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Review: Wayward by Blake Crouch
Sometimes it is not so much a question of whether you read a sequel, but simply when. After the complete WTF-ending of Pines, it was immediately clear to both my colleague and me that we wanted to keep going. We did have to wait a few days to get our hands on the sequel, but once we could start Wayward,…
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Illumicrate #41: February 2026
I was actually planning to skip the February Illumicrate entirely. Although the predicted book seemed cool, it wasn’t exactly something I necessarily wanted a special edition for, especially since the standard cover was already very beautiful. Moreover, starting this year, Illumicrate is switching from four to just three items per box, while the price remains the same. In itself, that…
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Review: Pines by Blake Crouch
Sometimes the best reading experiences happen entirely by accident. Pines was not on my immediate TBR at all, but when a colleague mentioned she had started reading it and became so engrossed that she nearly missed her train stop on the way home, my curiosity was piqued. I have had the entire trilogy sitting on my e-reader for ages, waiting…
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Fairyloot Adult #48: February 2026
The February FairyLoot arrived just in time for February itself. It’s always nice when that happens, because sometimes deliveries run a bit late. This month’s theme was: Forbidden Bargains! According to FairyLoot, the book of the month would be perfect for readers who enjoy gothic fantasy. And that sentence alone was enough to grab my attention. They also revealed that…
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Review: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Ever since I first read the Dutch translation of Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier years ago, I’ve been meaning to continue the Sevenwaters series. However, given how much time has passed since that first read, I wanted to revisit the story before continuing, this time in its original English. An impromptu buddy read with a few people online…
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Reviewing with BALSPEL: 2026 update
A few years ago, I wrote in detail about how I rate books with stars. In that post I explained how my system evolved from purely gut feeling to something a bit more structured. Since 2022, I’ve been using my own version of BookRoast’s CAWPILE system, which I renamed BALSPEL. And yes, I still use this system today. But as…
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The Broken Binding SF&F Sub #2: January 2026
To be honest, blogging hasn’t been going so well for me lately. Just…not feeling like it. It happens, but my numerous book subscriptions keep coming in, and I don’t want to deprive you of those unboxings. Last October, I started the new SF&F subscription from The Broken Binding. At the time, it was still a bimonthly subscription, good for six…
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Read in February 2026
February turned out to be a somewhat more difficult reading month. Not so much because I didn’t read much, but mainly because several books I had chosen with fairly positive expectations ended up being more disappointing than enjoyable. As a result, I found myself deciding not to finish books quite often this month, sometimes even after I had already read…
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Illumicrate #40: January 2026
The first Illumicrate of 2026 is a fact, and wow…what a start! Both Fairyloot and Illumicrate are off to a flying start for the new year! This month’s theme was Power of Death. Not a small, cozy theme, but a pretty powerful message. It promises an epic fantasy book with a unique magic system…and yes, I’m already sold. But as…
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Fairyloot Adult #47: January 2026
A new year, a new series of book boxes on the horizon. And yes, even though I resolve every year to be more selective and use my skip options more often, there’s always something that makes me hesitate. For this first FairyLoot box of 2026, it was mainly the impressive list of artists. That alone made my mouth water. And…