Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: How do you think the fantasy genre has changed over the years? Is there a particular time period of fantasy writing that you particularly enjoy?

Title: A Serving of Hope (Kamagowa Food Detectives #4) Author: Hisashi Kashiwai Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Publication date: October 6, 2026 Genre: Fiction A Serving of Hope is the fourth in the Kamogawa Food Detectives series, translated from Japanese. It follows Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi as they run a perfectly normal diner in Kyoto that also doubles as a very special detective agency.

I often find reading to be a calm, relaxing activity. Sometimes I have to think fast to keep up, and sometimes I don't. While I do like the more leisurely reads, the ones that sweep me away on an adventure and I don't have to think too hard, I also adore those books that do make me think, that do throw puzzles in my path.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: Sometimes people talk about fantasy as allowing readers to see or realize things about our real world that they would not otherwise have seen (that is, they argue that fantasy can more effectively help us see reality than realistic fiction or even nonfiction can).

Hello there! As my long time readers know, I like to change things up once in a while. It was kind of dizzying for the first few years, the number of changes I made in any given year, or sometimes month. More recently, I've settled into certain routines and templates that have made it easy to at least try to keep up as my personal life has become increasingly busier.

Title: The Lost Spectacular Author: Zoe Duhaime Publisher: Erewhon Books Publication date: September 29, 2026 Genre: Magical Realism The Lost Spectacular is being compared to The Night Circus and The Midnight Library, two books I still intend on reading. I managed to grasp the circus whimsy and grief, but I was not expecting how literary this ended up feeling. Reading this required focus and slowness just so I wouldn’t miss important details, not necessarily to understand the story, but to understand the world and how jumping through books and art worked.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: Ursula K Le Guin has written about “consciously imitating” Tolkien and creating a wider landscape and history for her fantasy world…

At Home How is it Friday again? I like to think this past week was a perfectly ordinary one. I managed to get my posts for next week written and got some rewriting in. The kittens have gone off their rockers again. The kids have been given a manageable load of homework so there haven't been any real tantrums or fights.

Title: Eat, Drink, and Get Buried (Coffeehouse Mystery #22) Author: Cleo Coyle Publisher: Berkley Publication date: September 22, 2026 Genre: Cozy Mystery Eat, Drink, and Get Buried is the 22nd in the Coffeehouse Mystery cozy mystery series. While I normally say each installment can be read as a standalone, which is generally true, I’m starting to feel like each book builds on previous books in terms of personal relationships.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: What role do you think technology should play in fantasy? Some authors try to avoid it (ex. worlds set in an imagined past before modernization or worlds like HP where wizards simply do not use telephones or television even though they have been invented).

At Home So, the past week has been fun. Last weekend was a 4 day weekend for my kids as they celebrated Labor Day and California Admission Day. It was noisy and a little chaotic, but mostly because the kids were home and my husband and I had things to do around the house to prepare for the rain. Southern California doesn't get hurricanes, or tropical storms.

Title: Silk and Sensibility Author: Mengxi Seeley Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing Publication date: September 15, 2026 Genre: Historical Fiction Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility is one of my favorite novels. I love the story of Elinor and Marianne and their complicated romances. I’ve also been looking more for Chinese-inspired novels, and have been enjoying maybe way too many Chinese dramas over the past few years.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: There has been ongoing discussion on social media about whether readers actually read or enjoy prologues. Do you think prologues add value to a story, or do you wish the story just started with chapter one?

At Home This was a fast week, and this weekend is a long one for my kids. They're off today and Monday, which will be nice because they can help keep the kittens in check! It's been so busy all week, and the cats have decided it's the perfect time to get back into jumping on everything and otherwise getting into trouble.

Title: An Empire in the Clouds Author: Ai Jiang Publisher: Titan Books Publication date: September 15, 2026 Genre: Science Fantasy An Empire in the Clouds is a Chinese-inspired science fantasy where one empire is comprised of lotuses and the other is a sinking continent. I wanted to love this one. I expected to love it. I was disappointed when I completely failed to sink into this one.

Title: Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed Author: S.B. West Publisher: Ace Publication date: September 8, 2026 Genre: Fantasy Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed sounded like a lot of fun, and sometimes I can use a little fun in my reading life. This is definitely not the kind of story to be taken seriously. Though, for such a light hearted story with more than a healthy dose of humor, there is a good deal of fighting, stabbing, and killing.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: What are your thoughts on historical fantasy? Do you enjoy authors adding magic to real events/people or do you think they should stick to using the time setting in general as inspiration?

At Home This week was a busy one with house projects ongoing and appointments that had to be gone to and made. It was also Back to School night at my daughter's school, and her teacher definitely remembers when I helped in the classroom three years ago when my son was there! There will likely be gluing of rocks to craft sticks in the future.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: Do you enjoy dark academia fantasy novels? What are some themes you enjoy seeing discussed in dark academia (ex. ethics in academia, corruption, classism, etc?) Do you think the genre does a good job exploring such themes in general, or are many books focused mainly on the aesthetics?

At Home It's been a few weeks since I've dropped in like this. The end of summer break was kind of chaotic. We had some sort-of-emergency house projects we had to take care of and then we were off to the mountains in Colorado for about a week. My husband had a conference at 9600 ft above sea level and the rest of us went along for the experience.

The Art of Charming a Changeling served with stew, because Florrie only eats stew Title: The Art of Charming a Changeling (Pigments & Paramours #1) Author: Sylvie Cathrall Publisher: Orbit Publication date: August 25, 2026 Genre: Cozy Romantasy I enjoyed Cathrall’s Sunken Archive duology, so was interested to see what her next novel would be like. While the writing still takes a bit of an adjustment to read fluidly thanks to its Regency-era influence, this was a sweet and soft cozy romantasy.

Dreamers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop served with Pocky, because one of the things Fujiko and Wataru enjoyed together was chocolate covered pretzels Title: Dreamers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop (Full Moon Coffee Shop #3) Author: Mai Mochizuki, translated by Jordan Taylor Publisher: Ballantine Books Publication date: Auust 25, 2026 Genre: Magical Realism Dreamers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop…

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: Do anachronisms in fantasy bother you? Should fantasy be “similiar” to the time period it’s based on, either in terms of language used or things like invention, fashion, customs, etc.?

Season of the Serpent served with tea, because of a fateful cup of gingered tea Title: Season of the Serpent (The Nameless Republic #3) Author: Suyi Davies Okungbowa Publisher: Orbit Publication date: August 18, 2026 Genre: Fantasy Season of the Serpent closes out the Nameless Republic trilogy, a West African inspired fantasy series full of secrets, lost magic, villains, conquest, and rebellion.

Murder on Charity Lane served with shortbread cookies, because one of our amateur sleuths bakes shortbread Title: Murder on Charity Lane (A Marigold Cottages Mystery #2) Author: Jo Nichols Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication date: August 18, 2026 Genre: Cozy Mystery Murder on Charity Lane is the second in the Marigold Cottages Mysteries series. It follows a quirky collection of residents who have taken it upon themselves to solve murder mysteries that impact their community.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: What fantasy plants have stuck in your imagination? A plant with magical properties or a plant a character uses in a potion?

The Witch Queen served with apples, because what Snow White retelling would be complete without apples? Title: The Witch Queen (Crimson Crown #2) Author: Heather Walter Publisher: Del Rey Publication date: August 11, 2026 Genre: Fantasy The Witch Queen is the second in the Crimson Crown duology, a retelling of Snow White from the Evil Queen’s perspective. Where the first book set up who Ayleth is, where she comes from, and how she gains the crown, …

The Enigma Challenge served with coffee and some useful tools, because Zoe and Dane will definitely need all of it Title: The Enigma Challenge Author: S.C. Godfrey Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books Publication date: August 11, 2026 Genre: Fiction, Thriller I’m not very good with puzzles, but I adore books with puzzles. I love it when books invite me to play along.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: Who are some memorable fantastical sidekicks? Animal familiars or anything else that fits the prompt welcome! Mephi! Mephi's the best, even if his story broke my heart a little.

Harbour of Hungry Ghosts served with tea because both the Chinese and British drink it, and that might be the only thing uniting them here Title: Harbour of Hungry Ghosts (Chronicles of the Yiugwai Hunters #1) Author: Eliza Chan Publisher: Orbit Publication date: July 28, 2026 Genre: Historical Fantasy Monsters and demons aren’t really my cup of tea, but I enjoyed Chan’s…

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: What are some interesting witches in fantasy? Is there a certain portrayal of a character that makes them a “witch” vs. a “sorceress” or other magic worker, in your opinion?

At Home I'm experiencing mixed feelings about summer vacation being almost over. There are a couple of weeks left, and we'll be out of town for part of it. We've also been neck deep in house projects, some more successful than others, and some things we're still waiting to be finished. It's been a long summer. We're also in the middle of another heat advisory this month.

Fishbone Cinderella served with soy milk and soybeans, because they’re an important part of Yut Ying’s past Title: Fishbone Cinderella Author: Elizabeth Lim Publisher: Del Rey Publication date: July 28, 2026 Genre: Magical Realism Cinderella is probably my favorite fairy tale, and I do prefer the Chinese version to the German, French, and Disney ones, even if the mice in the movie are cute.

Destination Funeral served with fish because Didion tries so hard to cook a seafood dinner Title: Destination Funeral Author: Paige Harbison Publisher: St. Martin's Press Publication date: July 21, 2026 Genre: Magical Realism I have a bit of a fascination with time loops, so, once the time loop started here, I really enjoyed Destination Funeral. It follows four friends, two sisters and the boys they befriended as teens, reuniting after the sisters’ mother passes, after a series of incidents broke them up years before.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: Is there a common trope or concept you see in children’s fantasy stories that you think would be fun to see more of in adult fantasy?

The Eye of Leviathan served with walnut shells, because walnut shells are extraordinary things in the Sea Beyond Title: The Eye of Leviathan (The Sea Beyond #1) Author: M.A. Carrick Publisher: Orbit Publication date: July 14, 2026 Genre: Historical Fantasy After loving the Rook & Rose trilogy, I couldn’t wait to jump into this next series. Where the first series had me completely at sea for the first half of the first book, …

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: Are you a Brandon Sanderson fan? Some readers online have called his books the “fast food of fantasy?” Do you think that’s a valid criticism?

At Home After a couple of weeks away from here, I'm sort of back? Summer's always hard, anyways, what with the kids home from school. My husband took his summer vacation, which meant we were neck deep in house projects for two weeks, so I just kind of gave up on everything else. There's still more to fix up, and one thing we did caused another problem we're now dealing with.

Tsubaki Stationary Store served with tea, because Hatoko always serves tea to a special kind of customer Title: Tsubaki Stationary Store Author: Ito Ogawa Publisher: Dutton Publication date: July 7, 2026 Genre: Fiction, Translated I really love novels translated from Japanese because there’s something soft and refreshing about the storytelling. It’s like a quiet breath, a small peek into an ordinary life overflowing with introspection, family, tradition, and culture.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: What are some of your favorite magical systems in fantasy? Do you like magic to be explained in detail or to be a bit vague?

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: When reading a favorite fantasy series, which reading order would you recommend? For instance, when reading Narnia, do you think people should go by publication order or by chronological order?

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: Fantasy books often feature magical libraries that have anything from floating platforms to books with characters that come to life. What are a few of your favorite fantastic libraries?

At Home This past week has been a little insane. Summer break is in full swing, and I swear time has been evaporating like water here in Southern California. It's always a little challenging to transition between the academic year and summer break, and the kittens have only made things more chaotic. It's also been hot, so that hasn't helped any.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: If you could design merch based on any fantasy books, what items would you want? I'm a minimalist at heart. I dislike clutter.

At Home The academic year has come to a close and summer break has begun. It was kind of a chaotic week, what with two different schedules to keep track of. But we made it through. My son survived his first year of middle school with a kind of weird, wacky teacher, so we're glad that's done with. My daughter exceeded our expectations and really bloomed this year, and we're so incredibly grateful to the school and her teacher for everything they've done to support her.

Heaven’s Graveyard served with coffee, because, after everything Cod goes through, I think she could use it Title: Heaven's Graveyard Author: Grace Curtis Publisher: DAW Publication date: June 16, 2026 Genre: Fantasy Heaven’s Graveyard is a sequel, of sorts, to Idolfire. Just about 2000 years later. The really fun part was that Cod, the main character here, had spent her entire career and most of her life trying to prove Aleya, from…

Here we are at the start of yet another summer break. And, again, here we are at trying to find books for my son. I feel like the past few years have been a battle in trying to find something he's even remotely interested in reading. Over the years, I've posted about this. Some really lovely bloggers and readers have stepped in with some fantastic suggestions.

Briana and Krysta at Pages Unbound are hosting a fantasy discussion meme this year called Fantasy with Friends. Since fantasy is my favorite genre, I thought it would be fun to take part. This week, their question is: Do you currently prefer standalone fantasies or series? Is there a certain number of books that seems like “too much,” whether that means the series feels intimidating to start or just that the author might need to move on to something else?

At Home Ahh! We received a reminder email with the schedule for next week, the last week of school, from my son's middle school. How is he done with the first year of middle school already? And can I believe we'll be thinking about high schools in, oh, a year?! At least my daughter has 2 more years in elementary school, but check in with me in 2 years when my son will be going into high school and my daughter will be starting middle school.

The Dawn Throne served with ice cream because, after the three suns of Solaria, I could use something cold Title: The Dawn Throne (The Dark Gods #3) Author: Tara Sim Publisher: Orbit Publication date: June 2, 2026 Genre: Fantasy As the third book in a trilogy, The Dawn Throne moved insanely slow. There’s so much build up that I genuinely worried about it somewhere around the midpoint.