January 2026
Theme = Power of Death

Not all have the strength to wield the power of death, but heavy is the head that wears the crown.

Items inspired by Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, Arcana Academy, The Foxglove King and the book of the month.

💛 Petals and Poisons Bowl Set with artwork by @_studio_ao
💛 Arcana Academy Magnet with artwork by @No0nedesigns
💛 Bringer of Spring Bowl Covers, inspired by The Poet Empress, artwork by @AlixFarren
💛 Magic In Mortem Socks inspired by The Foxglove King, artwork by @toothandtoad

💛 FEATURED BOOK 💛

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

✨ An exclusive redesigned cover (art by @afterblossom_art, design by @chattynora)
✨ Full colour artwork on the hardback  (by @afterblossom_art)
✨ Digitally printed edges on all three sides (by @afterblossom_art)
✨ Endpaper artwork; different front and back (by @gracezhuart)
✨ Bound-in author letter
✨ Digital signature

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BLURB

In the waning years of the Azalea Dynasty, the emperor is dying, the land consumed by famine, and poetry magic lost to all except the powerful.

Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves.

Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel heir of the beautiful and brutal Azalea House.

But in a twist of fate, the palace stands on the knife-edge of civil war with Wei trapped in its center…at the side of a violent prince.

To survive, Wei must harden her heart, rely on her wit, and become dangerous herself. Even if it means becoming a poet in a world where women are forbidden to read—and composing the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of death…and love.

Title: The Lies That Summon the Night

Series: Songs for the Sinless #1

Author: Tessonja Odette

Genre: Dark Romantasy

Year of publication: 2026

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BLURB

From the art of liars, the monsters came…

Ever since art gave life to bloodthirsty shadows, creative works have been forbidden and the talented creators sacrificed to the Sinless—the immortal royals who feast on human blood in return for their protection.

Inana’s secret storytelling nearly got her killed once, and she’ll be damned if she’s ever caught again. With a bounty on her head, she keeps to the city’s dark underbelly where she earns a meager living from thrill-seeking patrons desperate to hear her illicit fiction. Until Dominic, a Shadowbane, catches one of her performances. . .

Dominic is a half-Sinless monster hunter as fearsome as his prey. But to complete his hunt, he needs an artist to summon the shadows . . . he needs Inana. Dominic delivers an ultimatum: serve him or he’ll claim her bounty. When survival is all Inana has left, the choice is clear. At least until she can betray him and leave him for dead.

As their tense alliance leads them into the heart of danger, dark secrets unravel—about each other, their world, and the threats they face. But the greatest risk of all is the desire growing between them. There’s something more sinful than lust at play, and it could bring the world to its knees.

This book wasn’t even on my radar until I saw a special edition advertised. I read the blurb and then ordered it! I’m so glad I did because it was so good!!

Inana has a bounty on her head and survives by telling stories in the city.

Dominic the Shadowbane, a hunter, needs her unique skills to complete his work, so he essentially blackmails her into teaming up with him.

Dominic, his shades, Inana, and three others form a crew and set off on a dangerous mission… and that’s when things get really interesting!!!!

~ Sort of vamps
~ Shadow daddy!
~ Banter
~ Secrets
~ Forbidden love
~ Incredible world-building
~ Spice

And the spice……perfectly done. Dominic and his shades are deliciously saucy!!  I loved them!!!

That ending had my jaw on the floor. So many huge reveals!

Now… when is book two coming out?!

⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5

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Sound like something you’d like?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Love/Valentine’s Freebie

My favourite romance books!

I’m sure I’ve done this before but am too lazy to look back!

Romance books have a way of reminding us that love is messy, complicated and sometimes beautiful.

These are my favourites that have made me fall in love over and over again with them!

First….romantasy…..

Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide
Blood and Steel by Helen Scheuerer
Throne of Glass by SJM
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
ACOTAR by SJM

Now…..pure romance!

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Rock Chicks by Kristen Ashley
Last Riders by Jamie Begley

What would be on your list?

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hope you’ve had a good week!

Another week gone and not much happened! And that’s a good thing!

Work has been busy. As a project manager in the pensions industry, the run-up to the end of the tax year is always intense!

Outside of work, I’ve rediscovered something I really love: audiobooks. Which is strange, because at the end of last year I was the complete opposite — I could only read ebooks and struggled with audio!

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🎧 Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Carving Shadows into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

See my reviews soon!

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Stacking the Shelves – January 2026
Book Review – The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst
Feature – Monthly Book Stats: Just January

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Unboxing – Illumicrate – January 2026
Calendar – Valentines Day

What have you read lately?

Title: The Enchanted Greenhouse

Series: Spellshop #2

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Year of publication: 2025

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BOOKS IN THE SERIES

The Spellshop – my review

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QUOTE

The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.

BLURB

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Oh this book was like a warm hug!

We meet Terlu, the not-sorceress who turned a spider plant into the magical Caz (book 1!). After being tried and punished by being turned into a statue for 6 years, she wakes up on Belde Island…….

The island is full of magical greenhouses, a grumpy gardener named Yarrow, a flying cat, baby dragons, singing flowers, and a talking rose called Lottie!!

Something is going wrong, and the greenhouses are failing and plants start dying. Terlu and Yarrow have to team up to figure out what’s happening and how to stop it.

There was found family, second chances, figuring out who you are and finding love when you least expect it.

The writing is so descriptive and cozy that I completely fell in love with the world. I want to go to Belde Island!

If you love cozy fantasy with plants and magic that gives you the warm fuzzies, then this is the book for you!

⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5

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Sound like something you’d like?

I always keep track of my books read in the year but, for 2026, I decided to keep track of my monthly reading stats as they help me understand my reading habits and to try and stay motivated.

January felt like 59 days so you’d think I would’ve read a lot of books. Alas that is not true!

3647 pages.
8 books (3 rereads).
All fiction — fantasy-heavy
63% audiobooks!

💬 Final Thoughts
Tracking my monthly reading stats keeps me accountable and reminds me why I love reading so much (sometimes!)

How many books did you read this month?

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! And audiobooks. Don’t forget audiobooks!

In other words, if you can read it or if it can be read to you – no matter how you got it – it belongs in Stacking the Shelves.

The Stacking the Shelves meme was originally hosted at Team Tynga’s Reviews. It is currently hosted by Reading Reality.

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New year, new me and my promise not to buy as many books!

Well that failed!

I got 8 books.

Books I Bought

Vicious/Vengeful by VE Schwab (Illumicrate)
My Blade, Your Back by KM Moronova
The Poet Empress by Shen Tao (Illumicrate)
We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark (Fairyloot)
Witches Guide to Magical Inkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (Fairyloot)
My Blade, Your Back by KM Moronova
King of Ravens by Claire Sager (Fairyloot)


Advanced Reader Copies

None! (At least I excelled there in my promise!!)

I’d better get reading!

 

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Book Covers Featuring Cool/Pretty/Unique Typography

I started off thinking if typography actually matters to me. It’s something I don’t pay that much attention to. But am I wrong?!

I did Google about typography on book covers and, basically, it seems I am wrong as the majority of articles say that great typography sells stories before they’re read. So I need to start paying attention!

Forged in Blood by Sadie Kincaid
Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty
Gold by Raven Kennedy
The Shadow Bride by Shelby Mahurin

A Witches Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
Compass and Blade by Rachel Greenlaw
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
A Darkness at the Door by Intisar Khanani

What typography is your favourite?

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hope you’ve had a good week!

Happy February!

Thank the book lords that January is done, it felt like 59 days!

Had a 3 day migraine this week and also found out that I was probably misdiagnosed 4 years ago and I don’t have tendonitis in my ankle but it’s caused by a herniated disc in my spine! So now have to go for an MRI scan to see!

Because of my head, I only read 1 book this week but I did say that my goal this year was 1 book a week so I’m on track!

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🎧 Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

See my review soon!

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Book Review – Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff
Book Review – A Scar in the Bone by Sophie Jordan

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Book Review – The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst
Feature – Monthly Book Stats: Just January

What have you read lately?