We Burned So Bright / TJ Klune

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We Burned So Bright
By: TJ Klune
Genre: Novella, Sci-Fi
Number of Pages: 176
Published: April 28, 2026
Publisher: Tor Books
Dates Read: January 31, 2026
Format: ARC / Paperback		ISBN: 9781250881236

Don and Rodney have lived a long life together. They’ve experienced the highs and lows of family and have been together even when they thought it was the end of the world.

Now, with the black hole getting closer and closer, it really is the end of the world. After all the time together, Don and Rodney are in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington to take care of one last thing.

On the road they meet all kinds of characters: some in denial of the end just around the corner and some who are rushing to get to the finish line. As the black hole gets closer and closer, Don and Rodney look back on their lives and ask if what they did was good enough.

Yet again TJ Klune has captured my attention and wouldn’t let it go until the last page. 

It’s a shorter book but still one you want to take your time with. I had the opportunity to read it all on a Saturday and ignored my house chores for a bit 🙂. Each chapter Don and Rodney meet someone else on their black hole journey to death and each new encounter all deserve their own time to digest their story. Each one is a different lens on how we as a society can handle death and grief. One of the girls they met will probably stay with me for quite some time.

And then there’s Jeremy. I could tell pretty early on what Don and Rodney’s goal was but not for who. That story made my heart ache for the men and absolutely I teared up.

Overall, I highly suggest this end of the world novella for those that would be interested in the philosophy of how humans act when they know the end is coming, but it’s also about love, love, and choosing life.

*Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store / James McBride (REREAD)

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The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (Reread)
By: James McBride
Genre: Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 400
Published: August 8. 2023
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Dates Read: January 23, 2026 - January 28, 2026
Format: ARC / Paperback		ISBN: 9780593422946

In 1972, workers were digging a new foundation in Pottstown, Pennsylvania when they found a skeleton at the bottom of a well. To figure out who it is, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store goes back 40 years to the secrets of the neighborhood of Chicken Hill, a dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side.

This book was ultimately about the community of Chicken Hill, rallying together in order to protect a young deaf boy they’ve named Dodo, from being taken by the state to an institution. It starts off with a murder mystery, but to be honest, that wasn’t at all the most interesting part of the story.

Below is my second time reading it’s review:

This time around, I physically read this book verses listening to it in audio and doing this definitely changed my mind about it. Chuna is still one of my favorite characters, but I now also have a soft spot for Monkey Pants. But also, since I was really slowing myself down to pay attention, the list of characters is so long! I gained more respect for a lot of characters that, during the first read through, I didn’t even remember! Characters like Moche, or Malachi, or Paper!

Above all though, it really made me think about justice and how it’s served and does taking it into your own hands count?

Overall, I’m glad I gave this a second chance. It is rich and full of characters that are there for their community and get things done.

If you want to re my first review, you can below. A lot of changed since I physically read it this time around.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store / James McBride

Land (Volume 1) / Kazumi Yamashita, Kevin Gifford (Translator)

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Land (Volume 1)
By: Kazumi Yamashita, Kevin Gifford (Translator)
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 660
Published: September 9, 2025 (1st Published April 15, 2015)
Publisher: Yen Press
Dates Read: January 19, 2025 - January 23, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover	ISBN: 9798855421088

When twin girls are born in a superstitious village, one twin must be sacrificed to the gods to protect the village. So, Sutekichi takes one of his daughters to the mountains and raises his other daughter, An, in the village. When An gets older, she begins asking questions about the four gods at each point of the village, but also asking why every villager dies right at the age of 50. It gets even weirder when a feral child comes into the village.

I had a hard time with this one, which sucks because I wanted to like it, but I think it’s a little too out there for me. I made it about half way through before I started just skimming it, which is still a lot since this book is 658 pages!

I didn’t understand the animal heads, or why they wouldn’t answer An. <spoiler> Also, the two “An”s confused me, and the name also threw me off cause I kept thinking it was a determiner </spoiler>.

Overall, I still think this would be a great read for those who like to immerse themselves in a rich fantasy world with unique rules. I myself was a little impatient when it came to reading this, so just give yourself some time and I think you would enjoy it.

Hello Sunshine / Keezy Young

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Hello Sunshine
By: Keezy Young
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Horror
Number of Pages: 384
Published: September 23, 2025
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Dates Read: January 19, 2026 - January 19, 2026
Format: Library Book / Hardcover	ISBN: 9780316509473

When a troubled teen disappears from his small town, his loved ones go on a paranormal journey to save him from his inner demons.

It’s taken me a while to review this book simply because trying to put into words how amazing I think the author did in showing and handling the character’s mental health struggles was brilliant and impactful. Every member of the group had their own journey throughout this story and each arc felt complete at the end. I appreciated the struggle Noah had between religion and his sexuality, I was a little nervous about it going into this, but that turned around pretty quickly.

I’m a huge Hawkeye fan, and the artwork in this graphic novel really reminded me of Matt Fraction’s 2010’s Hawkeye. The art style, color, and texture of the panels gave the perfect amount to make it supernaturally and horror-y at the same time. 

Without getting into too much of the storyline due to spoilers, I just want to say that the mixture of what was real and what was only available to the one character was phenomenal and well taken care of. With both the visual and the dense dialog pages, Keezy Young showcases the losing of one’s mind by mental illness more effectively than I’ve seen with a graphic novel in a long time.

The Fire-Breathing Duckling / Frank Cammuso

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The Fire-Breathing Duckling
By: Frank Cammuso
Genre: Children’s, Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 40
Published: August 5, 2025
Publisher: TOON Books
Dates Read: January 19, 2026
Format: Library Book / Hardcover	ISBN: 9781662665332

In this retelling of the Ugly Duckling, instead of a swan, this little one is a dragon. And when their duckling siblings find themselves in trouble, this little dragon uses their fire-breathing skills to save the day.

I’m pretty sure I found this as an “extra” during a library catalog search and immediately put it on hold (thanks Bibliocommons!). Tell me you wouldn’t see this cover and immediately pick it up to see the illustrations?!

I may be thirty-three right now, but you can bet that I enjoyed this story about self-discovery and finding your own strength. This little dragon is adorable and the pond friends were funny in trying to help figure out what they were.

I mentioned before, the illustrations are definitely what made me pick it up, but it also kept me turning the page. Each panel was colorful and engaging and beautiful, perfect for those littles in first or second grade – though I think kindergarteners would also enjoy this with some help from a grownup. 

Overall, a charming and engaging book for all ages.

A Year Without Home / V.T. Bidania

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A Year Without Home
By: V.T. Bidania
Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 432
Published: January 1, 2025
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Dates Read: January 12, 2026 - January 19, 2026
Format: eBook / ARC		ISBN: 9780593697207

Eleven-year-old Gao Sheng’s beloved home sits on top of a hill in the highlands of Laos. Here she can roll down the grassy hill with her younger siblings after her chores, walk to school, and pick peaches straight from her family’s trees.

But when U.S. troops pull out of the Vietnam War, the communists will be searching for any American allies, like Gao Sheng’s father. If he’s caught, he and his family could be killed.

As the adults make frantic plans, Gao Sheng does what any good, oldest daughter would do: doesn’t ask questions or complain and watches over the younger siblings and cousins. Even though she wishes she could roll down the hill at home or run around like her brother.

After a treacherous voyage by foot, by taxi, and a canoe, Gao Sheng’s family finally arrive across the river at an overcrowded refugee camp in Thailand. As a year passes at the camp, Gao Sheng learns that home doesn’t technically mean the physical place and somewhere in between, she finds her voice.

In this novel in verse, middle grade book inspired by V.T. Bidania’s own family history the author shows the long, difficult journey many Hmong refugees faced after the Vietnam War and shines light on experiences of refugees around the world. 

I greatly appreciate Gao Sheng’s personal journey through this novel as well. As the oldest girl in her family (just even just her immediate family, but from her cousins as well), Gao Sheng was kind of forced to put her childhood away a lot sooner than her younger brother and it wasn’t really on her terms. But, she showed her family she could do more than just watch the kids and for her age and what she’s gone through, that was amazing.

Overall, this is an amazing book for middle grade and adults alike. There’s not a lot of books out there from the Hmong’s perspective, especially during the end of the Vietnam War. This book could bring up great discussions on refugees and being without a home.

*Thank you NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

James / Percival Everett

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James
By: Percival Everett
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 303
Published: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday
Dates Read: January 2, 2026 - January 10, 2026
Format: Hardcover		ISBN: 9780385550369

Trigger Warnings: slavery, racism, racial slurs, rape, violence, murder

A reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told through the voice of Jim.

When Jim overhears he’s about to be sold and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can think of a plan to get his family together. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his abusive father. The two meet up while hiding and thus begin their adventure down the Mississippi River.

Full disclaimer, I have never read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but I know of the story and generally what happens in it because it’s kind of hard not to, especially growing up in Kansas and now living in Missouri and the fact that Mark Twain is highly talked about. I have, however, read Tom Sawyer, so I knew a little going into this.

I put off reading this because I read The Trees by Percival Everett and just remembered I needed to really focus on it to understand it all. And, I’m going to be honest, this book started off a bit hard to read because of the dialect written in it first thing and I didn’t know if I was ready for it. But, it reminded me of one of my favorite sci-fi writers, P. Djélí Clark, and how I just need to not speedread it to fully enjoy it. I slowed down my reading and it finally “clicked” and I could enjoy it and appreciate it! Especially once you learn what that dialect really is.

I think one of the craziest parts of this was the blackface minstrel troupe… like, that was a real thing?? The history of racism really baffles me sometimes and what people had as “entertainment” back in the day would cause heart attacks nowadays.

Overall, I really enjoy this retelling/changed perspective of Huckleberry Finn. I don’t read a lot in this timeline but appreciate what this brought about freedom, race, and the enduring impact of slavery. 

Stoked for This: February 2026

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I DID IT! IT’S THE 1ST TUESDAY OF FEBRUARY AND I DID IT!!

I know it’s not a crazy, amazing, super duper awesome thing cause I don’t think anyone really like, cares that much if I get this posted on the first Tuesday of the month or not, but it is something that I like to do… I have just always seemed to run out of time to get it done on the first Tuesday. Then, when that time passes, I feel like “it’s too late!” and then I don’t post (or post it near the last day of the month, like I did with January.

The phrase, “I’ll do better next month.” has been typed out by my fingers on this post pretty regularly and I’m sure at this point it’s lost any kind of meaning it once held, but I’m still gonna say it – I’ll do better next month! I know I’m going to be busy coming up. I’m a part of an ALA committee now (!!!!), I’ve got a lot of projects at work coming up, I may be doing some judging again this year, and I still plan on reading my minimum of 120 books, so… it’s a lot.

That all being said, I’m hoping I can get better at doing this post gradually over this next month and get caught up on my reviews from last month so things get posted regularly. If you see a lag in my posting, I’m sorry, just know I’m probably kicking myself to try and get something up!!

Thank you all who have read this far in my little ramble of personal life. I truly appreciate every single one of my subscribers who have kept this small little website going 🙂

Without any further ado, here’s some new releases coming out in Book World this February that I’m Stoked For.

February 3, 2026

A graphic novel about youth and censorship/banning of books. Based on a true story, a group of high schoolers in Chicago work to overturn the system-wide ban of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.

Wake Now in the Fire

By: Jarrett Dapier & AJ Dungo

The author of my favorite middle grade novel about a small fox named Pax. This one is about an orphan in WWII who discovers his courage in time of war.

The Lions’ Run

By: Sara Pennypacker

A story about a family tasked with protecting a magical stone, the pohaku, generations ago. But as it goes through the hands of the generations bringing fortune to the well-intentioned and misfortune to the bad, it causes fractures in the stone that only returning it to the Hawai’i islands could help fix.

The Pōhaku

By: Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes

February 10, 2026

As a member of the Bills Mafia (NFL Buffalo Bills), I immediately jumped at reading a book about the cheerleaders. Though, fun fact (or not really fun fact): The Buffalo Bills haven’t had cheerleaders since 2014 after a lawsuit about their mistreatment. So, I’m not 100% when this is set, but it’s a mystery about a Bills cheerleader looking for her lost teammate.

The Jills

By: Karen Parkman

February 17, 2026

Six friends. Five parties. Twenty Years. In this novel, you read about a group of friends through the years after college as they go through life and reconnect.

So Old, So Young

By: Grant Ginder

A middle grade novel with dual timelines set in Paris – one during WWII and one in present time. The connection is a painting with a message attached…

Each and Every Spark

By: Claire Swinarski

My favorite soft witchy YA author has a new book out with a bit of a Beauty and the Beast retelling mixed with some frozen elements.

The Sun and the Starmaker

By: Rachel Griffin

Was anyone else told they had a “chip on their shoulder” as a young girl growing up or was it just me? In this nonfiction history read, the author chronicles a concise history from the colonial era to the Women’s March of 2016 demonstrating how women’s rage has forged coalitions and created political change through movements for women’s and civil rights and more, and how the past decade has created an inflection point for women and girls who have yet to experience rights equal to men’s in the United States.

Angry Girls Will Get Us Through

By: Rebecca Traister

February 24, 2026

A middle grade novel about 6th grader, Mariam, who is attending a Catholic School as she explores the Islamic faith as the only Muslim Arab in school.

Hail Mariam

By: Huda Al-Marashi

A cozy magical realism Japanese novel where you follow the seashell path along Tokyo Bay until you get to the Chibineko Kitchen, where a traditional Japanese meal can summon anyone you choose from your past, but only for as long as it continues to steam.

The Calico Cat at the Chibineko Kitchen

By: Yuta Takahashi

Translated By: Cat Anderson

Stoked for This: January 2026

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I’m sooooo late on this, but I still wanted to post about the stuff that came out this month I was stoked for! I promise, I’m already working on February’s to be POSTED that first Tuesday IN FEBRUARY.

How do you like the new design above? Gotta love Canva huh?

January 6, 2026

For two decades, the Newmans have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch.

Meet the Newmans

By: Jennifer Niven

January 13, 2026

A middle grade novel-in-verse fictionalized memoir about the author’s family experience as Vietnam war refugees as they were forced to leave their home in Laos.

A Year Without Home

By: V.T. Bidania

January 20, 2026

A genre-exploding love story about a man who, in a moment of extreme stress, time travels to the year 1300 . . . where his modern problems are replaced by medieval brutalities…

Georgie Falls Through Time

By: Ryan Collett

Written in memoir‑style, this guide is for the restless, creative souls who crave a rebellious, self‑affirming roadmap to turn oddity into confidence, celebrating the messy, experimental journey of forging an original, non‑conformist life. With wisdom from misfit guides like Tony Hawk, Mark Mothersbaugh, Michelle “Estrojen” Steilen, Shepard Fairey, and many more.

Misfit: A Survival Guide

By: Sean Mortimer

You can’t buy a ticket for the Elsewhere Express. Appearing only to those whose lives are adrift, it’s a magical train carrying very rare and special cargo: a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging.

The Elsewhere Express

By: Samantha Sotto Yambao

Gotta throw in a YA detective thriller with a teen podcaster in the middle of it all!

I Don’t Wish You Will

By: Jumata Emill

This novel begins with an uncle dead and his tween niece’s private confession to the reader—she and her sister killed him, and they blame the British. It’s not YA though, regular fiction and set in the 1980’s!

How to Commit Postcolonial Murder

By: Nina McConigley

January 27, 2026

The Great Gatsby meets the Harlem Renaissance in this YA Queer retelling with a slow burn romance.

The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay

By: Ryan Douglass

A middle grade novel-in-verse about the tragic events surrounding the 1885 expulsion of Chinese Americans from Eureka, California (and you know how I love me a novel-in-verse).

Eureka

By: Victoria Chang

She and Her Cat: Stories / Makoto Shinkai, Ginny Taplet Takemori (Translator), Naruki Nagakawa

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She and Her Cat: Stories
By: Makoto Shinkai, Ginny Taplet Takemori (Translator), Naruki Nagakawa
Genre: Short Stories
Number of Pages: 144
Published: January 23, 2024 (1st Published June 21, 2012)
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Dates Read: December 31, 2025
Format: Paperback

She and Her Cat is a collection of four interrelated short stories about four women and their feline companions.

Of course I grabbed this book. It’s not only about cats, but the cover alone has a woman reading in her bed with her cat on her chest (which is literally how I read this book myself).

The first story is about Chobi and being rescued from a soggy, wet box in the pouring rain by Miyu. Chobi cares about his human more than anything and watches over her as she goes through the ups and downs of a relationship. He loves her so much that he even calls her his girlfriend! When Miyu is heartbroken, Chobi is stressed he can’t help her, but he knows he can live his days by her side and everything will be okay.

The second story is about Mimi, a stray cat who was abandoned as a kitten. She was the runt of the litter and hard of hearing, but she’s determined to make it on her own. She meets Reina, an art student who is struggling on her own. We also meet a few more neighborhood cats, Kink Tail, whom Mimi has a romantic encounter with (after Chobi denied her since he already had a girlfriend). 

The third story is about Aioi and Cookie, Mimi’s kitten. Aioi is grieving the loss of her best friend, Mari, and her mother gets her the kitten, Cookie, to keep her company. At first Aioi’s grief is all consuming, but Cookie wiggles her way into her heart.
She and Her Cat are about the comfort a pet, especially a cat, can provide and how adopting a stray will not only change your life but theirs as well. I loved how they were all connected and how cats from one story would show up in another. Any cat lover is bound to smile while reading these stories.