Review: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

Title: All Systems Red

Series: The Murderbot Diaries #1

Author: Martha Wells

Genre: Adult, sci-fi

Publication date: May 2017

Published by: Tordotcom

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: "As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

My rating: ★★★★☆

This book has been on my radar for quite some time, but I decided to finally read it because of the TV adaptation it just got. And I really enjoyed this book, which is unsurprising. Lol.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #464: Quick Read Sort of Month

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #500: Murderbot Weekend

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

The Flower Market Reading Challenge

Another Spring reading challenge! 😍 You guys know I'm a sucker for a reading challenge. Lol. This one was created by one of my favorite bloggers, Jane at All She Wrote. Guys, she is so talented! She drew all of the flowers and images herself! 😭 I could never. Lol. Anyway, the challenge is centered around flowers. Each flower corresponds to a specific prompt, and the best part is that there are only 6! The challenge runs until the end of Spring, June 21st, so it's totally doable! Thank you, Jane! 😆

Review: The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe (Vol. 1) by Shinobumaru

Title: The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe (Light Novel Vol. 1)

Series: The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe Light Novel #1

Author: Shinobumaru

Genre: YA, light novel, fantasy

Publication date: June 2019

Published by: Seven Seas

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: An atmospheric fantasy series for bibliophiles and fans of Japanese ghost stories! (And don’t miss the manga adaptation, also from Seven Seas.)

Kaori lives in an otherworldly bookstore with her adoptive father. Together, they provide books to the strange denizens of the spirit realm. But Kaori's peaceful days come to an end when she rescues an injured boy from the streets--a human, like her, from the mortal realm. The boy's name is Suimei, and he's an exorcist, the natural enemy of all spirits. Can Kaori convince Suimei that the line between human and spirit is far hazier than he thinks? A touching supernatural tale where humanity and Japanese folklore intertwine!

My rating: ★★★⯪☆

“Welcome to the haunted bookstore!" I declared. "It's old, run-down, and a bit cramped, but please make yourself at home.”

This was my first light novel, and tbh, I didn’t really know what to expect. There was something about the writing that I found strange, but I can’t quite place my finger on what exactly it was. It didn’t read like a normal novel, which I guess it shouldn’t because it’s not. Lol. But I did like this! I liked the premise and I could definitely imagine an anime playing in my head as I read.

Review: Sakamoto Days (Vol. 6) by Yuto Suzuki

Title: Sakamoto Days: Vol. 6

Series: Sakamoto Days #6

Previous books in this series: Sakamoto Days #1 | Sakamoto Days #2 | Sakamoto Days #3 | Sakamoto Days #4 | Sakamoto Days #5

Author: Yuto Suzuki

Genre: YA, manga, adventure

Publication date: March 2022

Published by: VIZ Media

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Taro Sakamoto was once a legendary hit man considered the greatest of all time. Bad guys feared him! Assassins revered him! But then one day he quit, got married, and had a baby. He’s now living the quiet life as the owner of a neighborhood store, but how long can Sakamoto enjoy his days of retirement before his past catches up to him?!

Dangerous serial killers clash with the Order and Sakamoto’s crew clash! As the battles rage on, Sakamoto undergoes an unexpected transformation. Meanwhile, the evil mastermind X reveals his true intent, which sends shock waves through the assassin world!

My rating: ★★★⯪☆

I am obviously still enjoying this series. Lol. It's really fun, has a ton of action, and I just really love the characters. The banter between Lu and Shin, in particular, cracks me up. I love it! 😆

Review: Monsters and Men (Five Ghosts Vol. 3) by Frank J. Barbiere

Title: Monsters and Men

Series: Five Ghosts Vol. 3

Previous book in this series: The Haunting of Fabian Gray (#1) | Lost Coastlines (#2)

Author: Frank J. Barbiere

Illustrator: Chris Mooneyham

Genre: Adult, comic book, fantasy

Publication date: August 2015

Published by: Image Comics

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: The critically acclaimed literary pulp adventure continues! Fabian Gray journeys to Eastern Europe on a quest to save his closest ally while battling his own inner-demons.

My rating: ★★★★☆

This volume was so stressful! So many bad things happened to both Fabian and Sebastian, and I was not okay 😭 And on top of it all, they still haven't gotten Silvia back.

Review: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

Title: The Caretaker

Author: Marcus Kliewer

Genre: Adult, horror

Publication date: April 21st 2026

Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books/12:01 Books

Source: eARC from publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis: Follow the Rites...

Nothing less than the survival of humanity is at stake.

From Marcus Kliewer, a new “titan of the macabre and unsettling” (Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author), comes a supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist, only to discover the position has consequences far greater—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY:
Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY.

Macy Mullins can’t say why the job posting grabbed her attention—it had the pull of a fisherman’s lure, barbed hook and all—vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she's not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay, groceries to buy, and a younger sister to provide for.

Besides, it’s only three days’ work…

Three days, cooped up in a stranger’s house, surrounded by Oregon Coast wilderness.

What starts as a peculiar side gig soon becomes a waking nightmare. An incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property—and Macy Mullins might just be the only thing standing between it, and the rest of humanity.

Follow the Rites...

Follow the Rites...

Follow the Rites...

..--- / ..... / ---..

My rating: ★★★★☆

This book had me hooked right from the beginning because that opening was SUPER creepy. I loved it!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #463: It Was SO Cute, I Can't Get Over It

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #499: Nothing But Superheroes and Zombies

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Review: Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith

Title: Predatory Natures

Author: Amy Goldsmith

Genre: YA, horror

Publication date: July 2025

Published by: Delacorte Press

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: A teen girl’s dream job aboard a luxury train derails when she discovers the strange cargo being transported—a mysterious and beautiful greenhouse—but its flowering façade may hide deadly thorns beneath, in this atmospheric and lush novel from the author of Those We Drown.

When Lara Williams gets a summer job aboard the luxury train the Banebury, she thinks she’s landed a five-star escape from her past. Even after she learns that her ex-friend Rhys, who she definitely did not have feelings for before their relationship imploded, is one of her coworkers, she’s determined to make things work.

But on the first day of their journey, the trip takes a strange turn. Two mysterious carriages filled with an array of beautiful and rare plants are attached to the Banebury in the middle of the night.

And with them comes a pair of siblings. Wealthy, mysterious, and charismatic, Gwen and Gwydion claim the plants they’re transporting are for research, but Lara can’t shake the feeling that there’s something . . . otherworldly about the strange blooms. Something that will stop at nothing to ensure the Banebury never reaches its destination.

Soon Lara will learn: You can’t outrun your troubles. You have to grab them by their roots. And if she can’t unearth the secrets of the Banebury, they might drag her down for good. . . .

My rating: ★★★★☆

I really enjoyed this book! One of the first things that caught my attention was the setting of the book: on a train! That’s so fun! I hardly read books set on trains! That, plus the fact that there was a potentially killer garden onboard? I was IN!

Review: Five Broken Blades (The Broken Blades #1) by Mai Corland

Title: Five Broken Blades

Series: The Broken Blades #1

Author: Mai Corland

Genre: Adult, high fantasy

Publication date: May 2024

Published by: Entangled: Red Tower Books

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: It’s the season
for treason…

The king of Yusan must die.

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.

He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined…or sold.

And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness―from the hired hitman seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.

They can agree on murder.

They can agree on treachery.

But for these five killers―each versed in deception, lies, and betrayal―it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other…but only one can take the crown.

Let the best liar win.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I really loved the concept of this book! Just a group of characters with different characters coming together to achieve a mutual goal: kill the king. I’m such a sucker for that sort of stuff!

Review: Lost Coastlines (Five Ghosts Vol. 2) by Frank J. Barbiere

Title: Lost Coastlines

Series: Five Ghosts Vol. 2

Previous book in this series: The Haunting of Fabian Gray

Author: Frank J. Barbiere

Illustrator: Chris Mooneyham

Genre: Adult, comic book, fantasy

Publication date: July 2014

Published by: Image Comics

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: In 'Lost Coastlines', Fabian joins his old flame Jezebel on a trip across the sea to Japan and the mythical Island of Dreams. On their perilous journey they'll encounter pirates and a dark shadow from Fabian's past.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

In this volume, Fabian and Sebastian continue trying to find a way to bring back Silvia. Specifically, they head to an island in search of dreamstone, because that might be the key to bringing her back.

Review: We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Title: We Used to Live Here

Author: Marcus Kliewer

Genre: Adult, horror

Publication date: June 2024

Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Source: Borrwed from library

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Synopsis: As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.

As soon as the strangers enter their home, inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?

My rating: ★★★★☆

Almost everything about the house, from its origin to its chain of ownership, was a mystery.

This book was weird but in the best way possible. Lol.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #462: I Did It

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #498: The Hyperfixation Continues

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Quarterly Update: 2026 Reading Challenges

I have not done a quarterly update before, at least when it comes to reading challenges. But I feel like I'm doing really well this year and I wanted to take a look. Lol.

2026 Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag

It's time to check in and see how I'm doing on all things reading. This tag was created by Rosin’s Reading.

April 2026 TBR

Guys, I almost didn't complete my March TBR because I was so locked into playing Resident Evil Requiem 😅 But I did it! I really focused on reading these last couple of days, and I read everything! (I also just finished RER a couple of minutes ago, and I am not okay 😭 I don't think a video game has ever given me a hangover before 😢 I loved it though!)