Waiting on Wednesday #726

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

RED STAR REBELS BY AMIE KAUFMAN

Goodreads Description:

8 HOURS TO STOP AN EXPLOSION... 8 HOURS TO FALL IN LOVE.

From the NYT bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising comes a high-stakes, high-chemistry sci-fi romp about a stowaway girl and the richest boy in the galaxy, racing the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries.

It’s 2067, and the Graves family has transformed Mars from lifeless rock into a chaotic patchwork of settlements—and everybody wants a piece.

Enter Hunter Graves: handsome, ambitious, and with spectacularly bad timing. He shows up at the United Nations base just as an emergency evacuation sends everyone scurrying for safety. Except he’s left behind. Uh oh.

Also stranded: Cleo, a sharp-tongued stowaway with no intention of dying today, and even less patience for overconfident trust fund boys. But the enemy of your enemy might just help you survive, so here we are.

Turns out the evacuation was just a cover for the mercenaries who came next, and they plan to blow up the base—and every trace of their crime—in eight hours.

Now, Hunter and Cleo have one shot to stop the explosion, escape alive, and deal with the inconvenient fact that they’re falling for each other.

The clock is ticking.

Format: 288 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: February 10, 2026 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Eeeee. I am SO very excited for this book, ahhh :D Amie writes the best space books. And this sounds beyond amazing. Sigh. I'm going to love it to pieces. Wish I could read it right away. But ohhh. February? That is not too far away :D So excited. Looks stunning and sounds thrilling. Can't wait for the romance :D
What are you waiting for on this thrilling Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #723

Ohh. This week have been so very long. Exhausting. But so very good, eee. I mentioned last week that I finally got to order my Angel in Clouds. But that it was too expensive. Well. A couple days after I actually managed to buy it from the right place, to the cheaper price :D And oh my gosh, I am so, so very excited. Cancelled the amazon order. Now just waiting for Angel to arrive. I can't wait. Then got to order another item I had been waiting for. And another one. And ahhhh. I am waiting for all the best items. <3 Sobs. So happy. I can't wait for the next weeks :) Oh. And, well. I also ordered the new iPhone 17 Pro Max, ahhhh. Too excited. And fully poor now. Ugh. Oh, well. At least I'm happy :) Took more instagram photos. Oops. Just want to be ahead, haha :) I sadly haven't started reading yet. Sigh. But shortly, hopefully. Just been exhausted. But doing okay too. Now I am finally able to sleep more, though my body haven't figured that out yet, lol. And I'm stressing less, at last. Hope this helps with losing weight. As I'm still walking on my goddamn treadmill. Ugh. Fingers crossed. Got a bunch of aaamazing mail this week. <3 Popmart items are arriving next week, and gods, I am so excited. Cannot wait to get everything. Sigh. It makes me too happy :) This week I'm waiting on Confessions From the Group Chat :) Hope you are all doing well. <3

Wild Reverence. First of many copies have arrived :D US hardcover. Unsure when I will read it, though.
The Executioners Three. Got my US hardcover now as well. <3 Hoping to feel like reading this soon :)
The House of Quiet. This one I am pretty excited about. And planning to read next month. Hope to love.
A Land So Wide. Oops. I did not love this book. Yet. I love Erin. So I got both the UK editions, haha. <3
Funko Europe. Ahh. A whole bunch of pop figures arrived. Sobs. I just couldn't not buy these, haha. And oh. I love my Littlefoot exclusive so much. <3 And new Stitch :D And the cat. And Hello Kitty and all the others. New Tom and Jerry. Sigh. So awesome. Disappointed with mystery princess; no Rapunzel. Aw.

Funko Europe. Ohhh. And then. The new The Lord of the Rings pop figures came out :D Ahh! And I could not resist them. Sigh. The precious. I do not like those huuuge movie moments.. as I have the Stranger Things one, and it's way too big. But. Well. I must have everything from these movies, haha. And it is fully gorgeous, of course. So I love it. And Frodo and Gollum are glow in the dark with the ring. Love them all.

More Instagram photos here. <3

Waiting on Wednesday #725

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

CONFESSIONS FROM THE GROUP CHAT 
BY JODI MEADOWS

Goodreads Description:

What happens in the group chat stays in the group chat… until it doesn’t.

Virginia Vaughn just wants to fit in with her super-popular friend group. That means she doesn’t let them know how much she loves the library, she never speaks a word about her massive crush on tragically unpopular Grayson, and she says nasty things she doesn’t actually mean. But only in the group chat, so it’s harmless, right?

But when she has a blowout fight with her clique—specifically, with the Queen Bee herself—her mean texts are posted online for the entire school to see! And, suddenly, Virginia has no one but her cat to talk to.

Cue "Knight Errant," a mystery boy at school who texts Virginia by accident—and who quickly becomes her closest confidante. Though they send messages back and forth for hours every night, Virginia doesn’t want him to know which classmate she is (because then he’ll connect her to the mean texts ALL OVER THE INTERNET). She likes him, but she really likes Grayson, too. Can she find the strength to tell Knight who she really is? And will Grayson—who has become her only ally at school—give up on her when the awful things she’s said about him are finally posted?

Confessions from the Group Chat is the second middle-grade romcom from New York Times bestselling author Jodi Meadow (Bye Forever, I Guess; My Lady Jane, now streaming on Prime). Sweet, funny, and authentically messy, this is an ultra-cute story about middle-school misbehavior, innocent first love, and the inner life of a repentant mean girl.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Format: 272 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: October 21, 2025 by Holiday House
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Ohh. This book sounds all kinds of messy and heartbreaking and complicated, haha. And yet I am still buying it. Because I have been a fan of Jodi for years. Though I have not read her first middle grade book just yet, I'm going to read it one day. And of course I have to buy this one too. It sounds cute as well :)
What are you waiting for on this sweet Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #722

Hi. I am too tired at the moment. It's been such an exhausting week and I just feel dead. Ugh. So not writing too much today. I am doing okay, just exhausted. Health sucks. Hmph. Got too much mail this week. Sobs. And still waiting on more, ha. My popmart obsession is a bit too big. But I love it so, eee. I missed out on my most wanted one on thursday. And it so broke my heart. It restocked while I was still sleeping. But then it showed up on amazon uk. And I ordered it, but it was much more expensive. Yet. I wanted it so badly. So it's worth it. But ahhh. Nervous. Yet so excited :D Finally getting my angel. <3 We have had warmer weather all week. And all next week too. It's weird. But I'm loving it so. No reading, but planning on starting a middle grade book in the next few days, hopefully. Watched some new to me shark movies. Two were shit. But one, Dangerous Animals, was amazing. Was more of a terror and serial killer movie at sea. And I loved it so, even though it scared me to death. So very good. Will re-watch. Anyway. Written too much. Exhausted. This week I'm waiting on Better in Black. <3 Hope you are all doing well :)

The Invisible Parade. Eeee! Leigh Bardugo picture book :D It looks stunning. Cannot wait to read this. <3
Fairyloot Adult August. Katabasis. Seen this book around a lot. I'm now curious about it. Looks gorgeous.
Fairyloot YA August. Immortal Consequences. This one is looking gorgeous too. I'm loving the cover. <3
Jellycat. Eeee. I could not resist buying these two adorable plushes :D Love Bartholomew so very much.
Funko Europe. This Wicked duo was a pre-order from months ago. I had to have it for my collection, ha.
Disney Store. Yeah. New Lucifer plush :D Love! New Marie ones. Gorgeous. Lanyard for Disney one day.
Animal Crossing. Eeeee. New crocs, ha :D I only wear crocs. Love them so. And these were a must. Not sure if I will ever wear them, haha. But had to have them because it's Animal Crossing, obviously. <3 Got one of the two packs of jibbitz. Getting the other one day. These are adult crocs, with heels. Scary, haha. Want the kid size ones too, as I fit the largest one. But out of stock the moment I saw them. So very rude.

Pop Mart. Yeah. Help. I bought too much lately, hahaha. <3 But I love it all so much, eee :D Got so much for myself this week, haha. Love it so. Love the Wacky Mart squishes :D Bought four by accident, as was only planning on buying two, since I have two. But now I own 5 of 6 different ones, haha. Well, no secret. But loving those I have. <3 Got one double. Tried the Hacipupu. No Taurus, but cute. Loving the Finding Mokoko figure. Adorable. Not that happy with my mini Dimoo, not the colors I wanted. But still cute :) Had to try a Bikini Bottom Buddies, haha :D Not my favorite, but I love him. And Labubu on a bike :D Ha! The cutest. And the new Skullpanda Lazy Panda. Aaadorable. Love her. And had to try a Crybaby flower. Got the best pink color, eee. So I love it. And the new big Hirono bear. Gosh. He is gorgeous. Love the bear part :D Also, not pictured are the Labubus that I got that I'm trying to sell. I'm searching for the secrets, and not getting them yet. Sigh. So have a bunch I'm trying to sell. Have A Seat, Big Into Energy, Wild but Cutie cats. Let's Checkmate Queen. So yeah. Not taking pictures of those, since I'm not keeping them :)

More Instagram photos here. <3

Waiting on Wednesday #724

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

BETTER IN BLACK BY CASSANDRA CLARE

Goodreads Description:

Ten original love stories by the reigning queen of romantasy, featuring fan-favorite couples from her #1 New York Times bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles—one of the most popular series of all time, with more than 50 million copies in print worldwide!

Ten couples. United by love. Divided by danger.

Jace and Clary, seeking out an exiled Shadowhunter and learning that love can save the world—or destroy it. Will and Tessa, honeymooning in Paris when a séance sends them down an unexpected path. Simon and Izzy, observing increased demonic activity around New York, on a hilarious urban romp.

These are just a few of the beloved couples whose romantic escapades will have you on the edge of your seat across time and storylines from Cassandra Clare’s expansive Shadowhunters series. Don’t miss a chance to reunite with:

• Anna and Ari
• Emma and Julian
• Kieran, Mark, and Cristina
• James and Cordelia
• Thomas and Alastair
• Sebastian and the Seelie Queen
• Jocelyn and Luke

A love letter to every fan of the Shadowhunter Chronicles, this riveting story collection also includes a sneak peek at The Wicked Powers, the majestic trilogy that will be the grand finale of the entire series!

Format: 464 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: December 2, 2025 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Sigh. This story collection just makes me happy, haha. Even though I am so behind on reading Cassie's books. Ahh! But I will catch up one day. <3 When I finally start reading more again. Hmph. But yes. I love her stories so much. And more of Will and Tessa. Sigh. My loves. Also getting the kickstarter one shortly, which I'm sure is going to look all kinds of gorgeous. Though I won't get to read it until I catch up. Hmph.
What are you waiting for on this romantic Wednesday?