WPS 2026 Day 4: Any Gravelle

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 4: Any Gravelle

Welcome to day 4 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Any Gravelle. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Any Gravelle's LGBTQ+ Release

• Y'a d'la fierté dans l'air

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Pansexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"LGBTQIA+ and depression"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I would try to write either a sport or a dark romance and maybe a thriller, but I don't plot enough to write a good one. I like to be surprised by my characters. "

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"My own life and people around me. I also get inspired by the music I listen to, the movies or the series I watch, even by other authors."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I'm working on a new contemporary romance short story for an anthology with Ignite by books next year and a secret project that I hope will see the light."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Coeur de Pirate, she has an amazing voice. I also like RuPaul, the funniest person on television."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 4: Steven Gellman

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 4: Steven Gellman

Welcome to day 4 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Steven Gellman. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Steven Gellman's LGBTQ+ Release

• Somewhere in Nowhere

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Gay"

2. What rep do your books have?

"LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, a neurodivergent character with mental health being the main focus of the story"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I'm currently writing book three of my loosely-connected contemporary YA trilogy, but I'm also in the very early stages of planning an adult cozy magical realism series which I'm quite excited about. So the question of 'if' might become 'when.'"

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Judy Blume is my muse. When I set out to write my debut novel I knew from the get go it was going to be a classic coming of age novel in the vein of Judy Blume. Her books kept me company in my youth and taught me about the world. I wanted to do the same, except for all the queer kids."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"Yes! Somewhere in Nowhere just came out, but I've already turned in my second novel to my agent and I'm super excited about it. I really love it and I can't wait for the world to meet Tobey Mackintosh. Also I just released a limited edition hot pink vinyl record with songs inspired by my novel. More info at hiddenpoet.com"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"So many! But to keep it brief. 

In writing books it's Rex Ogle. 

In music it's the Indigo Girls: Amy & Emily. 

In activism it's George Takei."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 3: BJ Sikes

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 3: BJ Sikes 

Welcome to day 3 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing BJ Sikes . Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

BJ Sikes 's LGBTQ+ Releases

• Her Runaway Lady
• The Archimedean Heart
• The Vitruvian Mask

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Queer"

2. What rep do your books have?

"The Archimedean Heart: ace

The Vitruvian Mask: bi, nonbinary, gay

Her Runaway Lady: lesbian"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I already write in multiple genres! I'm all about historicals but the genre shifts. I started out with steampunk with queer vibes, then published a gothic horror, and now a sapphic historical romance."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Music lyrics are really inspirational for me. The seed for my next book was an Unwoman lyric: 'I am making peace with the emptiness, the hollowness, because I refuse to fill it with lies.'" 

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I'll be publishing a queer climate sci-fi this summer with Water Dragon Publishing. I've always been an indie author writing historicals so this is definitely a new direction for me!"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"A gay author friend of mine who works his tail off promoting other queer authors while continuing to write his own work at an astonishing pace (without AI!)."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 3: Jeza Belle

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 3: Jeza Belle

Welcome to day 3 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Jeza Belle. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Jeza Belle's LGBTQ+ Releases

• Secrets in the Tallgrass
• Abomination-The Story of David & Jonathan
• The Freedom to Love; Blood Rouge
• Jeza's Jesus Juice-A Drag Queen's Christian Devotional
• The Harlot's Guide to Classy Cocktails-Delicious Drink Recipes and Drunk Drag Queens

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Yes- G/Q/+"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Secrets in the Tallgrass: an intersex main character. It is part of a collection of historical fiction novels featuring LGBTQIA+ main characters in settings where our existence has been minimized or overlooked."

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I consider myself a genre-fluid author so there's not a genre I wouldn't [dip] a toe-point into...at least once. 

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"I am inspired by queer existence across time and spaces. Through all of my work I like to shine a light on our endurance in times of trouble and in daily existence, as that existence is often seen as a challenge merely by our being alive."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"Yes! I have a new comedy show June 20 in NYC for Pride called Hated Rivalry at the Copacabana. I host a virtual reading event called Book-A-Licious where I bring together LGBTQIA+ authors and readers from literally around the globe to provide a space for marginalized authors to read from their books. The next one is July 25. Follow me on insta to sign up for the event or to get tix to Hated Rivalry!"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"I always say when I grow up I want to be Lady Bunny. I think she is disgustingly funny and I find her to be someone who really stands her ground."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 2: Marie Allen

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 2: Marie Allen

Welcome to day 2 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Marie Allen. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Marie Allen's LGBTQ+ Releases

• Finding Our Forever
• Searching for Forever
• Understanding Our Forever
• A Demon for Christmas, Building Our Forever
• My Epic Summer Part 1
• My Epic Summer Part 2
• My Epic Christmas Break
• Daddy Bear
• Sold by my Parents-Pt 1: How It All Began

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Bisexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"LGBTQIA+"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"It would still be queer. So far I've done paranormal and some contemporary (set to release in 2027). I think probably mystery.  I love a good mystery, but I'm just not sure if I'm ready to tackle that.  I'm not good at planning, I'm more of a start writing and see what happens.  I just think for a good mystery you probably need to plan more of it out."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"My kids, they are a lot of the reason I write all over the rainbow. I think everyone should be able to find books that have characters similar to themselves in the story. I love seeing myself in MC's that I read and I know other people feel the same way."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

" I've got some stories coming out next year in a couple of different shared world author collabs I'm excited for. I'm also taking part this holiday season in a charity anthology. I've loved having the chance to work with other authors on these projects."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"This would once again be my kids. I look at them in amazement at how unapologetically authentic they are. Growing up in the 80's you hid your differences to fit in. But now, they are just themselves. They are so comfortable in their skin and identities, it amazes me. I just wish more people could realize that it doesn't matter how you are different. Take that chance, get to know the 'weird' kid or co-worker, they are probably an amazing fun human!"

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 2: J.T. Adria

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 2: J.T. Adria

Welcome to day 2 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing J.T. Adria. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

J.T. Adria's LGBTQ+ Releases

• Forest of the Stars
• The One Who Slept

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Bisexual and transmasc non-binary"

2. What books of yours have LGBTQ+ representation, and what rep do they have?

"Forest of the Stars: One MC is a gay trans man, the other is a queer cis man. One of the MCs is BIPOC (and multiple side characters are too). It has a sentient spaceship that's ADHD-coded and an MC who is autistic, but neither is clearly labeled on the page.

The One Who Slept: All three MCs are bisexual. One of the MCs has ADHD (likewise not labeled), and another MC's story centers around her CPTSD."

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"There's always something weird about my ideas, so I think I'd still write some kind of speculative fiction. I've recently gotten into horrormance, and I'd love to write something like it, if the right idea ever found me."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"I love impossible and fantastical things, but I want them with feels and happy endings. And, for a long time, there weren't a lot of books like that. Anne Rice's vampires got me started on gothic fantasy but it was Freya Marske's A Marvellous Light where I went "THIS! I need to write something like this." Now I write gaslamp fantasy and science fiction because I like hopping genres and find the right world for every story."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"It turns out, there's a lot! You're going to see a range of transmasc characters from me over the coming months. Forest of the Stars is getting a sequel, I have a short I'm extremely proud of in the H.O.T. anthology coming this September, and there's something else that's brilliant but I can't talk about yet.💜"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Marlene Dietrich, for her noncomformity. I remember some of my non-supportive family members clutching their pearls when I unapologetically found her really cool in men's clothes. Which only made me like her more, of course.😂"

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 1: Finn Dixon

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 1: Finn Dixon

Welcome to day 1 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Finn Dixon. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Finn Dixon's LGBTQ+ Releases

• Rings of Lust
• Floored by Love
• The Forever Vault
• Dickathlon
• Snowballing
• Jack Frosting
• North Pole Dancer
• Frat Ghost Wingman 
• The Key Holder
• Swim Crush
• The Neighbor

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Gay"

2. What books of yours have LGBTQ+ representation, and what rep do they have?

"Dickathlon: Black MC, gay

Dickathlon, Jack Frosting: Gay and bisexual"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"If I weren't writing gay romance, I'd probably be bouncing between the distant past and the near future. Mary Renault and Michael Crichton are my two favorite authors, so I’d love to tackle sweeping historical fiction or pulse-pounding sci-fi thrillers. Honestly, I have an idea for both of those with a gay romance as the main relationship. I even have tentative titles, but I have so many other ideas, I'm not quite sure when I would get to those. The historical I am currently writing is taking some time because it's an entire different time - the culture and language is very different from today. No one is jizzing on anything."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"My biggest inspiration is definitely my husband—specifically his incredibly dry sense of humor. I just take his witty banter and mix it with my very healthy, very normal fantasy of falling for the sarcastic, goofy jock next door. I love writing characters who already know exactly what's going on between them, and have no shame about any of it, so that playful, low angst energy is always at the core of my stories.

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"It’s going to be a packed summer! I’m officially starting my Master's program this May, and I’ll be heading to Romanticonn in CT in July—definitely come say hi if you're going to be there! I give great hugs. On the writing front, I’m deep in the trenches with my next release, The Fake Unicorn. It’s my very first foray into hockey romance, and I am already head over blades for captain Ric and golden boy Flynn."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"It has to be Howard Ashman. I grew up loving the Disney Renaissance films he worked on, but as I got older and understood his story, my appreciation deepened into something more. He essentially saved Disney animation by infusing it with Broadway theatrics and incredible emotional depth, all while secretly battling HIV during the height of the AIDS crisis. When you listen to a song like 'Part of Your World' or look at the overarching themes of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, it’s hard not to hear those hidden allegories for queer longing, feeling like a complete outsider, or searching for a place where you belong. He poured his own isolation, trauma, and pride into stories that resonated with the entire world, and he did it while facing unimaginable personal tragedy. As a gay storyteller, his ability to weave that kind of raw, emotional truth into such beautiful and enduring narratives is inspiring."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 1: A.E. LeMercier and Tyler Laux

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 1: A.E. LeMercier and Tyler Laux

Welcome to day 1 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing A.E. LeMercier. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

A.E. LeMercier's LGBTQ+ Releases

• Seeking His Command
• Held in His Command

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Sapphic"

2. What books of yours have LGBTQ+ representation, and what rep do they have?

"Gay, bisexual, demisexual and mental health"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I’ve been in love with Sci-Fi and Spec-Fi since I first joined my father watching Star Trek TNG at 8 - the more speculative, the better. "How would things change if the world was like X?" I indulge with things like my ‘alternate universe’ short story collections, and my fantasy Omegaverse series was born from creating a magic system based on the intersection of secondary genders and intimacy."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Maybe this is a bit stereotypical, but my inspiration is love and relationships, romantic and otherwise. It’s fascinating! There’s so many ways we can be empowered by the love and connections we form with each other; I love hearing things like 'I could never do this for myself, but I’ll do it for my wife.' The essential, base essence of all my writing is always an exploration of growth through love. Spice and k!nk are then lush, diverse avenues for such explorations. ;)"

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"Tyler is producing the audiobook for book 3 of my Intricate Ties series, Sharing his Command, with multicast support from some incredible female narrators. We're aiming to release it and #4 by the end of the summer, which puts the full first season in Audio.

A Queer Romantasy release is coming out in July, Silverfin, co-authored with my wife, Simona Niles. It's both MM and Sapphic with big found family vibes, and we've partnered with another incredible queer narrator, Luulu Soul (@luulusoul) to lead a duet production for the audiobook."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"I love having so many to pick from! Bryan Fuller's brought such fascinating queer rep to TV. Tegan and Sara are my hometown girls, I love the work they do to help queer and trans youth, especially enabling community and grassroots. So many talented drag queens like Jinkx Monsoon are huge inspirations to me both creatively and socially, and I'm super blessed to be able to work with the Canadian drag community in throwing a big all-ages drag show in my home town every May. And I adore Alan Cumming for basically every reason - but especially his loud and glamorous stance against bisexual erasure. Plus... those outfits on the Traitors. ;)

7. Can you tell me about your queer partnership and audiobooks?

"As a Sapphic writer of MM, I’ve been incredibly blessed to be surrounded by supportive (and oversharing) gay friends much of my life, so when the universe (tiktok algo) connected me with Tyler Laux of @lauxandfound productions it felt like kismet. The incredible performance talent and ‘own voice’ authenticity he brings to our audiobooks have elevated the “heat with heart” in my high-spice stories exponentially. It’s crucial that my collaborators share my values when it comes to sharing diverse and inclusive stories, and Tyler’s lived experience and online community-building have been the most valuable part of my indie writer growth this year."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

CWW: The Shippers

 

This week's book is.... The Shippers

Author: Katherine Center

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: May 19th, 2026

Series: n/a

Blurb:

One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets... and true love rediscovered.

Explanation:

This will actually be my "make or break" book for this author. There was one of hers I really liked, and one of which I read that was not for me. I want to see if she will be an author for me to keep up with or not so much.

I have an ALC for this one, so you will see my review soon!

T10T: My Latest 5-Star Reads

        

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As I missed last week, I will be throwing back to it this week.

This week's prompt is..... my latest 5-star reads

These are from most to least recent

1. Cambria by A.R. Tyler
2. The Weight of Ashes by Erin FitzGerald
3. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
4. Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell
5. Ain't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton by Martha Ackmann
6. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
7. Better Not Pout by Maren Moore
8. Half-Light Harbor by Samantha Young
9. Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown
10. Burning Down the House by Dani Galliaro

I am actually quite picky with my 5-star reads. They are likely what some people would consider 6-star reads. My 5-stars are only books I know will stick with me forever. As such, only the first three are from 2026.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

How picky are you with your 5-star reads? Please share your 5-star recs as I am due for one! See you tomorrow for some gushing!

Wonderland Pride Spotlight 2026 Author FAQ

Thank you for your interest in my Wonderland Pride Spotlight project for 2026! I am as always excited to champion LGBTQ+ voices and stories with fantastic and much needed representation!

What is the WPS?

WPS is an event/project that I do every Pride month. Each day of pride I (and other participants) feature an author who is LGBTQ+ or writes books with LGBTQ+ rep. 

Does this cost money?

It is totally free to participate. I just want to share the love and champion marginalized voices. The only "cost" is a bit of your time to fill out the form and do the interview via email.

How does it work?

Every day, I (and other participants) will feature an indie author and their LGBTQ+ release[s]. They will be featured here on my blog, my Instagram, and my Bluesky. 

The posts will tag the author (if they are on that platform), include their cover images, hype the rep in the book[s] (if applicable), and my blog post will include a short interview if that author signed up for that. 

TDLR: It is a fun, themed way of getting free promo for indie authors

How do I sign up?

Fill out the Google form with your author information and keep an eye out for an email from me (readintowonderland@yahoo.com) if you are selected. 

When does the event run?

It is from June 1st to June 30th!

What is your policy on AI?

My platform is staunchly anti-AI. As such, I am taking the utmost precaution to ensure everyone involved does not use it. Anyone seriously suspected or proven to use AI will be barred from participation and is ineligible for a feature on my platform.

Who can participate?

Any indie author who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community or includes LGBTQ+ rep in books. Priority will be given to LGBTQ+ authors and early sign-ups. Authors must also not use AI to write, create, or promote your books. You must have at least one published book by June 1st, 2026 (otherwise I can't help get you sales).

Anyone is welcome to be a poster if you are interested in uplifting others.

What counts as indie?

For the purposes of WPS, an indie author is any author who self-publishes or is part of an indie press. The main thing is to not be backed by a major publisher. The goal here is to uplift smaller publications.

What do you need from authors?

I need all of the responses to the questions in the Google form, along with highly quality cover images of all of your LGBTQ+ releases. These can be added to the form or sent to me via email (readintowonderland@yahoo.com).

For a brief author interview, I will send those questions to you via email so I do not fight being called a bot by social media and to help keep things organized.

FFAF: I Love Spring Book Tag

      

Intro

I am in the woes of spring allergies so I have to remind myself why spring is my favorite season. As such, this challenge is the perfect choice! I found it from Alli the Book Giraffe. It originated from helenthebookowl over on YouTube.

The Prompts and My Picks

How is spring where you live?

It is full of pretty blooms, the full scale of weather, and too much pollen

Most anticipated book release this spring?

Dangerously Ours by Krista & Becca Ritchie

I totally adored the first two books in the series so I am hyped to finish the trilogy!

Show us a book cover that reminds you of spring

The flowers are the most springy thing to me of this cover

What are you going to read this spring?

A lot of ARCs and trying to pick up some non-romance books as well

Find a cover with the sun on it

It took me a while to find one with the actual sun in it and not just sunlight. I read this one last year.

What are your favorite spring reads?

When spring rolls around, I tend to get very excited for the summer and want to dive into those. Books that involve the characters going outside match the vibe.

Find a book with many different colors in it

How about the whole rainbow?

Outro

This was a fun and quick time which I am always appreciate of. How is the spring going for you? See ya next week!

   

Spell the Month in Books: April 2026

Intro

This is a fun challenge that I am going to try for 2026. This is inspired by Mehsi-Hime! You can check out their picks here!

This month I decided to pull from my shelves to spell the month

The Books

A - Addicted to You by Krista & Becca Ritchie

P- Papercut by Rachel Taff

R - Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I - I Thought My Father Was God by Paul Auster (borrowed from my roommates' shelf, as I have no I books)

L - Lineups & Lyrics by Tina Gallagher

Outro

Well, I was almost able to do it. I am truly shocked I have no books that start with I on my shelves. Clearly I need to fix that at some point. If you have any recs with books that start with the letter I, let me know! See ya next month where I will probably go back to books I've read.

T10T: April Showers

       

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! I love when the prompt is open to interpretation like this week! I am taking it to mean blue book covers

This week's prompt is..... April showers

These are in no particular order

1. Until We Meet Again by Lily Kim Qian
2. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
3. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
4. Common Goal by Rachel Reid
5. The Trouble with Love and Exposure by Harriet Ashford
6. Cambria by A.R. Tyler
7. The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao
8. Let Me Count the Ways by Laurel Osterkamp
9. It Seemed Like a Good Idea by Lauren Blakely
10. Hurt Me Not by Davidson King

These all compliment each other so well! I love the blue vibes.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

I enjoyed taking a peek at all of the covers of books I've read so far this year to find some blue ones. I truly love how they all look together so much. What's your favorite color of book cover?

CWW: They Want Us Dead

 

This week's book is.... They Want Us Dead

Author: CL Montblanc

Publisher: Wednesday books

Release Date: April 28th, 2026

Series: n/a

Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Sam Tombs hopes to get more eyes on the videos they make to raise awareness of crimes against LGBTQ+ teens. A true crime content creator event seems like the perfect opportunity to grow their channel—until the group becomes stranded at an eerie Victorian mansion, and one of them is killed in the night.

Sam’s alibi, and the only person they can trust, happens to be their mean, dorky internet nemesis Dylan. But the two must now put aside their rivalry and use their investigative skills to figure out who among the remaining teens is the killer, before their own deaths become tomorrow’s trending content.

Explanation:

I am quite excited for this one and even have an ARC for it! It has the LGBTQ+ rep I want to see way more in mystery thrillers. As such, it is a hyped release for me. Stay tuned for my thoughts soon

T10T: Books Titles That Describe Me/My Life

      

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! I've been pretty busy lately, so I am happy for an easy prompt

This week's prompt is..... books titles that describe me/my life

These are in no particular order

1. Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
2. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
3. The Good Girl Exception by Maren Moore
4. The Gender Binary is a Big Lie by Lee Wind
5. Thinky Thoughts: All Grown Up and Still Just as Confused by Gwenna Laithland
6. It Seemed Like a Good Idea by Lauren Blakely
7. Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell
8. Just Us by Evie Sterling
9. Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
10. Back to December by Laurel Osterkamp

I will not be diving into how all of these apply as it can get rather personal and dark depending on the book, but they all do in different ways. In many cases, the actual plot of the book would not apply at all, but title alone would which is interesting.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

This prompt was an interesting thought experiment. What's a book title that would apply to your life? See ya next week!

Bok Mail Monday #7

      

Intro

Welcome back to Book Mail Monday! It's been a minute because I've been away  from my mailbox for a few weeks, but I'm back! Some very cute book mail to share!

The Book Mail

Books Included

-  The Analyst and the All-Star by Mel Walker

- Missing in Soho by Holly Stars

Discussion

The Analyst and the All-Star is a recently released sports romance I can already attest I liked a lot! It is signed by the author and came with a bunch of goodies! These goodies include a book mark, a business card, a postcard with a free book download, a sticker, and coolest of all some fake baseball cards featuring both of the MCs.

Missing is Soho was sent to me directly from Berkley! It is my first ever physical galley and it feels like I'm moving up in the world. I just know I will love it!

The last book mail is not actually a book but just a bunch of fun goodies! It is from the author Maren Moore. It includes some character art and a bunch of stickers relating to the book The Good Girl Exception which I already finished and enjoyed. 

Outro

Thank you to Marne, Mel, and Berkley publishing for all of this delightful book mail. I wish I could share these sooner but at least I am back now. Have you had any fun book mail recently?

See you next time I have some exciting book mail to share!

FFAF: The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag

     

Intro

Can you believe we are already into quarter two of the year? That is absolutely nuts to me. As such, this is the perfect bookish tag! I found it from Dini Panda Reads. It originated from Roisin's Reading over on YouTube.

The Prompts and My Picks

How many books have you read so far?

40

This is only counting books read in quarter 1, not any read so far in April. This feels just fine to me honestly. That said, I am focusing on having fun with reading, not the total number so I'd be happy if it was only 3 so far.

Have you already found a book you think might be a 2026 favorite?

Cambria by A.R. Tyler

Something about this one just totally sucked me in when reading. I truly devoured it in only 2 days which is super fast for me and a physical read. 

Any 1-star books / least favorite book of the year?

No 1-star reads yet, but my last favorite so far for sure is Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

I am getting significantly better and DNFing books I am not loving. I have DNFed at least 1 book a month in quarter 1 which I am honestly proud of. This book, I generously gave 2.5 stars, as I really did not love the content. I only finished it to help with my 50 states challenge this year.

Most read genre so far?

Romance

If you have been around here at all, this should not at all be a surprise. It is a favorite for a good reason for me. I get great delight from it and it is what I primarily get ARCs for. That said, it's lead is starting to dwindle.

A book that surprised you?

Hurt Me Not by Davidson King

I have not previously been a fantasy enby (I still would not say I am). That said, I enjoyed buddy reading this with my aunt-in-law a good bit. I will try some now.

A book that’s come out in 2026 already that you want to read but haven’t yet?

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison

I still have not read the first book in this series either. It is on my TBR and I hope to get to them both at some point this year. I have not read any of her books yet.

One goal you made that you’re succeeding at

Read at least 10% non-fiction

At the moment it is at 22%, which is fantastic for me! I am so glad to be getting to know what I like in this category!

One goal you made that you need to focus on

Host an amazing WPS for 2026

June is absolutely sneaking up sooner and sooner. I am about to start working on stuff to pull it off now, with the hope of as simple of a June as possible. Wish me luck and be sure to let me know if you'd like to be involved!

Outro

As always, if you'd like to do the challenge, consider yourself tagged. How did your first quarter of reading go? I hope it went well!