The Blogging Shelf # 2 - a celebration of this amazing accomplishment - half a million views! especially because I almost did not care for it.

December 1 marked the announcement of the finalists and winners for the inaugural Small Spec Book Awards. Learn about the best in Fantasy.

The Blogging Shelf # 1 - a reflection on why I keep returning to blogging and all that it has offered me over the years.

In Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm, return to the beautiful and honest world created by Charlie Mackesy.

Come chat with Ai Jiang about her horror novella, Linghun, about a town called HOME where houses are supposed to be haunted.

Discover 8 spooky season books—from haunted hospitals to cursed films and gothic ghost stories—perfect reads for October nights.

Here is a shortlist of new book releases for October 2025 across multiple genres that piqued our interest. Are any of these on your TBR?

In 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝘿𝙞𝙚, Christina Estes explores the pressures of local news and all it takes to follow instinct over trends. For me, reading is no different. Inspired by Jolene from 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝘿𝙞𝙚, I had to try my own “spy essentials.” Spoiler: my bag is always armed… with a book. 🕵️‍♀️📖Many thanks to my book bestie for getting me this amazing bag, Christina Estes @reporterestes for sharing what makes up Jolene’s undercover gear and @minotaur_books for a copy of this book for review. Tell me: What’s always in your bag?🔖 #armedwithabook #undercover #bookbag #tote #bookreel #MysteryReaders #bookspy #bookbloggerlife #bookobssesedView all comments

Alt: A man wearing glasses is looking at a laptop. He raises his eyebrows and turns his head slightly to the left.

Here is a shortlist of new book releases for August 2025 across multiple genres that piqued our interest. Are any of these on your TBR?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig explores what it means to live when infinite lives are available to choose from.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a heartbreaking gorey ghost tale set in the time of COVID, exploring anti-Asian sentiments.

5 comforting articles from Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting by Janet Lansbury that gave me ideas on how to be with baby.

In The Buffalo Hunter Hunter , Stephan Graham Jones is a master at writing horror that does more than scare on the surface.

Discover all that goes on at Armed with A Book from reviews to indie authors features, monthly reading reflections and more. Subscribe.

Presenting the Fantasy nominees for Small Spec Book Awards (SSBA) 2025! Check out these 14 titles from indie and small presses.

TBR Tales # 9 - My Pregnancy Reading List, the impactful books I read through pregnancy into early motherhood, organized by trimesters.

In A Curse for the Homesick Laura Brooke Robson explores the deep ties that make a place—and a person—feel like home.

On Indie Recommends Indie, Millie Abecassis, author of the Daughters of the Blue Moon, shares her favorite books.

On Indie Recommends Indie, Millie Abecassis, author of the Daughters of the Blue Moon, shares her favorite books.

With themes of isolation and survival, I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman is a great buddy/book club read. Find out why.

Here is a shortlist of new book releases for February 2025 across multiple genres that piqued our interest.

From amongst the 200+ books we read, presenting the second Armed with A Book Choice Awards inspired by our reading experience categories.

Looking for a holiday romcom? Join the chat with Kerri Lane Mariano about her latest novel, The Gingerbread Games. Excerpt included.

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum is a thoughtful meditation on the lives of the members of one conservative Arab family in Brooklyn.

Join the chat with Viktor F. Krown about The Pledge - A Collection of Tales in the Fantasy genre.

Crossings by Alex Landragin is a unique speculative fiction about two people who can swap their soul with others humans.

Inspired by a Goodreads list on Eight Beloved books from each of the past 10 years (2014-2023), here are my thoughts on 2019-2023.

Inspired by a Goodreads list on Eight Beloved books from each of the past 10 years (2014-2023), here are my thoughts on 2014-2018.

On the Indie Recommends Indie series, Drew Harrison, author of Early Adopter, a SciFi Thriller stories collection, shares his favorites.

Private Rites by Julia Armfield is a speculative fiction about three sisters, set in a world where it rains all the time.

Before Your Memory Fades is the third book in Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, taking place at within the walls of Café Donna Donna.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong is an immersive cozy fantasy, focused on friendship and self-discovery.

Here is a shortlist of new book releases for December 2024 across multiple genres that I piqued my interest.