Friday, July 17, 2026
Friday Favorites: Urban Fantasy
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #596: Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo
Hell is empty and all the devils are here…
Alex Stern made it to hell and back more than once, but this time she left the door open behind her. Demons are creeping through the streets of New Haven and the Yale campus, feeding on the souls of the living, terrifying the dead. Alex and her allies can hunt them, but it’s only a matter of time before the gates to the underworld open and they face a war they cannot win. To stop it, they’ll have to reach deep into the secrets of Yale and its societies, and discover the truth hidden in Alex’s own blood.
While she struggles to hold onto the dream of a future Yale once offered, Alex must contend with the machinations of a corrupt Lethe Board and a deadly vampire with his own connection to the societies. But for the first time in her life, she won’t have to face the fight alone. Dawes, Turner, Mercy, and even Tripp will have a role to play, none more so than Alex’s mentor Darlington, the golden boy who lived so long in her head, now back in the flesh and cursed with dangerous powers of his own. Hell itself is stalking the delegates of Lethe House, and they’re all about to learn that demons don’t play by human rules.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #574: Let Sleeping Gods Lie by Ben Schenkman
Pierce, ex-Ivy League community college adjunct and environmental activist, has his hands full keeping the local spirit-creatures out of the hands of poachers while teaching his students about history they shouldn’t repeat. As if he didn't already have enough on his plate, he and his new mentee-turned-apprentice discover the murder of a homeless man.
As one murder becomes two, Corbin suspects the involvement of The Hand, a secret cabal of high magicians. It won’t be his first conflict with them, but if he can’t find a way to stop them, it could well be the last.
Even worse, ancient spirits are waking to wreak havoc on the city as the bodies pile up. To end it all, Corbin must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice. If he doesn’t, the city and everyone he loves will be gone. Can Corbin take the final leap, knowing he might pay the ultimate price?
Let Sleeping Gods Lie by Ben Schenkman is expected out October 27th, 2025 from Caffeinated Terrier Press.
Why am I waiting on this book? I enjoy good urban fantasy. This sounds like an interesting story with a raccoon, a secret society, and ancient gods. Plus, it's a standalone.
What book are you waiting on? Share it and a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever growing To Be Read lists. Thanks for coming by. Happy Reading!
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Teaser Tuesday: Clan Rathskeller by Kevin Hearne
People shop at outdoor malls like Tempe Marketplace wearing nothing but a light sweater, and they utterly fail to slip on black ice or lose toes to frostbite, because those dangers don't exist in the desert. For similar reasons, they fail to get inhaled by ravenous yeti or snacked on by esurient cephalopods. One would think they'd also be safe from the attentions of sociopathic kobolds, but I discovered, to my chagrin on a Monday night, that this was not the case.
Hounded by Kevin Hearne is the first book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. It was published in May of 2011 by Del Rey.
What are you reading? Share a teaser or the title in the comments. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #548: Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines
Three former Chosen Ones have joined together to spend their retirement in peace and quiet, running Second Life Books and Gifts in Salem, MA. A calm, peaceful, tourist-filled oasis, where they never have to worry about saving the world. Until some of the locals start summoning ancient creatures best left where they were . . . and they discover that their bookstore basement just may be the portal to the underworld. These ex-heroes may have thought they were done . . . but if they want to finish their retirement in peace, they’ll have to join together to save the world one last time.
Why leave saving the world to the young? Cozy mystery readers looking for an extra dash of magic will eat this story up: fun, funny, and heartwarming, it's a novel about community, second chances, and the healing power of scones.
Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines is expected out October 21, 2025 from DAW.
Why am I waiting on this book? I like the mashup in the description of Buffy meets the Golden Girls. The rest of the description just makes me want to read it more. I love bookstores and Salem. And the ladies sound like fun.
What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #547: If Wishes Were Retail by Auston Habershaw
"Irresistibly fun and funny, with a ton of heart and depth! This is the kind of book that sneaks up on you and sticks with you!”
—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
In this hilarious debut fantasy cozy, a rebellious—but enterprising—young woman and an ancient—but clueless—genie set up shop at the local mall.
Alex Delmore needs a miracle. She wants out of her dead-end suburban town, but her parents are broke and NYU seems like a distant dream.
Good thing there’s a genie in town—and he’s hiring at the Wellspring Mall.
It’d help if the Jinn-formerly-of-the-Ring-of-Khorad knew even one thing about 21st-century America. It’d help if he weren't at least as stubborn as Alex. It’d really help if her brother didn’t sell her out to her conspiracy theory-loving, gnome-hating dad.
When Alex and the genie set up their wishing kiosk, they face seemingly-endless setbacks. The mall is failing and management will not stop interfering on behalf of their big-box tenants.
But when the wishing biz might start working, the biggest problem of all remains: People are really terrible at wishing.
If Wishes Were Retail by Auston Habershaw is expected out June 17th, 2025 from Tachyon Publications.
Why am I waiting on this book? It sounds like a fun read. And people really do need to be careful what they wish for. Genie's are notorious for taking wishes literally in fiction. I am wondering if that will be the case here or if there's something else that will cause the problems they face.
What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Book Review: Candle and Crow by Kevin Hearne
From the publisher:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes the final book in the “action-packed, enchantingly fun” (Booklist) Ink & Sigil series, as an ink-slinging wizard pursues the answer to a very personal mystery: Who cast a pair of curses on his head?Al MacBharrais has a most unusual job: He’s a practitioner of ink-and-sigil magic, tasked with keeping order among the gods and monsters that dwell hidden in the human world. But there’s one supernatural mystery he’s never been able to solve: Years ago, someone cast twin curses on him that killed off his apprentices and drove away loved ones who heard him speak, leaving him bereft and isolated.
But he’s not quite alone: As Al works to solve this mystery, his friends draw him into their own eccentric dramas. Buck Foi the hobgoblin has been pondering his own legacy—and has a plan for a daring shenanigan that will make him the most celebrated hobgoblin of all. Nadia, goth queen and battle seer, is creating her own cult around a god who loves whisky and cheese.
And the Morrigan, a former Irish death goddess, has decided she wants not only to live as an ordinary woman but also to face the most perilous challenge of the mortal world: online dating.
Meanwhile, Al crosses paths with old friends and new—including some beloved Druids and their very good dogs—in his globe-trotting quest to solve the mystery of his curses. But he’s pulled in so many different directions by his colleagues, a suspicious detective, and the whims of destructive gods that Al begins to wonder: Will he ever find time to write his own happy ending?
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #515: Time-Marked Warlock by Shami Stovall
From the publisher:
He has dealt with corporate vampires, murderous werewolves, and even fae royalty. Everything was perfect until he lost one case—the case where he also lost his brother.
So Finch retired. From magic. From PI work. From everything.
Bree Blackstone, a twelve-year-old witch, doesn’t know or care about any of that except Finch’s reputation. In the middle of the night, she bangs on Finch’s door. Her mother has been murdered, and now the assassin is after Bree as well.
Reluctantly, Finch agrees to help, only to discover something sinister has been brewing in town while he ignored the world… He’ll need to dust off all his old skills and magic before it’s too late.
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #512: Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne
From the publisher: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes the final book in the “action-packed, enchantingly fun” (Booklist) Ink & Sigil series, as an ink-slinging wizard pursues the answer to a very personal mystery: Who cast a pair of curses on his head?
Al MacBharrais has a most unusual job: He’s a practitioner of ink-and-sigil magic, tasked with keeping order among the gods and monsters that dwell hidden in the human world. But there’s one supernatural mystery he’s never been able to solve: Years ago, someone cast twin curses on him that killed off his apprentices and drove away loved ones who heard him speak, leaving him bereft and isolated.
But he’s not quite alone: As Al works to solve this mystery, his friends draw him into their own eccentric dramas. Buck Foi the hobgoblin has been pondering his own legacy—and has a plan for a daring shenanigan that will make him the most celebrated hobgoblin of all. Nadia, goth queen and battle seer, is creating her own cult around a god who loves whisky and cheese.
And the Morrigan, a former Irish death goddess, has decided she wants not only to live as an ordinary woman but also to face the most perilous challenge of the mortal world: online dating.
Meanwhile, Al crosses paths with old friends and new—including some beloved Druids and their very good dogs—in his globe-trotting quest to solve the mystery of his curses. But he’s pulled in so many different directions by his colleagues, a suspicious detective, and the whims of destructive gods that Al begins to wonder: Will he ever find time to write his own happy ending?
Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne is expected out October 1, 2024 from Del Rey.
Why am I waiting on this book: I'm really curious about who cursed Al and why. And being as this is the final book in the trilogy, I'm hoping for a happy ending for him. I'd also like happy endings for the rest of his friends. These probably won't come without struggle, but that's part of what makes the book so good.
What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #504: Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne
Al MacBharrais has a most unusual job: He’s a practitioner of ink-and-sigil magic, tasked with keeping order among the gods and monsters that dwell hidden in the human world. But there’s one supernatural mystery he’s never been able to solve: Years ago, someone cast twin curses on him that killed off his apprentices and drove away loved ones who heard him speak, leaving him bereft and isolated.
But he’s not quite alone: As Al works to solve this mystery, his friends draw him into their own eccentric dramas. Buck Foi the hobgoblin has been pondering his own legacy—and has a plan for a daring shenanigan that will make him the most celebrated hobgoblin of all. Nadia, goth queen and battle seer, is creating her own cult around a god who loves whisky and cheese.
And the Morrigan, a former Irish death goddess, has decided she wants not only to live as an ordinary woman but also to face the most perilous challenge of the mortal world: online dating.
Meanwhile, Al crosses paths with old friends and new—including some beloved Druids and their very good dogs—in his globe-trotting quest to solve the mystery of his curses. But he’s pulled in so many different directions by his colleagues, a suspicious detective, and the whims of destructive gods that Al begins to wonder: Will he ever find time to write his own happy ending?
Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne is expected out October 1, 2024 from Del Rey.
Why am I waiting on this book: I've enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy. I can't miss the third and final book of Al and his friends. I really like the humor that shines through as well as the action. If you are looking for a good urban fantasy with sigil magic, fae, and gods and goddesses, this could be the trilogy for you.
What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!
most celebrated hobgoblin of all. Nadia, goth queen and battle seer, is creating her own cult around a god who loves whisky and cheese.
And the Morrigan, a former Irish death goddess, has decided she wants not only to live as an ordinary woman but also to face the most perilous challenge of the mortal world: online dating.
Meanwhile, Al crosses paths with old friends and new—including some beloved Druids and their very good dogs—in his globe-trotting quest to solve the mystery of his curses. But he’s pulled in so many different directions by his colleagues, a suspicious detective, and the whims of destructive gods that Al begins to wonder: Will he ever find time to write his own happy ending?
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #495: An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison
From the publisher:
National Treasure meets A Discovery of Witches . . .
Introducing the Secret Society mystery series, and kick-ass red-headed heroine Sidney, a Black historian poised on the brink of discovering her true past . . . and her hidden witchy powers!
Thirty-year-old Black woman Sidney Taylor is a talented early American history professor, working in fast-paced Washington DC, with her eyes on promotion. She's also currently persona non grata. Who knew that making an inconvenient historical discovery would see her stuck at her desk, shuffling paper?
So when she receives an anonymous and very cryptic invitation to visit historic small-town Robbinsville, North Carolina and hunt for a missing archaeological treasure - with a million-dollar pay out at stake - it's one she can't refuse. Besides, her beloved grandmother lives in Robbinsville, and it's been too long since she's paid her a visit.
Soon, Sidney's on an exciting treasure hunt, following two-hundred-year-old clues that lead her ever closer to the artefact she's searching for. But what is the artefact? And why is Sidney starting to feel like she's at the heart of a terrifying conspiracy she doesn't understand?
The answer blows Sidney's world apart, plunging her into a dark, glittering world of secret societies, ancient bloodlines, witches and magic, linked to an ages-old conspiracy that could destroy the very principles upon which America was founded.
An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison is expected out May 7th, 2024 from Severn House. It's the first book in the Secret Society Mystery series.
Why am I waiting on this book: I like a good witchy book. This sounds like it will be an interesting story what with secret societies, witches, magic, and a conspiracy. It seems like this has all the makings of an urban fantasy which is one of my favorite genres.
What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #484: Rift in the Soul by Faith Hunter
Nell Ingram draws her powers from deep in the earth, and uses them to help Psy-LED, the Psychometric Law Enforcement Division, which solves paranormal crimes. When a local vampire calls to report a dead body on her compound, Nell knows she and her team have to be ready for anything.
But the dead body is just the beginning of a mystery that involves supernaturals of all kinds, including some of the most powerful vampires in the country. As Nell gets closer to the truth, she begins to understand that the perpetrator is tracking her too—and that there is something personal about this crime. Something with roots that go almost as deep as those in Soulwood.
Rift in the Soul by Faith Hunter is expected out March 5th, 2024 from Ace.
Why am I waiting on this book? This book is the 6th book in the Soulwood series featuring Nell and her coworkers. It takes place in the same world as the Jane Yellowrock books with some crossovers possible. I have enjoyed watching Nell grow in confidence and abilities as the series has progressed. She works well with the rest of the Psy-LED team she is a part of. I'm wondering just what they will be up against this time and how Nell's abilities will play into it. If you like urban fantasy, this is a good series.
What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #483: Stings and Stones by Jennifer Estep
Flash back to one of Gin Blanco’s many missions as the assassin the Spider. Learn more about Gin’s relationships with her mentor, Fletcher Lane, and her foster brother, Finnegan Lane, and see what trouble the other characters get themselves into when Gin’s not around. From a ghost’s lost love to a villain’s origin story, this action-packed collection has something for every urban fantasy and paranormal romance fan.
The Stings and Stones collection features ten short stories told by various characters:
“Spider’s Bargain” — Gin Blanco
“Web of Death” — Gin Blanco
“Web of Deceit” — Fletcher Lane
“Poison” — Finnegan Lane
“Wasted” — Finnegan Lane
“Tangled Dreams” — Jo-Jo and Sophia Deveraux
“Tangled Schemes” — Bria Coolidge
“Spider’s Nemesis” — Mab Monroe
“Haints and Hobwebs” — Gin Blanco
“Parlor Tricks” — Gin Blanco
Note: Stings and Stones is a 67,000-word collection of Elemental Assassin short stories. Some of the stories previously appeared on Jennifer Estep’s website, while others have been featured in anthologies.
What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #478: Aftermarket Afterlife by Seanan McGuire
From the publisher:
Seanan McGuire's New York Times-bestselling and Hugo Award-nominated urban fantasy InCryptid series continues with the thirteenth book following the Price family, cryptozoologists who study and protect the creatures living in secret all around us
Mary Dunlavy didn't intend to become a professional babysitter. Of course, she didn't intend to die, either, or to become a crossroads ghost. As a babysitting ghost, she's been caring for the Price family for four generations, and she's planning to keep doing the job for the better part of forever.
With her first charge finally back from her decades-long cross-dimensional field trip, with a long-lost husband and adopted daughter in tow, it's time for Mary to oversee the world's most chaotic family reunion. And that's before the Covenant of St. George launches a full scale strike against the cryptids of Manhattan, followed quickly by an attack on the Campbell Family Carnival.
It's going to take every advantage and every ally they have for the Prices to survive what's coming—and for Mary, to avoid finding out the answer to a question she's never wanted to know: where does a babysitting ghost go when she runs out of people to take care of?
Aftermarket Afterlife by Seanan McGuire is expected to be released March 5th, 2024 from DAW Books.
Why am I waiting on this book? I like the InCryptid series. I have to admit I'm a little behind in my reading of the series though. Mary Dunlavy is one of my my favorite characters. I love her caring nature. And I enjoy Seanan McGuire's writing.
What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

























