Book Haul 2026—February

Books I acquired in February. Unless stated, all books were free when I downloaded them


BookBub

Murder in the Crypt by Irina Shapiro

Muddy Waters by Eric Chance Stone

Under Southern Stars by Cari Blake

Sacrifices by Rose B. Mashal

White Horse Black Nights by Evie Marceau

CORA by A.L. Hawke

Reclaiming Mni Sota by Colin Mustful

Naoise’s First Year by Martina O’Leary

Tree of Redemption by Jim Davidson

Snowfall in Virginia by Jim Davidson

The Aztec Necklace by Jim Davidson

Galaxy of Heroes by Gus Flory

Rise: Birth of a Revolution by Mark Moore

Touched by A.J. Aalto

A Tail of Village Murder by Lucy Emblem

Big Horn by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Crave Me by Jenn Plummer

Lilies at Dawn by Vivien Thorne

Maybe Yes by Ella Miles

The Divine and the Cursed by J.E. Reed

Heart of Her Wolves by Tara West

The Shortest Way Home by Juliette Fay

Krimson Run by Julia Huni

Darrienia by K.J. Simmill

The Scandalous Letters of V and J by Felicia Davin

The Fairkind by Randolph Kuczer

A Feast of Phantoms by Kat Ross

Clumsy in Love by Jamie Arras

Forgiveness River by Liliana Hart

His Other Wife by Ava Strong

The Slayer Rule by Richard DeGranpre

Crossbones by Douglas Pratt

Of Body and Bone by J.T. Bishop

Out of My League by Brea Brown

Bride of the Briar Beast by Brandon Rohrbaugh

An Alien Pirate for February by Lindy Moonhill

The Costume Party by L.E. Young

Theory Markspurn by L.C. Mitchell

Synthetic Eden by Alexander Titus

Ranger of Kings by C.J.R. Isley

Arcane by Sever Bronny

Haunted Ends by Elizabeth Price

Academy of the Forgotten by Eva Chase

Wunderkind by ZZ Adams

A Recursive Singularity by Andrew Kraft

Back from the Dead by Andre Spiteri

Nailed by Joseph Flynn

What Happens in the Ruins by Kelsey McKnight

Full Throttle by GiGi Meier

The Rosewood Diary by Teri Blake

Soul Tie by R.L. Mosz

Unraveling Brigid’s Veil by Christy Nichols

Awakening Horde by M. Zaugg

Miami Ice by Aven Ellis

A Deadly Dunk by Cindy Bell

Slade by Vella Day

The Vanishing of Dr. Winter by L.B. Hathaway

The Desert Saint by A.M. Pascarella

Machinations of a Murder by Peter Zander-Howell

Solar Flare Outage by Tom Hawke

The Quiet Hideaway by William Stone

Blood & Bone by Paula Dombrowiak

Inferno Games: Purgatory by Elise Knight

Bloods of the Sands by S.C. Grayson

Justice for Danielle by Aubree Valentine

Hunted by K.M. Shea

Unspoken by Jann Alexander

The Neverborn by B.B. Brighton

The Making of Us by Diane Hawley Nagatomo

They Will Be Coming for Us by Kim Catanzarite

Bitterwood by James Maxey

Alpha Female by L.J. Breedlove

Pardon My French Press by J.P. Sterling

Lies and Lattes by Christine Zane Thomas

Marvels, Mochas, and Murder by Christine Zane Thomas

Murder and Mahjong by Annabel Chase

Ruthless Oath by Ella Jade

Bite the Bullet by Jim Woods

Defending the Gulf Coast by Andi Lodge

Dark Wish by Clarissa Wild

Bound by Deception by Jayne Castel

No Hero by Mallory Kane

Luna by Letty Frame

When We Talk by Carrie Crafton

The Game by Terry Schott

Forged in Fire by Melody Rose

The Fae Conspiracy by Kevin Knabe

1st Murder by Megan Matthews

Foul Murder at Fable’s Mansion by April Patterson Clemens

Bells, Tails & Murder by Kathy Manos Penn

A Crown of Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Bear Trap by Bob Asher

Midnight for Justice by Charlotte Stuart

Serpents by Logan Fox

Survival of Alayster by Jay Roshni

Cold War by Keira Andrews

Slivers of Memory by AJ Dasher

Guardian of Fate by L.J. Kentowski

The Reluctant Coroner by Paul Austin Ardoin

Don’t Hurt Me by Julia Derek

Curse of the Sun and Stars by Zara Storm

Apple Farm Secrets by B.Z. Lenhart

Ellie Dwyer’s Great Escape by Diane Winger

In the Blood of the Greeks by Mary D. Brooks

Demon Guard by Samantha Britt

Full Moon Saloon by Aimee Easterling

Part-Time Monster Hunter by Nicholas Woode-Smith

The One With The Secret Crushes by Alexis Anne

Isolation by Darin Miller

Her Vampire Prince by Ines Johnson

Die for You by Amarie Avant

Fallen Snow by Jolie Vines

Don’t Lie to Me by Alicia Darke

The Farrier’s Daughter by Leigh Ann Edwards

Splintered Mind by W.R. Gingell

No One Else Could Heal Her by Hiyodori

Charmed by Magic by S.K. Young

Apprentice of the Dead by Laura Greenwood

Murder at Maisie’s by Lyla Blue

Mated to the Cyborg General by Aurelia Skye

Raven by Scarlett Finn

Steal Away by BV Lawson

On the Rocks by Mia Gold

Shattered Secrets by Lilian Harris

Between Desire and Denial by Shain Rose

Ridorkulous by Mary Frame

Bad Princess by N.E. Henderson

Demon’s Bride by Leigh Miller

The Darkest King by Juliette N. Banks

Across the Sea by Annie Seaton

Once Upon a Ren Faire by A.C. Castillo

The Problem With Black Magic by Karen L. Mead

Not That Impressed by Ranee S. Clark

Camellias, Clues, and Cold Cases by Lisa Pevey

Shadow Thief by Eva Chase

Amidst the Darkness by Laura Rise

Terminal Silence by Dan Klasing

Get Out by Kate Bold

Sinful Honor by Kate Bammer

Her Brave Wolf by Kestra Pingree

The Darker Ages by Aron Lewes

Ghostly Gossip by Nellie H. Steele

The Bandalore by D.K. Girl

Playing with Fire by Jordan Bloom

The Scent of Happiness by Jordan Bloom


From My TBR

The Mechanic by Tom Fowler

The Longest Night by Carter Woods

The Deadbeat Next Door by Katharine Sadler

Rock Bottom by Jade C. Jamison

Puck Drop by Maggie Alabaster

Airplane Games by Cat Wynn

Ride with the Devil by Carin Hart

Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms by Sarah Wallace

Never Fall for Your Fake Fiance by Kate O’Keeffe

Cabal of the Westford Knight by David S. Brody

Rebellious by Gillian Archer

Dark Illusion by Dana V. Moison

Buttons and Blackmail by Ramey James

Soul in the Game by Lily Cahill

Crank by Caitlyn Dare

Delicious Death by Byrd Nash

The Baker and the Broken Heart by Jesse Leigh Murray

Whispers, Whiskey, and Wishes by Rowan Dillon

Murphy’s Law by Sandy James

Pity Party by Whitney Dineen

Pranks, Poitin, and Pucas by Rowan Dillon

A Shift in Shadows by Maddox Grey


Found on other blogs

Diners, Dives, & Drive-Bys by David Korson (found on Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Great Escape Book Tours)


Books I bought

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (bought on Amazon for $1.99)


Books I found on other sites

A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong by Cecilia Grant (found on Goodreads Newsletter: Swoony Stories: 144 Romance Recommendations for Valentine’s Day)


Book Mail

Missing by E.A. Jackson (won on Goodreads giveaway, paperback)

WWW Wednesday: February 25th, 2026

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Here is what I am reading, what I recently finished, and what I plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday.

Let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books!!

Happy Reading!


What I am currently reading:

Before the events of Auguries of Dawn, diviner Sweyn Savannon refines her strategies for the upcoming tumult. Granted foresight of the legendary Catalyst Stones, she awaits their reappearance in the world while gathering a host of powerful allies.

At last given sight of the location of the Sapphire Stone, Sweyn now knows that the time to put all her plots and schemes into motion has finally come. Determined to see all of Dhanen’Mar become a sanctuary for Destiny, she stands ready to unleash whatever destruction is necessary to see out her dark objectives.

*Author’s Note. This is a prequel to the main series and not a standalone story, and is best read after the 4th volume, Path of Stars.


What I recently finished reading:

As the winter season draws to a close, the royal jester hastens to refine his strategies and prepare the royal city for the fight ahead. Now teeming with both allies and enemies, Aralexia itself sits posed to become a battleground as a truth buried more than twenty-five years is at last ready to be revealed.
To the north, Callan and Tishan return from Veron and find their loyalties tested as the situation between Jennen and Dhanen’Mar takes a menacing turn. Determined to prevent the two realms from seeing open confrontation, the assassin undertakes a dark mission in order to head off a war.


What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

When her granddaughter Serena is abducted by a crew of foreign pirates, Lady Danetria appeals to the warlords for aid. Desired for her diviner skills, all fear that if Serena isn’t rescued before arriving at the distant shores of Swythe Island, she will be lost to them forever.

Deployed on his first official assignment, Kain Rojek isn’t anticipating much trouble—or excitement—to arise from the task of recovering the stolen diviner. But once separated from his fellow warlords, he soon finds himself mired in a web of conspiracy none had foreseen. Forced to navigate his way through fatal enchantments, a rebel uprising, and the darkest corner of Swythe Island politics, Kain will finally come to discover that the only end to his quest may cost him everything.

* Author’s Note
This is a prequel to the main series. While designed to be read between volumes 4 and 5, it can be enjoyed at any point in the series.

When Dhanen’Mar’s home city of Destiny comes under multiple threats, a divination leads Qyn Rojek to finally return to the place of his birth. Arriving at the Spindle, he quickly finds himself confronted with the long-hidden secret of his origins, as well as the deeper truth of his due’foi’beni talents and responsibilities.
Tasked with defending the city from the dark ambitions of his aunt, the invulnerable diviner Sweyn Savannon, Qyn begins a journey meant to at last reveal his destiny.

*Author’s Note
This is not a standalone story and is meant to be read between volumes 4 & 5 of the series.

Following the events of the Spring Banquet, matters in Aralexia become increasingly unstable as alliances splinter and loyalties threaten to unravel. Forced to flee the royal city, Flynn sets out after the Amethyst Stone, while Qyn and Synna prepare to confront the powers of the Sapphire and Emerald in Kohtala.

In the north, the warlords gather to defend against the Jennite army, now posed to invade. Forewarned with the knowledge of two prophecies, one recently discovered in O’Kada and the other spoken by the invulnerable diviner Sweyn Savannon, Taleb desperately seeks a way to halt the battle, even as Baiel forms his strategies to meet the numerous threats. With both the Catalyst Stones and Dhanen’Mar now at risk, enemies begin to converge, and ultimately force a result that will alter the very world itself.

A prequel set 200 years before the main timeline.

For her entire life, Cryslyn Rogim’s very existence has been shrouded in mystery. Why were she and her mother always fleeing into the night? Who was her father? Was something hunting them, and if so, why?
Having now reached her fifteenth birthing-day, Cryslyn is determined to finally learn these answers. Setting out to claim her Secondary Patron, she takes the first step toward her destiny, a fate both unforeseen and unimagined.

2026 ABC Challenge—February

Prompts I finished in February


L


H


A

Clear Your TBR (2026 Edition)—February

Prompts I finished in February


Read a book with 400-600 pages

512 pages

Read a YA book


A book that you are looking forward to but haven’t had the time


A Book Under 200 Pages

Book is 191 pages

An Anticipated 3-Star read

Beat the Backlist 2026—February

Prompts I finished in February


Fave Author Rec


Let the games begin—about or featuring gaming, a specific game, or a competition

The main character competes in the creative Olympics

Title starts with “L“—book title starts with the letter “L“


BFF’s—features 2+ best friends as main or important side characters

Agnes and Eleanor are the BFF’s

Novella Sweet Spot—between 150-200 pages

Book is 191 pages

I like ’em chonky—more than 542 pages

Book is 546 pages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?—February 23rd, 2026

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kid-lit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, young adult novels, or anything in those genres – join them.


What I am Reading Now

As the winter season draws to a close, the royal jester hastens to refine his strategies and prepare the royal city for the fight ahead. Now teeming with both allies and enemies, Aralexia itself sits posed to become a battleground as a truth buried more than twenty-five years is at last ready to be revealed.
To the north, Callan and Tishan return from Veron and find their loyalties tested as the situation between Jennen and Dhanen’Mar takes a menacing turn. Determined to prevent the two realms from seeing open confrontation, the assassin undertakes a dark mission in order to head off a war.


What I am reading Monday and Tuesday:

Before the events of Auguries of Dawn, diviner Sweyn Savannon refines her strategies for the upcoming tumult. Granted foresight of the legendary Catalyst Stones, she awaits their reappearance in the world while gathering a host of powerful allies.

At last given sight of the location of the Sapphire Stone, Sweyn now knows that the time to put all her plots and schemes into motion has finally come. Determined to see all of Dhanen’Mar become a sanctuary for Destiny, she stands ready to unleash whatever destruction is necessary to see out her dark objectives.

*Author’s Note. This is a prequel to the main series and not a standalone story, and is best read after the 4th volume, Path of Stars.

When her granddaughter Serena is abducted by a crew of foreign pirates, Lady Danetria appeals to the warlords for aid. Desired for her diviner skills, all fear that if Serena isn’t rescued before arriving at the distant shores of Swythe Island, she will be lost to them forever.

Deployed on his first official assignment, Kain Rojek isn’t anticipating much trouble—or excitement—to arise from the task of recovering the stolen diviner. But once separated from his fellow warlords, he soon finds himself mired in a web of conspiracy none had foreseen. Forced to navigate his way through fatal enchantments, a rebel uprising, and the darkest corner of Swythe Island politics, Kain will finally come to discover that the only end to his quest may cost him everything.

* Author’s Note
This is a prequel to the main series. While designed to be read between volumes 4 and 5, it can be enjoyed at any point in the series.

Goodreads Monday: Playing with Fire (Geek Girl Mysteries: Book 1) by Sherry D. Ficklin

This is a weekly meme in which anyone can choose and highlight a random book from their Goodreads TBR. It was formerly featured on LaurensPageTurners and was taken over by Budget Tales Book Blog.


Goodreads Synopsis

One brilliant young hacker. One experimental government aircraft. One chance to keep it all from going up in flames.

Still recovering from her troubled past, Farris is no stranger to change. But when the military transfers her father across the country to an experimental aircraft squadron, settling in to a new life is the least of her problems. As a series of apparent computer glitches threaten the security of the fleet and the blame falls on her father, she decides to put her computer skills to use digging up the truth. Soon she’s drawn into the perilous world of a hacker who is determined to ground the fleet–at any cost.

When all signs lead to someone close to her as the mastermind, Farris will have to burn more than bridges to get to the truth. She will have to risk her fragile new life to uncover the identity of the cyber criminal before they can escalate from harmless tampering… to all out murder.

WWW Wednesday—February 18th, 2026

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Here is what I am reading, what I recently finished, and what I plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday.

Let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books!!

Happy Reading!


What I am currently reading:

Summoned by the ancient diviner Danetria Savannon, allies from across Dhanen’Mar gather at the Spindle to confer on the rising peril. With threat of the Catalyst Stones growing more dire, and the deeper motivations of the enemy remaining unknown, those determined to protect the realm begin forming their strategies for defense.

In the royal city of Aralexia, Devlin Alvik continues gathering confederates while attempting to penetrate the enemy’s inner circles. Uncovering numerous threats brewing against the crown, he fears he’s nearly out of time to implement his own schemes, those designed to protect and shield all Dhanen’Mar.


What I recently finished reading:

Sent by Dhanen’Mar’s royal jester, assassin Callan Ashe and thief Tishan Ravare arrive in Veron and find themselves drawn into a storm of political mayhem.

As each dawn brings Veron’s king closer to death, four men vie for the hand of his eldest daughter in hopes of gaining the throne. Upon discovering their own target’s agenda in the affair, Callan and Tishan soon come to realize that the plots they came north to uncover run far deeper than they’d ever imagined.

* Author’s Note This is not a stand-alone story, and is meant to be read between Volumes 2 & 3 of the series.


What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

Arriving in Veron, Rydin Kale aligns himself with the forces besieged within the royal castle. With all of Guitzi now held by the treasonous Cobian Tassoni, King Arvello is relieved to receive word that the Jennites are standing ready to name themselves his allies.
Together with the knight Dego Salvi, Rydin begins his search for Callan and Tishan, who’ve now been missing several weeks. What he discovers is a plot more sinister than imagined, and one that threatens to bring the entire royal city to its doom.

*Author’s Note: This is not a stand-alone story, and is meant to be read between Volumes 3&4 of the series.

Sent north to uncover further plots of the enemy, Knoxx and Synna arrive in O’Kada’s royal city to begin their hunt for information on the powerful mage Leija Idrees.
Aided by a strange band of allies, they soon discover how dire the situation in this foreign realm has become, and the many reasons behind it. Forced to behold the full scope of Idrees’s terrifying designs, Knoxx and Synna decide that before they can depart for home, they must do all in their power to stop her.

*Author’s Note
This is not a stand-alone story, and is intended to be read between volumes 3 & 4 of the series.

As the winter season draws to a close, the royal jester hastens to refine his strategies and prepare the royal city for the fight ahead. Now teeming with both allies and enemies, Aralexia itself sits posed to become a battleground as a truth buried more than twenty-five years is at last ready to be revealed.
To the north, Callan and Tishan return from Veron and find their loyalties tested as the situation between Jennen and Dhanen’Mar takes a menacing turn. Determined to prevent the two realms from seeing open confrontation, the assassin undertakes a dark mission in order to head off a war.

Before the events of Auguries of Dawn, diviner Sweyn Savannon refines her strategies for the upcoming tumult. Granted foresight of the legendary Catalyst Stones, she awaits their reappearance in the world while gathering a host of powerful allies.

At last given sight of the location of the Sapphire Stone, Sweyn now knows that the time to put all her plots and schemes into motion has finally come. Determined to see all of Dhanen’Mar become a sanctuary for Destiny, she stands ready to unleash whatever destruction is necessary to see out her dark objectives.

*Author’s Note. This is a prequel to the main series and not a standalone story, and is best read after the 4th volume, Path of Stars.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?—February 16th, 2026

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kid-lit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, young adult novels, or anything in those genres – join them.


What I am Reading Now

In this prequel to Auguries of Dawn, thief Aris Sylvain arrives upon the mages’ Isle of Venaris Sheea, determined to locate and steal the legendary Catalyst Stone hidden there. Knowing his daughter’s life hinges completely on his success or failure, he has vowed to do whatever necessary to escape with the Sapphire Stone.
But Aris’s actions do not go unnoticed. Young waterdancer Synna Dacyn, along with fellow mage Villian Anand, are quick to take up his trail, tracking him from the island and into the streets of Tyrell, just days before the city is set to begin its annual Ardin’s Pride festival.


What I am reading Monday and Tuesday:

Sent by Dhanen’Mar’s royal jester, assassin Callan Ashe and thief Tishan Ravare arrive in Veron and find themselves drawn into a storm of political mayhem.

As each dawn brings Veron’s king closer to death, four men vie for the hand of his eldest daughter in hopes of gaining the throne. Upon discovering their own target’s agenda in the affair, Callan and Tishan soon come to realize that the plots they came north to uncover run far deeper than they’d ever imagined.

Summoned by the ancient diviner Danetria Savannon, allies from across Dhanen’Mar gather at the Spindle to confer on the rising peril. With threat of the Catalyst Stones growing more dire, and the deeper motivations of the enemy remaining unknown, those determined to protect the realm begin forming their strategies for defense.

In the royal city of Aralexia, Devlin Alvik continues gathering confederates while attempting to penetrate the enemy’s inner circles. Uncovering numerous threats brewing against the crown, he fears he’s nearly out of time to implement his own schemes, those designed to protect and shield all Dhanen’Mar.

Goodreads Monday: Siege of Talonrend (The Goblin Wars: Book 1)by Stuart Thaman

This is a weekly meme in which anyone can choose and highlight a random book from their Goodreads TBR. It was formerly featured on LaurensPageTurners and was taken over by Budget Tales Book Blog.


Goodreads Synopsis

A river, a handful of farming villages, and a few miles of open plains are all that separate the frontier city of Talonrend from the wilderness that lies in the shadow of Kanebullar Mountain, the home of the goblins. King Lucius Firesbane has disappeared without an heir and goblins have been seen on the horizon.

In the face of chaos, a disgruntled paladin sets out to find his king.