I need to become immortal to read all my books

Main: @eggcats (please send any asks/messages there I probably won't see it on here!) Linktr.ee/eggcatsreads This is my book-focused blog! Most book posts/reviews are cross-posted to my Instagram as well! #eggcats reviews (for book reviews)

[eggcatsreads]

Reading 2026

READ: 47

DNF: 11

AVG RATING: 3.99

January: (Read: 5, DNF: 3)

DNF:

The Drop - SR Masters [HP references + unnecessarily killing a side character + unrealistic plot and characters]

Death and Other Occupational Hazards - Veronika Dapunt [Israel reference]

The Framed Women of Ardemore House - Brandy Shillace [INSUFFERABLE main character]

February: (Read: 4)

March: (Read: 14, DNF: 5)

DNF:

Sweetbitter Song - Rosie Hewlett [bored]

You Did Nothing Wrong - CG Drews [couldn't get into the character or plot]

Ruinous Creatures - Jessi Cole Jackson [cringe]

Deathbringer - Sonia Tagliareni [worldbuilding? plot? characterization?]

Dawn of the Firebird - Sarah Mughal Rana [story never given the room to breathe but instead is plot point stapled to plot point without much in between]

April: (Read: 8, DNF: 2)

DNF:

The Glowing Hours - Leila Siddiqui [less gothic horror more wealthy rich drama and an uninteresting main character]

An Accident of Dragons - Cherish Radke [quite a few issues with character, plot, and how things are handled but the main character being terrible and stupid made me quit]

May: (Read: 15, DNF: 1)

A Kiss Of Crimson Ash - Anuja Varghese: ⭐️⭐️

The Bone Door - Frances White: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

When the Light Returns - Joanna Ruth Meyer: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Little Wild - Laura Evans: ⭐️⭐️

Decomposition Book - Sara van Os: ⭐️⭐️

Hungered - Amanda Rizkalla: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Strange Familiars - Keshe Chow: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

House of Margins - Tlotlo Tsamaase: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bone of My Bone - Johanna van Veen: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DNF:

The Last Best Quest Ever - FT Lukens: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lady Dragon - AM Strickland: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Salvage - Anbara Salam: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Nightmare Keeper - Vienna James: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Behind Five Willows - June Hur: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All We Hunger For - Anna Mercier: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Girl With A Thousand Faces - Sunyi Dean [once the plot seemed interesting we took a severe detour and I wasn't interested in it, nor the plot twist]

[eggcats]

book synopsis: girl who is ostracized for being queer finds a new monstrous human-eating family under the water with her mermaid sisters

actual book: girl is kidnapped by mermaids and body horror transformed into one against her will and mind-controlled into loving her captives and forced into cannibalism to survive

me: HUH???? (checks tags) is this NOT a horror novel????

[eggcats]

saw an interesting book be revealed today on netgalley read now and read the synopsis and saw "southern gothic where 3 women unite and use old southern folklore to fight sexism and education discrimination in post civil war alabama" and was like that sounds RIGHT up my alley!

but then I looked closer at the cover, and fully read the synopsis, and realized all 3 of these women were white. and uh. how is this novel exploring "ways in which women navigate oppressive male-dominated societies" if we're ignoring the way in which certain women were oppressed??? OTHERWISE WHY ARE WE IN A POST-EMANCIPATED SOUTH?!??

like im not even trying to be like "you need diversity!" but the level at which im interested in reading about white women "fighting oppression" in a post civil war south is so low it's below the ground. ive read PLENTY of novels that take place post-emancipation and every single one of them was by a Black author about Black characters, and i genuinely dont understand how you can write a novel about women fighting oppression during this era without (seemingly) any focus on the women who were so oppressed they weren't even seen as people

it just seems like a weird time period to be written in if it's not even acknowledged in the plot synopsis. granted I havent read the book so I cant speak on THAT but the cover has 3 white women on it and nowhere does it mention the very glaring fact of slavery or that southern gothic is a genre that comes from the crimes of the south or that "southern folklore" comes from stories carried over from enslaved people

I haven't seen anyone mention anything and im white so I dont wanna be like, speaking over anyone, but this book really gives me the vibe of wanting the aesthetic of the era without acknowledging the very real crimes of it and instead going with a generic (white women's) sexism angle

[pastel-pink-psycho]

[eggcatsreads]

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.

A Dark and Wild Wood by Sarah Nicole Lemon is out today! Inspired by Bluebeard, this gothic novel is a darkly feminist tale that will ensnare you until the very last page.

I can’t even properly explain how much I loved this book. Despite the warning of the very first line in this book telling me exactly what to expect, I still did not see the ending coming.

With the combination of evocative and lyrical writing, the inherent intimacy of a secluded manor, and an untamed forest surrounding it all - it’s impossible not to fall into the same trap as our protagonist as she discovers the power she's had all along.

Perfect for fans of dark and gothic fairy tales that don’t shy away from the horrors that lurk beyond the surface, this is an amazing book that you should absolutely pick up today to discover for yourself! With atmospheric writing that brings this story to life, I cannot recommend checking out A Dark and Wild Wood enough (if somehow this gorgeous cover didn't already convince you).

Thank you so much to the author for this gorgeous arc copy and for Avon and Harper Voyager for allowing me to read an early digital copy as well! I SO wish I could experience reading this book for the first time again!

[eggcats]

HISTORICAL FICTION ROMANCE FANS WHO LOVE PRIDE AND PREJUDICE DO I HAVE A BOOK FOR YOU

[eggcatsreads]

I wound up getting both versions 😩

[eggcatsreads]

My set for The Winter Dark duology is finally together! Look at those beautiful covers! 😍 (click the link to see them both)

If you were looking for your next intense political fantasy with realistically dark worldbuilding and a complex romance at the center of the narrative - look no further!

Brynja has spent her childhood as a captive acrobatic performer in the mountain palace of the cruel King Kallias, plotting her escape and befriending his outcast magical son, Ballast. But even after escaping the cruel palace, she is forced to return under the guise of diplomatic royalty with the intention of destroying Kallias once and for all.

Except…what happens when this doesn’t solve the political strife threatening them all?

I LOVE Joanna Ruth Meyer’s work, and her intricate worldbuilding and lyrical writing never fail to captivate me until the very last page. I first fell in love with her novel Echo North and ever since have always jumped at the chance to read her writing. I was given the chance to ARC read both of the books in this duology and leaped at the chance both times - and this absolutely delivered! With story and worldbuilding amazingly complex, unique lore and magic systems, and an overarching plot amazingly concluded by the last page - The Winter Dark duology was a stunning read from start to finish.

I cannot recommend this duology enough if you love political fantasy, secret agendas, and unique magical systems!

[eggcatsreads]

Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow is available today!

When academic rivals Gwendolynne and Harrisford are forced to work together, they wind up uncovering a conspiracy that will change how they understand magic, and their world, as a whole. With a snarky black cat familiar, veterinary practices with magical influences, and romantic tension during every moment - this book knocks it out of the park!

This book hooked me from the first page and kept me hanging on for the entire ride. From the moment we met Percy - the snarky cat familiar - I knew I would love this book. Not to mention the delicious mix of romantic tension and rivalry present between every interaction of Gwendolynne and Harrisford! I eagerly ate up every single moment as they slowly drew closer to one another despite both of their attempts to ignore their connection.

With a fraught political landscape where friends and family land on both sides of the issue of the accessibility of magic, this book doesn’t shy away from deeper worldbuilding and an overarching plot that will change everything you thought you knew. Featuring betrayal, heartbreak, and secret investigations, I cannot wait to see how this duology ends!

Strange Familiars is the perfect novel for anyone who loves:

🐈‍⬛️ Urban Fantasy

🐈‍⬛️ Slow Burn

🐈‍⬛️ Academic Rivals

🐈‍⬛️ Veterinary Medicine

🐈‍⬛️ Mystery Investigations

🐈‍⬛️ Animal Companions

🐈‍⬛️ Entertaining Banter

🐈‍⬛️ Political Worldbuilding

Out now, make sure to check it out at your local bookstore or request it from your library! Trust me, you NEED this book!

A huge thank you to Berkley Ace for allowing me to read an advanced copy!

[eggcats]

may 8th vs today 🫡

[eggcats]

Help I'm in a book buying mood but love both of these covers too much to choose and I'm on the verge of just getting them both 😭😭😭

which cannibalistic bee cult cover???

Black! (Hardcover, $30)

Yellow! (Paperback, $15)

Both! (Call me Moneybags)

Neither! (You've already read this you don't need it!)

Voting ended onMay 17

[eggcats]

Hey, so. With that show Off Campus being adapted from the books, don't like. Support the author or buy the books? The author is lesbophobic and biphobic as hell. Honestly I'd think again about even supporting the show, but definitely don't give her money.

What’s the Deal With Elle Kennedy? - The Expert Book Smuggler

Elle Kennedy has faced backlash due to her refusal to write sapphic relationships despite utilizing them for male pleasure within her works.

[eggcatsreads]

Look at this gorgeous Faecrate edition of Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai ! I’ve been waiting (im)patiently for my copy to finally arrive! That inside art is absolutely breathtaking!

When a corpse-driving priestess is tasked with bringing one specific corpse back from the battlefield, her reanimation talisman accidentally brings him back to life - and she discovers he’s actually the missing prince!

This book was everything (and more) that I love in YA fantasy and delivered exactly what I was hoping for with this story filled with romance, danger, and discovering the hope of second chances and forgiveness.

I especially loved how both main leads complemented and balanced each other’s personalities, and how their chemistry organically grew as they learned to rely on the other throughout their journey.

I mostly read this book through audiobook, and highly recommend this route! The voice-acting was phenomenal and had me hooked from the very start!

I was luckily given the chance to read an early copy from St Martins Press and Macmillan Audio and I was so excited when I discovered this would be the April Faecrate pick!

[eggcatsreads]

𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥. / 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦. 

Two timelines. Two lives. One house connecting them. 

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker is a timeline shifting ghost story that keeps you guessing the truth until the very end. Evocative and unnerving, everything in this novel feels not quite there, not quite right, and it’s up to both of the people in this novel to discover the truth. 

2026: Lee Turner has murdered his roommate. He doesn’t remember doing it. 

1877: Sen lives as the last of the samurai and knows their time will soon end.

Meeting each other spells doom for them both as they work to discover the truth that hides within their house of sword ferns.

Perfect for anyone looking for a ghost story that pushes the very definition of the genre, where history and mythology merge into a single unsettling atmosphere that nearly chokes you by the end. 

Bat Eater and now Japanese Gothic are amazing horror reads, and I cannot wait to see where else she decides to go in the horror genre!

Look at this gorgeous Evernight edition!

I was lucky enough to get an early copy to read on Netgalley from Harlequin Trade Publishing and was super excited when I discovered this book would be the Evernight pick!

[eggcatsreads]

Did you want a hot sapphic political regency romance? 

Did you want a mean butch falling for the brilliant femme despite her best intentions not to?

Did you want both of them choosing each other above themselves, finding their way back to each other at the end, damning all the consequences? 

If you said yes (as you should have) to all these questions, then you NEED to read The Duke by Anna Cowan. It has everything you could want - sexy encounters, heartbreak, politics, and two women who circle each other and eventually change each other’s lives for the better. 

Trust me, you need this book ASAP. 

I was lucky enough to get an early copy from St. Martin's Press and it was so good you KNOW I immediately had this on preorder!

[eggcats]

Not enough people talk about how progressive Garth Nix is despite being a (presumably) straight white man in his 60s who writes fantasy.

Like, this is just my own memory here based on the novels of his I've read, and I'll admit much of the stuff isn't like "directly in your face" but for a man who wrote my favorite book back in 1995 and who writes a lot of girl/women main characters and avoids a bunch of sexist stereotypes, he's doing great even now. I can easily say Sabriel is my favorite book and NOT be embarrassed by anything he's saying or writing nowadays and I still easily recommend it to people.

Considering how some other fantasy authors have aged or whose works read in the current day, this is a high bar.

Like, in his Old Kingdom series there will be multiple mentions of same-gender relationships - and while they're not seen on page, they're still casually mentioned when it doesn't need to be. Clariel is all but stated to be aroace in her novel, saying she's not interested in having a relationship of that sort (I'm pretty sure she even says with men AND women? idk tbh that book was boring but this was still notable to me) and never gets into one even when her arc is finished. And while I'll admit he's not the best at writing romance, at least there's never the "have to convince the girl to like you/she's a reward" trope in them - if the girl in the novel says she doesn't want to date but they do wind up dating, it's because she was trying to like save the world and then we have multiple chapters of her POV talking about her interest in him.

The Left-Handed Booksellers series basically has a non binary main character, who wears pants and skirts without care, a main point is he likes fashion, AND he's the love interest for the main character.

Like, I'm not saying "hey read him if you want queer diversity" here, obviously, but it's just notable to me that a man whose been writing since the 90s has, and had, such a progressive slant to his writing that even modern male writers can't do.

[eggcatsreads]

holy shit I'm eventually gonna have to quit my job so I can just read all day

(forreal tho holy fuck thank you orbit and atria these were a total and complete surprise to open!!!)