesley. Dragons are always a good idea for me. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes! Are you going to meet your reading goal this year? Or are you like me and readjusting your expectations?

Cal, a hungry sixteen-year-old sick of mining the sand, wants to fit in and make his ma proud, but instead, his violent tendencies bring shame. And the truth. He’s the son of a Draco Sang. Carriers of the Dragon’s blood, the Draco Sang transform into half human half beast as they mature into adults. And if Cal can't control the dark impulses of his dragon blood, he'll grow into a man-beast—and he'll be hunted.

Ferth, son of a Draco Sang chief and last of his class to grow claws, needs to prove his worth to his father, or he'll be sent to the slave house. Hiding his human heart, he joins the army headed south to conquer the fertile human lands. Neither brother feels they belong. Cal is human, fighting against becoming a beastly Draco Sang, while Ferth is struggling to push back his humanity and transform into a worthy Draco warrior. Before ever meeting in open battle, Ferth is sent to kill Cal. But when he learns they are brothers, he must decide which loyalty is stronger, blood or country. And whether to finally give in to his humanity.

 #currentlyreading . I’ve given up on meeting my reading

Do you have any favorite love stories in your family history (maybe it’s your own)? Do you know how your parents met? My parents met in Japan and after work my dad would ride the train with my mother for like an hour in the opposite direction to see her home. .

Anyone know the song “Oceans” by Hillsong United? That song starts playing in my head every time I read the title of this book. ha. Thank you to

 for gifting me “Call Upon the Water” by Stella Tillyard. I figured that I missed posting about love stories on Valentine’s Day, so I ought to hurry and slip one in for February, at least. And of course, I had to go with a historical fiction. I love a good love story that can connect you to the past. And this one sounds like it’s full of history I’m not familiar with, so I’m looking forward to trying it soon. .

In 1649, Jan Brunt arrives in Great Britain from the Netherlands to work on draining and developing an expanse of marshy wetlands known as the Great Level. It is here in this wild country that he meets Eliza, a local woman whose love overturns his ordered vision. Determined to help her strive beyond her situation, Jan is heedless of her devotion to her home and way of life. When she uses the education Jan has given her to sabotage his work, Eliza is brutally punished, and Jan flees to the New World. In the American colonies, profiteers on Manatus Eyland are hungry for viable land to develop, and Jan’s skills as an engineer are highly prized. His prosperous new life is rattled, however, on a spring morning when a boy delivers a note that prompts him to remember the Great Level, and confront all that was lost there. Eliza has made it to the New World and is once again using the education Jan gave her to bend the landscape—this time to find her own place of freedom. A “story of passion, possession, and a painful education in love” .

 Do you have any favorite love stories in your family

Do you like grimdark books? The books that are dark and violent? They are, admittedly, not for me. 😂🙈While I am getting better at it, I have always had a hard time separating myself from most any story I’m reading. When really violent stuff happens, I almost feel like it’s happening to me or someone I love and I end up carrying the imagery I’ve conjured up around with me for days. .

On the other hand, I’m a big fan of revenge stories and often appreciate brutal justice where it’s due. So I just have to tread carefully into the darkness. 😂 .

My Red Rising story is as follows: A few years ago on a trip home to visit my family, I borrowed a copy of Red Rising from their local library, read 50 pages during my entire visit because I was too preoccupied with hanging out, and returned the book to the library before flying back. Then I never got around to picking it up again. It’s a series I really want to read. .

But this sequel trilogy seems like it’s getting preeeeeetty dark from what my friends are telling me. I’d love to know if I can finish the first Red Rising Trilogy and have it feel totally complete, or if I’ll need to venture into Iron Gold and Dark Age. Help a nervous reader out. 😆😅. (Also, big thank you to

 Do you like grimdark books? The books that are dark and

Which of these cover options appeals to you the most? Is there anyone who can honestly say they have never judged a book by its cover? (Cover judging was the sole way I picked which book to read until I was like 12 years old, and sometimes still do. haha) Today I’m partnering with

) to show you the proposed cover directions for Shana Silver’s recently named debut novel, "Mind Games” (synopsis below), and tell you how you can participate in voting for its final cover! .

I’ve put these covers in order of my particular preference (my top preference being the  brown cover up next to my computer), but I love that Swoon Reads lets its readers help decide which covers they choose for books. I’ve been in some pretty hot debates about whether the cover of a book matters or if it’s just the words inside, and if I’m being honest, both matter a lot to me. .

These five cover options aren’t necessarily final. There will probably be some adjustments to them before the chosen cover hits shelves BUT voting is open now until July 5! I have the voting link up in my bio if you want to participate in the official voting, but I’d love to know which one is your favorite! .

Synopsis: Arden sells memories. Whether it’s become homecoming queen or studying for that all important test, Arden can hack into a classmate’s memories and upload the experience for you just as if you’d live it yourself. Business is great, right up until the day Arden whites out, losing 15 minutes of her life and all her memories of the boy across the school yard. The boy her friends assure her she’s had a crush on for years. Arden realizes that her own memories have been hacked, but they haven’t just been stolen and shared… they’ve been removed. And she’s not the only one, her mysterious crush, Sebastian, has lost ALL his memories. But how can they find someone who has the power to make them forget everything they’ve learned? .

 Which of these cover options appeals to you the most? Is

Me: <thinks about every book and person who has helped shape my life and realizes I AM made out of words> .

What are some of your favorite books or words that have changed and made you? Today I thought I would leave you with some quotes and a thank you for all the conversations here and book recommendations that you’ve passed along to me that have helped me learn, change, and lift me up. Happy Monday and happy reading, friends. May the words you speak and read today make good and change! .

“All the reading she had done had given her a view of life they had never seen.”— Matilda by Roald Dahl .

“Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light”— Vera Nazarian .

“I will defend the importance of bedtime stories to my last gasp” JK Rowling .

“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark”— Victor Hugo .

“You can change the course of your life with your words.”— Anonymous .

“Your words become your world.” — Nadeem Kazi .

“Words have the power to change us. Your words have changed me, Tess; they have made me a better man than I would have been otherwise.” — Will Herondale to Tessa Gray .

 Me: I’m made out of words in this pic. Me: <thinks about

Which season is your favorite? Mine is hands down, Spring. They all have their merits, but... Summer is too hot, Autumn just depresses me because it means the world gets dark earlier, Winter is freezing… haha. Spring is GLORIOUS. All the flowers are blooming and the sun begins to shine longer. My mood instantly lifts in Spring.

Today the Spring Seasons Edition Classics from

 release and I had to take these beauties out to be photographed with some spring-time flowers. (Thank you to Thomas Nelson for gifting these books to me!) The Spring set includes, “Emma” by Jane Austen, “The Hunchback of Nortre-Dame” by Victor Hugo, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

As with the Winter and Summer collections, the Spring collection is limited to 10,000 copies, with all copies being numbered first editions! The beautiful laser cut jackets have a fitted reusable plastic jacket on them, which is nice and thick! I want something like this on all my books, tbh. I get a little thrill when I collect something with limited release numbers. haha.

AND. PLEASE make sure you check behind the removable paper sleeve on the back of the book! There is a bonus laser cut bookmark that matched each book’s front cover. I nearly threw mine away from the Summer editions before I caught them! The Spring editions each include a matching bookmark!

Do you have a book or specific book edition/collection that you collect?

 Which season is your favorite? Mine is hands down, Spring

What are some of your favorite books (aesthetically) in your collection? Do you have an artist that you wish would illustrate one of your favorite books? .

I have A LOT of favorites (The Princess Bride Deluxe Edition, all the Puffin in Bloom editions, the ADSOM collector’s edition are some of my top faves) I was recently gifted this gorgeous copy of “Alice in Wonderland” by

, which is beautifully illustrated by the world-renowned pop artist Yayoi Kusama. (please please look up Yayoi Kusama if you are not familiar with her because her art is WOW and her hair is amazing—definitely Red Queen vibes!) This edition is a great combination of striking, gorgeous, and weird, which I think is perfect for Wonderland. Kusama uses typographic design and her iconic imagery to really make this edition awesome. .

I would love for Brian Selznick to illustrate a magical field guide or something along those lines! .

 What are some of your favorite books (aesthetically) in

Do you have a favorite place to be outdoors? (

) Some of the best memories and experiences of my life were backpacking and hiking in the Sangre de Cristo mountains in New Mexico. I went whole summers sleeping in a tent!

 released— the companion to “Willa of the Wood”, and these are definitely books for readers who care deeply about nature and the outdoors. The synopsis definitely gives me “Fern Gully” vibes, and I love that Beatty’s books have mysterious and darker elements to them (my daughter enjoyed his Serafina series precisely because it had a creepy element to it!) For me, I’m in it for the faeries. (These are the type of fae stories that I love to read about!) These have a little bit of history, mystery, and magic and I’m so glad to have another Willa book to read with my daughter!

Willa and her clan are the last of the Faeran, an ancient race of forest people who have lived in the Great Smoky Mountains for as long as the trees have grown there. But as crews of newly arrived humans start cutting down great swaths of the forest she loves, she is helpless to stop them. How can she fight the destroyers of the forest and their powerful machines? When Willa discovers a mysterious dark hollow filled with strange and beautiful creatures, she comes to realize that it contains a terrifying force that seems to be hunting humans. Is unleashing these dangerous spirits the key to stopping the loggers? Willa must find a way to save the people and animals she loves and take a stand against a consuming darkness that threatens to destroy her world.

 Do you have a favorite place to be outdoors? ( @disneybooks

Do you like dark and unsettling stories? (

) When you use the word “horror”, it’s an immediate no from me. But when House of Hollow promises things like “dark fairytale” or “Midsummer” I’m so intrigued! I’ve had some low-key horror snuck into my reading because of these words. 😂 Do I regret it when I’m creeped out on my way to take my trash can to the curb at night? Some times. 😂

Today we are officially one month away from the release of

_sutherland (out April 6) and I can’t tell you how delightful it was to take this beauty out into my fully blooming neighborhood and take some pictures. I’ve got this on my March TBR, so my review is to come, but I have the synopsis down below and a link in my bio if you want to read more about it! Has “House of Hollow” been on your 2021 radar? It sounds dark and mysterious and full of magic (and I’m wondering how creeped out I’ll be 😂😂)

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats. Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind. As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children. The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.

 Do you like dark and unsettling stories? (

What are some designs that you gravitate to? (I’m big on octopus, bee, raven, whale, owl designs) Someday I want our entire home to be very subtly bee themed, but for today I’m teaming up with

 for their back to school sales to bring you an idea on how to take your style and decorate your space, whether it’s your college dorm/apartment or home AND a discount code. (below) .

If you aren’t familiar with Redbubble, they have connected with over 400k independent artists and designers and transfer their designs to all different types of items (shirts, stickers, scarves, laptop cases, mugs… you name it) .

Today I’m featuring these pillows from Redbubble with the "Save the Bees" design by

(I got this design on a pouch and a sticker as well because I’m a big on taking care of bees) and this gorgeous "Queen Bee" design by

. I think most of us in the book community are pretty throw pillow obsessed, and this is always my first idea for adding something to a room because it’s such a good way to add a touch of personality. .

But these hardback journals, both designed by

, in the "Harvester of Gold" and "Between Two Moons" designs have ALL my heart eyes. I’m obsessed with them. I will never tire of purchasing and writing in journals. We have shelves of them in our home, full of ideas and memories. I’m a huge fan of going back and reading my old thoughts and seeing how much I’ve changed over the years. (although, I’m going to be buried with my high school journals so no one can read those when I’m gone. Too embarrassing.) .

You can use my code: B2S-foldedpagesdistillery15 from now until August 31 to receive 15% off your entire Back to School order! I’ve got a link in my bio where you can check out what designs and products they have to offer. .

 What are some designs that you gravitate to? (I’m big on

Has anyone ever stayed up all night reading? I used to accidentally do this all the time. I’m too old now. Haha. This year is the first year that I’ve started waking up at like 3 a.m. with my lamp still on and me slumped over the book I fell asleep reading. I never have any memory of falling asleep either. .

But I’ve still had those nights where I’ll glance over at the clock and feel the shock of it being like 5 a.m. and knowing that I’m going to hate my life that day. ha. What are some books that have kept you up late into the night? .

Some of this year’s late night books for me have been “Serpent & Dove”, “Hello Girls”, “The Song of Achilles”, “Imprison the Sky’, “A Curse So Dark and Lonely”, “The Silent Patient”, “A Reaper at the Gates”, “Recursion”, “Ninth House”, and “The Book of Dust”. .

 Has anyone ever stayed up all night reading? I used to

Does anyone else ever imagine themselves in theoretical situations just to think through what they would do? If you had to go into hiding or start your life over, where would you go? .

I got to thinking about this (again. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do this kind of thought exercise regularly) after reading the synopsis of Courtney Maum’s upcoming “Costalegre” (thank you to

_house for gifting me this copy.) With Europe on the brink of war in 1937, an American heiress and modern art collector begins shipping her favorite art (and artists) to Mexico to avoid their destruction by Hitler. (Full synopsis in comments) I kept wondering where I might try to disappear to. I met Courtney Maum a few years ago when she was touring for her book “Touch”, and I marvel at how all her books are so different from each other. This little beauty doesn’t release until July, but I’m looking forward to reading a different type of WWII story than I’m used to. .

 Does anyone else ever imagine themselves in theoretical

What are some describing words that grab your interest when hearing about a new book? I love books that involve: food, witches, space, dragons, heists, and revenge, to name a few. I also really love the whole “if you liked this, then try this”— and when I was recently gifted the newly reissued “Legendary Lymond Chronicles” by Dorothy Dunnett from

, I was immediately grabbed by the comparison to Game of Thrones and Outlander. .

⚔️ The Game of Kings (book one) was released in 1961 and I’ve been intrigued not only by the synopsis, but the reviews. The new covers were reissued in oversize trade paperback this month, and I definitely love them. (Cover redesign is such a touchy topic, isn’t it? Haha. I actually love the original covers too) There are six books in all and I’m pretty pumped to try these out and return to Scotland in the 1500s. .

⚔️ Chances are many of you have already read this, since it’s an older series. Let me know if you enjoyed it! I’d love to hear more about it from people here over review .

It is 1547 and Scotland has been humiliated by an English invasion and is threatened by machinations elsewhere beyond its borders, but it is still free. Paradoxically, her freedom may depend on a man who stands accused of treason. He is Francis Crawford of Lymond, a scapegrace nobleman of crooked felicities and murderous talents, posessed of a scholar's erudition and a tongue as wicked as a rapier. In The Game of Kings, this extraordinary antihero returns to the country that has outlawed him to redeem his reputations even at the risk of his life. .

 What are some describing words that grab your interest when

Who else is often swayed to pick up a book or watch a film if they see the words “based on a true story”? (Any favorites?) Any time I find out something is based on real events or people, I’m interested. While I love my fiction, I think we are all drawn to an experience that is true. .

 for gifting me this copy of “A Wolf Called Wander”— a story inspired by the extraordinary true story of a wolf named OR-7 (or Journey) and the tale of his survival. What would it be like to be one of the most misunderstood animals on earth? WOLF also includes black and white illustrations throughout the book, a map, as well as information on the real wolf who inspired the novel. .

Synopsis: Swift, a young wolf cub, lives with his pack in the mountains learning to hunt, competing with his brothers and sisters for hierarchy, and watching over a new litter of cubs. Then a rival pack attacks, and Swift and his family scatter. Alone and scared, Swift must flee and find a new home. His journey takes him a remarkable one thousand miles across the Pacific Northwest. The trip is full of peril, and Swift encounters forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before he finds his new home. .

I was initially interested in this one because the cover reminds me of PAX, and am sure my husband will steal this book for his own shelf before the day is out. Haha .

 Who else is often swayed to pick up a book or watch a film

What are some must haves in your beach or vacation bag? (Me: water, prescription sunglasses + case for my glasses, hat, sunscreen, chapstick, one healthy snack, one treat, and a book + a back up book) Anything else I should be bringing?? .

☀️ We are in full summer mode around here now, and so I thought I’d show a fun package I was gifted from the people at

to kick off their summer reading program. “The Clockmaker’s Daughter” by Kate Morton, “The Lost Queen” by Signe Pike, “Once Upon A River” by Diane Setterfield, and “Watching You” Lisa Jewell are all out in paperback with new covers and perfect for slipping into your beach bag! (Also, thank you to

 for including a pair of sunglasses and a tumbler!) .

☀️ I haven’t read “The Clockmaker’s Daughter” or “Watching You” yet, and I already know “Watching You” is going to be one of the books in my beach bag this summer. I like reading thriller types in a bright and sunny place. It’s less scary for me. ha. .

☀️ There will be a giveaway coming soon with these beauties so keep your eye out! .

 What are some must haves in your beach or vacation bag?

Do you like reading graphic novels or just collect them? Do you consider graphic novels real reading? I began venturing into graphic novels purely for collection purposes. Several years ago I discovered that many of my favorite books had graphic novel versions and I saw it as an illustrated edition that I wanted on my shelves. But last year I first read “Check, Please” on recommendation from a friend and could not put it down. Next thing you know, I’m a graphic novel reader. Haha. .

⚔️ I admit that until I entered this community, I didn’t consider graphic novels “real reading” and I’m glad I learned different quickly. Now I have amazing conversations with parents at the book fair twice a year as an advocate for graphic novels. Did you know that graphic novels are a great way for kids who speak different languages to learn a new one by seeing the context of a situation in the pictures? Graphic novels also help aid in reading comprehension because it’s easier to decipher meaning. They are motivating for reluctant readers and all around beautiful. .

 for sending me this “Clash of Kings” graphic novel. I started reading the GoT series this year and absolutely love the books. The art inside is beautiful and I enjoy them not only as a collectors piece, but as someone who didn’t watch the show, it’s a safer way for this series to come to life for me. haha. .

⚔️ Do you have some favorite graphic novels you recommend? (Both just because they are pretty versions of favorite books or great stories to read in general) I’m currently finishing up my Percy Jackson graphic novel collection, Shadowhunter graphic novels, and now backtracking to get all the GoT editions. .