Happy Wednesday friends! Here’s hoping that the week has been treating you nicely so far. I hope you’ve been staying cool, and reading all sorts of good books too.

My book choice this week is one that caught my eye the instant I saw the synopsis. The very kind people at Harper Collins sent me an email to promo this book, and offer me a digital review copy. One look, and I immediately snapped it up. I LOVE speculative fiction. It’s a space where so many interesting things can happen, full of intrigue and sometimes even a bit of borderline horror. So when I saw that this is a series of short stories and they’re all interconnected? You’d better believe that I was sold. I can’t wait to dive in, and leave a review for you all soon!

“Chris Vanjonack’s Out of Body is its own singularity. A dazzling collection where characters aren’t bound to a single story, let alone a single universe. Teeming with haunts and heartbreak, this book will leave you breathless.” — Gus Moreno, author of This Thing Between Us

A wildly inventive collection of interconnected speculative stories—spanning the multiverse, demonic attachment, and life after death—from an electrifying new voice in fiction.

An aimless ghost haunts his ex-girlfriend for evidence that she’s actually upset about his death.

A group of teens discovers a machine that purports to predict the best day of its users’ lives.

A young woman is horrified to discover that an aggressive stranger she met on a night of bar-hopping now manifests in every photo that is taken of her.

A drunken posse descends into the woods in search of clowns that have been terrorizing their small town.

Chris Vanjonack’s fiction is haunted not only by specters of death, but by the elusive questions of life, and above all, the wonder and horror of the infinite. Uncanny, surreal, and infectiously clever, the stories in this linked collection contain horrors great and small, fueled as much by the fantastic as by longing, dread, and all-too-human frailties.

Morbidly funny and brilliantly observed, Out of Body is an atmospheric, dead original feast for the senses.

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What are you waiting on?

The post Can’t Wait Wednesday: Speculative Fiction Short Stories first appeared on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile.

The Details

Media Type: Ebook
Title: Girl of Lore
Author(s): Melanie Dale
Publisher: Aladdin
Pages/Length: Ebook; 368
Release Date: April 21, 2026
Source: Netgalley

Add it on: Amazon | Bookshop | Storygraph | Pagebound

A girl who’s used to battling the monster of her own mind discovers there’s a sinister evil lurking in her small town in this atmospheric paranormal novel that’s perfect for fans of Tracy Wolff and Maggie Stiefvater. Stories of dark magic and even darker creatures have always swirled about Mina Murray’s town of London, Georgia. Mina knows they aren’t true—and are likely perpetuated only to drive the quirky tourist-trap ghost tours of downtown—but that doesn’t stop her from collecting the stories and drawing them in her sketchbook. Something about the possibility of real monsters helps her deal with the monster in her own her OCD, which convinces her danger lurks everywhere. But when a body is found drained of blood and a classmate goes missing, Mina is thrust into a tangled web of London secrets…that she seems to be at the center of.

The Review

I’ll start this review by letting you know that the teenage version of me would have absolutely adored this book. I still enjoyed it as an adult, for sure, but man I could just see younger me devouring this in a single day. Girl of Lore was a ton of fun. Set in the town of London, Georgia this book dives quickly into the concept of “ghost stories” actually having very real bones. Our lore obsessed MC finds herself thrown smack dab into the middle of just such a story, and it’s going to take everything she has to get make it out the other side.

Praise where praise is due, one of my favorite parts of this book was how Melanie Dale deals with Mina’s characterization. See, Mina has OCD that genuinely pervades every aspect of her life. She has intrusive thoughts, she has problems with discerning reality sometimes, and despite it all she works hard to continue to actively show up in her own life. I adore books where you actively see a character attending therapy and doing the work. Mina’s OCD gives this story such a deep emotional aspect, while still allowing it to be dealt with in a very conscious manner.

Truthfully though, it was the characters in this book that really were the centerpiece for me. Mina’s family was a beautiful mix of strength and normal family drama. I love a book where the author doesn’t attempt to pretend like all families are perfect little units. Better still, each of the characters in this book were treated as individuals with their own quirks. I thought that Dale did an excellent job of bringing together a friend group that didn’t feel like a cookie cutter setup. Every lore hunter brought something to the table, and did what they could to prop our girl up.

Where the book struggles, and this explains my rating, is with the plot. There’s a lot of really great stuff in here. Elements of vampire mythology, school drama, a meandering mystery that keeps you guessing, and even a tiny bit of horror. The problem is that there is so much to deal with at once, that book feels unevenly paced. The first third of the book had to do a lot of heavy lifting to lay Mina’s story out for us, the middle felt a little slow, and then suddenly the last bit rushes by so quickly it made my head spin a bit. I really wanted more time to dive into the lore surrounding London, Georgia and more time to come to terms with the bombshell that the ending throws at the reader.

Still, I had a good time with this. I did love that this book manages to walk that line between full on horror and more of a mystery vibe. There’s nothing in here that is particularly gory, or too dark. So it would be an excellent place for a reader who wants to spooked, but not outright scared, to start. Add in the lovely discussions of mental health and family dynamics, and you have a book I can happily recommend.

The post Book Review: Girl of Lore by Melanie Dale first appeared on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile.

Can we just all stop for a minute and appreciate this banger of a book cover? Yes, yes the synopsis is equally as compelling trust me. But dang. The first time I laid eyes on this book I already knew that I wanted to read it. This is 100% my kind of story. And it might just be yours too?

Seventeen-year-old Farris Aldan didn’t join the Sentinels to save the world.

He joined to escape insanity.

In Obscura City, contracting the whisperis means shedding your skin and becoming a monster. As a newly trained Sentinel, Farris hunts the infected, hoping vengeance will silence the guilt over his best friend Calla’s death.

Then he’s assigned his first solo mission. Track down Rena, a whisperis-infected punk rocker evading quarantine. From her black hair and beet-red eyes, she’s the spitting image of Calla. Farris can’t bring himself to arrest her. Not with that face, not with that voice.

Choosing Rena brands him a traitor. Now hunted by the Sentinels he idolized, including his adoptive father, Farris learns Rena’s connection to the whisperis runs deeper than anyone imagined. Visions of a cure guide her toward the Hollow, a hidden valley of darkness beyond the city. Only an ancient vantashade named Krieger knows the truth, but it offers a global cure for a terrible price: her life. To save Rena, Farris must risk everything–his future, his family, even the cure itself. And it still might not be enough.

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Little by little, we awkwardly stumbled and sashayed toward the cluster of monsters. A littler further and we slipped into their group. Mere feet separated us from the graceful corpses. 

A stench of boiled tar and kerosene swam over us. The air curdled with heat. We watched the burdeneds’ faces as we moved. No longer paying attention to us. Their shoulders, arms and chests were relaxed. Caring and glossy white eyes stared back at their deceased partners. 

A small pressure pushed against my chest. Rena leaned her head against it, and I realized that she’d been shivering.

“God. I wonder when they died.” She mumbled so softly I barely heard her. “Wonder if they knew they were dyin’. What they felt when they turned into monsters.”

I shook my head since it was too risky to speak. Little by little, I moved us to the back of the room. Need to go slow so we don’t alert the burdened.

Rena looked up at me, her face mere inches from my own. “All their feelings…what happened to them when they died?” Her skin was so bruised and cut up. The dark circles beneath her eyes contrasted her increasingly pale complexion. “Their names? Their memories? Where did they go?”

My whole body ached. I swallowed. When I tried to comfort her, my mouth opened, but nothing came out. 

Her hand squeezed my shoulder without a lick of strength. “I don’t wanna become like that, Farris. God almighty, I don’t wanna end up being just a memory.”

I tried to speak but again failed. Realizing my limitations, I instead pulled her even closer. Her breath felt hot against my neck. Her tears chilled my skin.  

Rena gritted her teeth. Her chest shook from deep, silent sobs. “I don’t wanna die, Farris. I don’t…”

My back stung, muscles ached. Ribs throbbed and head pounded. I looked at the bandages over her eye. Around her ankle. The stains of blood on her cargos, her vest.

Nameless music played behind us. Forgotten dead danced around us. Filthy ground creaked below us. 

Warren Wynn is an American author writing young adult science fiction about parallel worlds, bizarre creatures, and mind-blowing twists. His passions in a previous life doing graphic and video game design heavily inspire his stories and characters. His previous novel, ‘Break the Moon,’ was published by Lost Boys Press on March 28th, 2024.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from West Virginia University, Warren left behind the mountains for the beaches of Palm Coast, Florida. If he isn’t kayaking or hiking, he’s earning grey hairs writing through the moonlight hours.

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The Details

Media Type: Ebook
Title: Carry The Reimagining of Thornwood House
Author(s): Jaleigh Johnson
Publisher: Ace
Pages/Length: Hardcover; 391
Release Date: June 9, 2026
Source: Netgalley

Add it on: Amazon | Bookshop | Storygraph | Pagebound

A witch and her young ward discover a magical, walking house and learn the true meaning of home in this cozy, enchanting novel from New York Times bestselling author Jaleigh Johnson.

Evelyn Sharpe is accustomed to dealing with natural disasters as a land witch, but she longs for a life with a little less danger for her and her adopted daughter, Ruby. So when the opportunity to take over as Caretaker of Thornwood House–a sentient home that acts as the magical heart of the village of Iskendra–arises, it seems almost fated. 

When they arrive in sunny Iskendra, Evie and Ruby find the house is nothing like what they expected: First of all, it has walked away from the address. Thornwood House is also grumpy, guarded, and extremely hesitant to allow the two witches through its doors. 

Armed with gentle hearts and wild magic, Evie and Ruby begin to form tentative bonds with the house and the citizens of the small town. But there’s something deeply damaged about the building seeping into the forests surrounding Iskendra, and Evie will have to use all her power to protect the roots she’s started to grow.

The Review

I’ll admit that what initially drew me to this book was the idea of a magical, sentient house. I absolutely adore a story where the house is one of the main characters, and I was not let down at all by the one in this book. Evelyn and Ruby come to Iskendra to become the caretakers of Thornwood house, a beautiful home that really just needs some love and attention. See, Thornwood House’s last caretaker passed away. The house has been mourning her loss, and no one has been able to stay long enough to bring it back to its former beauty. What a lovely premise, don’t you think?

That’s just the start of the things this enchanting book has inside of it though. There’s a story about found family, and finding where you fit in society. There’s a bit of a love story, full of sweetness and silly moments. My favorite part though, is the message about how we heal from our hurts, and how that healing looks different for everyone. As someone who still deals with a fair bit of grief, it was this storyline that really hit me the hardest. For this book to be so cozy, and yet so poignant made it a lovely read.

You don’t renovate a house that’s been through what it has, that can feel what it does, any more than you’d renovate a life that’s suffered a great loss. You nurture it, allow it to grieve, and, when it’s ready, help it to reimagine itself and what it’s going to be moving forward. It won’t be the same as it was, but it can still be something amazing.

If I’m being honest, the only reason that I didn’t give this a full five star rating was simply that the book wasn’t long enough to really get to know the characters and the beautiful village. Evelyn and Ruby’s story had to go quickly, so that there was space to unravel the mysteries of Iskendra and Thornwood House. Perfectly understandable, I’m just a very character driven reader. Plus it looks like this is going to be a series and so that makes me very very excited.

Ah, what a charming book The Reimaging of Thornwood House was. Friends if you are also super burnt out and in need some something with whimsy and fabulous relationships, this is a book you need to pick up. It was cozy, there was just enough drama to keep things interesting without feeling overwhelming, and the characters were simply lovely. Highly recommend this as an escape.

The post Book Review: The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson first appeared on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile.

Friends, I know I’ve seen a ton of silly joking posts about people in California lamenting the weather these last few weeks but let me tell you. We’re serious. It’s been hot sure but, worse than that, it has been SO HUMID. Our houses and apartments were built for dry weather. I’m one of the few people on my blocks blessed with a functional A/C unit. When the houses were built that wasn’t a normal thing. So our street in the middle of the day is barren wasteland as everyone flees to the mall, the library, the coffee shop, or anywhere else where they won’t feel like they’re slowly cooking inside their homes. It’s been crazy.

I guess the silver lining for me has been that since it is too hot to go hang out anywhere that doesn’t cost money, I’ve been doing a lot more reading. You’ll find me most days with a fan pointed directly at me, lounging on my big reading chair and just slowly consuming a book. Our local library had a really lovely book display of summer reading recommendations, and I snatched up two of them to try out. As much as I love my e-reader with all of my heart, there’s something so satisfying about consuming a physical book.

If you have also been attacked by brutal sun and humidity, I hope you’re finding ways to stay cool my friends! Remember, libraries are AMAZING cooling centers and they have the benefit of having all the books you could ever read ;). If you somehow don’t already have a library card, go apply for one! Then reap all the benefits while supporting a wonderful institution.

The post Holy Heatwave Batman! first appeared on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile.

The Details

Media Type: Ebook
Title: Carry Me to My Grave
Author(s): Christopher Golden
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages/Length: Hardcover; 331
Release Date: July 21, 2026
Source: Netgalley

Add it on: Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Storygraph

From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden comes a high concept horror novel about a man trying to protect his dead mother’s body from the evil that is hunting them.

Maggie Wise will take your eyes.

When Malcolm was growing up, the local kids made up that chant about his mother, claiming she was a witch. He and his siblings did their best to ignore it. Now, Maggie is dying, and those same siblings have left Malcolm and his sister-in-law Violet to hold a vigil at her bedside.

But they’re not as alone as they think they are. A dark figure waits and watches from beneath the willow tree across the street. Hundreds of miles away, an ancient evil stirs in its burrow under a farmer’s cornfield. Across the country, other buried things begin to dream in anticipation of Maggie’s demise. On her deathbed, the old woman elicits a promise from Malcolm, her youngest child―when she dies, he and Violet must return her body to her birthplace in Shediak, Maine.

From the moment she takes her last breath, before her remains are even loaded aboard the baggage car of the Imperial Limited, there are forces trying to stop Malcolm from fulfilling that promise. Violence erupts on the train, evil preys on its passengers, and once the sun goes down, those long-buried things are coming to make Maggie Wise pay for her past. God help anyone who stands in their way.

The Review

This book and I had quite the journey together, let me tell you. When I saw the synopsis of Carry Me to My Grave, I was so intrigued. A dying mother, a dark figure with nefarious intentions, and then a cross country trip via train while pursued by evil? Count me in. It all sounded so exciting! I had absolutely no idea what the unnamed evil was, but I was definitely ready to find out. And, for the first few chapters, this book lived right up to my expectations. Things moved quickly, darkness lurked on the periphery, and I was absorbed by it all. Until, I wasn’t.

I think what this book really suffers from is pacing problems. There’s a lot of backstory that has to be unraveled, and the book tries to feed it all to the reader in between pockets of action. That means much of the reasoning behind why Malcolm is fleeing for his life is a just a blank page for the longest time. New characters pop in and out quickly, and it’s really hard to get invested in any of them. Even Malcolm’s family members felt paper thin, which made anything that happened to them a lot less impactful if I’m being honest.

On that note, my other big issue with this book was that it is just terribly gory. I have zero problems with gore in my books. I’m a horror reader through and through, and done correctly I feel it adds considerably to the tension in a story. This book never felt like it fit. Instead, it felt like all of that blood and viscera was simply thrown in for shock value. Which is odd, because this book is written with the kind of language that you wouldn’t expect that from. It almost felt too sophisticated for that. I can’t say much more without potentially spoiling the main plot points, and I know a lot of people will still choose to pick this up for themselves. However I will end with the fact that lore in this book, the very thing that explains Malcolm’s mother’s odd final request, just felt very disjointed to me.

Carry Me to My Grave ended up not being what I expected, and I can’t deny that I was a bit disappointed. Still, the writing style held a lot of promise, so I’ll likely end up trying out whatever comes out from this author next.

The post Book Review: Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden first appeared on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile.

Happy Monday bookish people!

I know I haven’t been around for a pretty good while. I needed a break, and honestly I didn’t even know I needed a break until my brain just forced me to take one. I’ve still been reading a lot. More than normal actually. So I have good fodder for more posts in the future at least. I hope everyone has been doing well!

Read Last Week:

I only finished one book last week, but it was a good one! I borrowed The Love Haters by Katherine Center on a whim, and absolutely barreled through it in 24 hours of listening. This book was so sweet. So full of good messages, and good vibes, and an adorable dog that I wanted to squish will all my might. I adored every second.

Currently Reading:

After talking to a friend about the Red Rising Trilogy, I realized that I never finished reading all of the books. I only finished book one, way back when it first came out, and so I never knew what happened to Darrow. So I borrowed it from the library, and I’m starting the trilogy over! I can already tell this round is going to be a lot different, because my brain has matured a ton since the first time I read this lol. But on we go.

Right now I’m also reading Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff Vandermeer. I needed to wait for my husband to finish up a meeting two weeks ago and of course I ended up wandering into the library to wait. I pulled this from the shelf, and had finished 4 chapters before I even realized it was time to go meet him. It’s now on my nightstand and I read a chapter a night. It’s really good so far!

Reading Next:

Next up I’m finally going to have the time (and brain power) to dive into the third book in Robert Jackson Bennett’s Ana & Din series. I’ve been anticipating A Trade in Blood for ages, and I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy. I cannot WAIT to dive in and get lost again.

That’s it for me! What are you reading this week?

The post It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (7/13/26) first appeared on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile.

The Details

Media Type: Audiobook
Title: Shorefall
Author(s): Robert Jackson Bennett
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Pages/Length: 19h 40m
Release Date: Apr 21, 2020
Source: Library

Add it on: Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Storygraph

As a magical revolution remakes a city, an ancient evil is awakened in a brilliant new novel from the Hugo-nominated author of Foundryside and the Divine Cities trilogy.

A few years ago, Sancia Grado would’ve happily watched Tevanne burn. Now, she’s hoping to transform her city into something new. Something better. Together with allies Orso, Gregor, and Berenice, she’s about to strike a deadly blow against Tevanne’s cruel robber-baron rulers and wrest power from their hands for the first time in decades.

But then comes a terrifying warning: Crasedes Magnus himself, the first of the legendary hierophants, is about to be reborn. And if he returns, Tevanne will be just the first place to feel his wrath.

Thousands of years ago, Crasedes was an ordinary man who did the impossible: Using the magic of scriving—the art of imbuing objects with sentience—he convinced reality that he was something more than human. Wielding powers beyond comprehension, he strode the world like a god for centuries, meting out justice and razing empires single-handedly, cleansing the world through fire and destruction—and even defeating death itself.

Like it or not, it’s up to Sancia to stop him. But to have a chance in the battle to come, she’ll have to call upon a god of her own—and unlock the door to a scriving technology that could change what it means to be human. And no matter who wins, nothing will ever be the same.

The awe-inspiring second installment of the Founders Trilogy, Shorefall returns us to the world Robert Jackson Bennett created in his acclaimed Foundryside . . . and forges it anew.

The Review

Ah, Robert Jackson Bennett. I swear somehow every time I read one of his books I fall in love with his entire writing style all over again. If you’ve been on my blog any length of time, you’ve probably seen that I’ve been devouring his Ana and Din mystery series. There’s something about Bennett’s books that make them so easy to read and simultaneously full of the kind of world building that makes my heart sing. Every character, every setting, every situation, is crafted perfectly onto the page to keep me reading and make 400+ page book feel like it was entirely too short.

I read Shorefall for the first time back when it came out, so this was re-read. Sancia and company felt like old friends. It was like we had never been apart. In this installment, things are getting real. Orso, Sancia, Bernice and Gregor were hoping to return Tevanne to the people. Since we last left them, they’ve managed to make scriving more accessible to the masses, going so far as to set up an entire library for people to learn in and contribute to. Their ultimate goal is to see the downfall of the rich rulers, which you know I can 100% get behind. Unfortunately for them Crasedes Magnus himself, the first of the legendary hierophants, has returned. And with his return comes nothing but destruction.

When I talk about Bennett’s world building, this is what I mean. In the first book we learn that Tevanne’s entire existence is built on a broken class system. The few thrive, while the many live in poverty or sign their lives over to those who seek to imprison them. Orso’s goal of sharing knowledge with the masses, to lift everyone up as one, seems like an excellent plan. However in this book that entire idea is questioned. Crasedes’ plan to end the world has weight. He mentions time and time again that throughout history, he has never seen a group of people actually use knowledge for good. It is either weaponized, or sold. It is either hoarded, or shared with those who would seek to enrich themselves rather than those around them.

According to Crasedes, the only good plan is to wipe humanity out. Get to the root of the problem. As I was reading this book, I just kept thinking about everything currently going on in our world right now. What our taxes are being are being spent on. How the 1% live while everyone else barely scrapes by. Perhaps Crasedes, foe as he might be, has a bit of a point here.

I won’t say too much more, because I don’t want to spoil anything for new readers, but this book was just a treat the entire way through. I love these characters so much, and I was rooting for them the entire time. There’s some really beautiful moments in this story. There were tears, I admit it. There were also massive smiles too, and every emotion in between. The ending of this book got me straight in the heart, and I’m both really excited and equal parts terrified to read the last book. I know I will though, because I need to see my people make it through. I have faith that they will.

The post Book Review: Shorefall (The Founders Trilogy #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett first appeared on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile.

I feel like if someone offered me the opportunity right now to trade places with Sleeping Beauty and just have the best extended nap in history, I would jump right on that. There hasn’t been anything particularly stressful going on, just kind of a big mass of things happening all at once that is draining my energy like mad. It’s been a balancing act to make sure that there is a large amount of fun things mixed in with the necessary things, so that I don’t get burnt out and slump back down into the void.

I think I just really need a vacation. Me, quiet, and my books.

On the bright side, the weather the last few weeks has been absolutely gorgeous. Our summer here in So Cal has really shifted back into late June/early July and so we are still experiencing overcast skies and temps in the mid 70s. Perfect weather for throwing the windows open, and taking a nap on the couch. Or, once I actually get one, taking a hammock nap. Man I love a good hammock nap.

Let me just tell you, look for the glimmers out there friends. Life is tough right now for so many reasons, probably a lot of which you don’t even have control over. Books exist though. Visits with friends bring sanity. Listening to bird song while sitting outside is still free. Wishing you all a calm rest of the week, and a lovely weekend.

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Happy Monday bookish people!

I hope this Monday is being kind to you so far. I’ve started doing analog Sundays, and slowly increasing my off social media time by a little more every few weeks. It has been lovely. It’s a lot easier to tackle the Monday scaries when you’ve had a relaxing day before that becomes the reality. Highly recommended! Now let’s see how my reading has been going, shall we?

Read Last Week:

I didn’t actually finish any books last week because work was absolutely insane, and all I wanted to do when I got home was watch mindless television. I’m on another watch of Prodigal Son and having an excellent time with it!

Currently Reading:

I have a paperback copy of How to Survive a Horror Story that I’m currently slowly making my way through and I’m really enjoying it a ton. It’s a slow burn, but the characters give me hard CLUE vibes and it has just enough darkness to really keep me invested. I can’t wait to finish it up!

I just started The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and this will be my first Grady Hendrix novel in quite a while. I’m honestly super excited about it, and I’ve heard that the audiobook is stellar. So I’ll be starting this on my commute to work tomorrow. Let’s GO!

Reading Next:

Don’t mind me, I’m just over here squealing in delight because I was once again granted an early copy of the next Ana & Din mystery. I am SO EXCITED about this book! I’ve enjoyed the first two so much I’ve read them multiple times, and I cannot wait to dive into this one.

That’s it for me! What are you reading this week?

The post It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (4/27/26) first appeared on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile.