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Amanda | Mood Reader

@the_bookishbae

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ARC reader and reviewer. Fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, thrillers.
📍Salt Lake City UT
📚2026: 78/100

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Are you a new creator using Canva for the first time? Or just don't know where to start? Look no further!

Canva is a great tool but it's hard to know where to start. I've gathered some more Canva tips and tricks to help you get the most out of it!

Is there anything else you'd like to learn? Drop a comment below and follow for more bookish tips, tricks, and fun.

#canvatutorial #canvatips #canvadesign #bookstgram #howtousecanva by @the_bookishbae

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10 hours ago

✨️🔎Street Team Book Mail🔎✨️

How cute is this book mail from @nicolettebrandonbooks ?! I'm very thankful that I continue to be on her street team. Thank you so much for this wonderful package. I seriously did not want to tear it open!

Do you like police procedural crime dramas with a side of slow burn romance? Then look no further than The Past We Thought We Knew, and The Present We Risk (Nicolette's newest book and book two in the Special Agent Riley Reynolds series).

#mysterybooks #indieauthors #detectivebooks #bookmail

QOTD: what was the last book you read with a mystery to solve? by @the_bookishbae

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2 days ago

✨️Book Review✨️
🕯Odessa In the Dark by Onika Howdyn
🕯Published October 15, 2026
🕯Genre: supernatural gothic novella
🕯Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Odessa In the Dark is a gothic, fantasy novella about suffering, guilt, self-loathing, protection, healing, and forgiveness. This book reads like a dark fairytale and has a ton to unpack within its 200 pages!

Odessa is a complex character who takes on so much pain and suffering to protect her younger sister, and the horrifying acts she is forced into causes her extreme guilt. It's difficult to watch her carry all this weight and shut out those who care about her. There were so many times I was internally begging her to talk to her friend, Daemon. But at the same time I understood why she felt like she couldn't.

Her relationship with the Thana Mór (an agent of death) was quite an emotional roller coaster, and at times odd. Sometimes their conversations left me feeling a little confused and slightly frustrated. Again, I could understand why Odessa acted irrationally and pushed others away in favor of the Thana Mór (forging a deal with Death can't be easy), but that didn't make their interactions any less upsetting!

I thought the gothic, somewhat medieval vibes were well done. From the very beginning the mood and atmosphere sucked me in. It definitely elevates the tragedy of Odessa and her sister and grounds the reader to the story.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this. If you like a bit of a slow burn and are comfortable reading dark stories with difficult themes then I'd recommend it. Ultimately there is a HEA (given what the sisters go through)! And seeing Odessa grow and come to understand her own value as a person is such a great moment! So don't let the dark parts put you off - it's not completely doom and gloom!

Thank you @42fold.studio and @oahowdyn for providing me with an advanced reader copy!

QOTD: would you make a sacrifice to keep your sibling(s) from harm?

#friendsof42 #arcreader #bookreviews #bookstagram #darkfantasy by @the_bookishbae

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3 days ago

If you're seeing my bookish content for the first time then hi, let's be friends!

I have a few book reviews I need to create content for but right now I'm a bit tired from the season change. So I just want to get to know new people, connect with my current gang, and sound off about books! I'd love it if this post generates some fun discussions so comment if you feel so inclined 🥰

QOTD: what's something you've been dying to talk about but haven't had a chance to yet?

#bookclub #bookdiscussion #bookstgram by @the_bookishbae

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4 days ago

Haunted houses, deep held secrets, and unspeakable horrors. Whether you're into the supernatural or the horror that is mankind, I have a book rec for you!

QOTD: see any favorites, or what would you add to this list?

#hauntedhouse #halloweenbooks #bookpost #horrorreaders #nailart by @the_bookishbae

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6 days ago

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6 days ago

OMG you guys, I can't stop thinking about Scorpion Deep!

✨️Scorpion Deep by C.G. Drews @paperfury
✨️Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✨️Publication Date: October 27, 2026

This is another wonderful, twisted, mentally messed up book from C.G. Drews. I think this literally has tropes for everyone. It explores friendships and growing up; love and obsession; fear, anxiety, and unstable mental health; power dynamics and abuse; magic creatures and dark rituals; and so much more.

The pacing was great! The climax is perfectly timed and I never once felt bored. I also love the way C.G. writes. It's so moody and tense. They use such beautiful and uniquely detailed prose that captures the main character's (Jonathan) emotional state and inner dialog perfectly. You can't help but feel as if you yourself are the protagonist. It's a wonderfully unnerving feeling.

This story blends fantasy, folklore, and horror (of the Eldritch/psychological, and body variety). Jonathan's upbringing has severely affected his mental health, leading to many secrets, lies, and second guessing what is real. If you like twisty books that mess with your mind then look no further! In classic C.G Drews style, don't expect a clear or decisive ending. You're going to walk away from this book questioning some things!

Thank you @feiwelandfriends for the advanced reader copy.

#bookreviews #bookpost #horrorreaders #spookyseason #booksta

QOTD: Do you have a favorite folklore creature or story? by @the_bookishbae

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7 days ago

The Lost Spectacular is for daydreamers, lovers of magical realism, and for those that believe in second chances.

I received a gifted copy from @tandemcollectiveglobal and @kensingtonbooks and I am grateful they included me to participate in this readalong. Our group chat was wild and I'm happy I had people to talk to about this one! We didn't all agree on our final thoughts but I love that books can mean different things to different people.

The writing is quite mystical at times. I saw another review that liked it to a dream that makes sense while it's happening but it confusing and hard to piece together once you're awake. This element in particular will make or break the story for readers. If you love to read based on vibes and enjoy a journey unbound by rules or a final destination then I think you'd like this book. The comparison to The Night Circus feels accurate to me. For me though, I felt confused at times and I had a hard time connecting with Noon.

What I enjoyed the most were the moments that happened in the real world. Noon and Munro grew up in the same house so their collective mothers (one for Noon, two for Munro) know each other. They scheme to pair up the two. They miss their children, now adults and one their own, and wish they'd visit more. The relationship between everyone in this close group was my favorite part of the story. Watching Munro grow and do better by his moms was wonderful and heartwarming. The descriptions of the town they grew up in were done very well. I enjoyed that their home town grounded me in reality.

Again, thank you Tandem Collective and Kensington Books for hosting a fun and lively readalong!

#tandemreadalong #kensingtonbooks #magicalrealism #bookstgram #bookreviews

QOTD: what is the most magical place you've visited? by @the_bookishbae

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10 days ago

Let's all read banned books and enter this awesome banned books giveaway! Three lucky winners will win one of three amazing prizes. See below for rules and eligibility:

Rules
✨️Must be following all giveaway sponsors
@the_bookishbae
@the.literary.crypt
@literary.luna.moth
@rinny_s_reads
✨️Like, save and repost this post
✨️Tag some friends in the comments (all in same comment) and comment your favorite banned book/a banned book on your tbr

Eligibility
✨️Must be 18+ years old with a public account
✨️Open to US residents only
✨️Must be willing to share address and/or email address

This giveaway will run for one week (winners chosen on 10/17). Winners will be contacted by DM. This giveaway is not sponsored by Instagram, Meta, The American Library Association, or Amazon.

Good luck!
#bookgiveaway #bannedbooksweek #booksta by @the_bookishbae

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10 days ago

This literally made my day! Did you know Goodreads now allows partial star ratings? Well now you do! This applies to ratings done in the past as well.

Which book(s) will you be updating on Goodreads now that this feature is live?

#goodreads #bookreviews #booksta #update by @the_bookishbae

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12 days ago

Please Enjoy Your Stay had me hooked from the beginning! The dark gothic vibes and the remote mountain village blended together so well. I enjoyed how the history of the hotel brought a supernatural component to the plot. It had me invested and questioning everything.

I don't typically have strong feelings one way or the other about incorporating podcasts into thrillers. This book used this element quite well. I loved watching Mia be a nanny (not a very good one) while slowly devolving mentally. Mia actually feels true to the morally gray archetype!

This book won't answer every detail it gives you, but that wasn't a problem for me as it seems to be for others. This is a slow burn mystery thriller, yet I hard time putting it down!

Thank you @taragoedjen and @atriabooks for the advanced reader copy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Publication Date: October 13, 2026

Blurb
When they were teenagers, Mia’s beloved cousin was murdered during their stay at an infamous castle in the Austrian Alps. As the only witness, Mia’s testimony put the killer behind bars, but it tore her life apart: the media accused her aunt, a controversial true crime author, of being involved. Now, a decade later, the murderer is appealing his conviction, and a popular true crime podcast starts covering the case, determined to exonerate him, and resurfacing lies about Mia’s family in the process.

Desperate to protect her aunt—and what she knows to be the truth—Mia returns to Austria. The castle is being revamped as a luxury hotel, and Mia gets a job as a nanny for the new owner, hiding in plain sight as she investigates, needing to set the story straight once and for all. But after someone mysteriously disappears on the property and sinister new evidence emerges regarding her cousin’s death, she realizes she might have accused the wrong man...and put her own life in danger.

#pleaseenjoyyourstay #mysterythriller #bookreviewer by @the_bookishbae

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13 days ago

Which coven do you belong to?

#witchy #witchbooks #booksta by @the_bookishbae

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14 days ago