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FORGIVE-ME-NOT BY MARI COSTA // spoiler-free blog tour book review: you absolutely need this YA sapphic romantasy graphic novel in your life yesterday!!!
Hello, and a warm welcome to my tour stop that is like 2 days late, but Toppling Stacks is forgiving of my chaos, and I’m very grateful! I also am absolutely THRILLED to talk about this little gem that you must all certainly read so without further ado, into the review xoxo Title: Forgive-Me-Not Author: Mari CostaPage count: 320Date published: 14 April 2026Genre: YA fantasy graphic novel ⚔️ Synopsis: A queer “enemies to lovers” journey of a lost princess and a changeling who was made to take the heir’s place as part of a fey scheme. Aisling is many things to many people: princess, heir to the throne, teenage daughter of two loving parents… She’s also about to learn a lot more about herself: changeling. Fey creature. Hunted. Feared. Loved? Forgive-Me-Not is the name given to the true princess — the lost teenage biological daughter to the king and queen, who’s grown up in the chaotic and untrustworthy realm of Faerie. When Forgive-Me-Not breaks into Aisling’s room the night before their 18 th birthday looking for revenge, the two embark on a long and arduous journey. And what starts as a confrontational and adversarial pairing grows into a bond of mutual…
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THE BEST OF 2025: BOOKS, MOVIES & SHOWS // ranking my top 10 of last year ft. honourable mentions
Oop long time yet again. I’ll talk about my big goals and regrets in my recap post but I do think it’s pertinent to mention that Ruby is really trying to be more active,,, cross your fingers for me!!! In any case, I shall be spending my days churning out all the content for you guys, as I catch up with my favourite posts to put together every year. Still crying tears that I never got around to the mid-year tag last year, so I hope the next few posts make up for that tragedy. As is becoming my tradition, may I present you with my favourite books, films and shows of 2025, all told in journal spreads <3<3<3 best of 2025: shows In order: Stranger Things S5, True Detective S4; The Empress S1 & S2;The Summer I Turned Pretty S3; Adolesence; Heated Rivalry S1 best of 2025: movies honourable mentions: Sabrina (1955); Sabrina (1995); Jane Eyre (2010); Heat (1995); The Fugitive (1993); Se7en (1995); Primal Fear (1996); Inception (2010); Frankie and Johnny (1991) ; Groundhog Day (1993); Great Photo, Lovely Life (2023) In order: The Life List (2025); The Gorge (2025); Mom Jayne (2025); Mickey 17 (2025);A Real Pain…
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ARCANA: THE LOST HEIRS BY SAM PRENTICE-JONES // spoiler-free book review: say hello to your next fantasy graphic novel obsession!
The fact that I had this down in my calendar a month late tells you how my life has been lately but hey at I did realise the my error and feel bad about it so hopefully you can forgive me? Big thank you to Toppling Stacks Tours for having me <3<3<3 Title: Arcana: The Lost HeirsSeries: Arcana #1Author: Sam Prentice-JonesPage count: 384Date published: 24 June 2025Genre: Young Adult fantasy graphic novel 🃏 Synopsis: Debut author/illustrator Sam Prentice-Jones explores fighting against your destiny and reconciling the actions of your ancestors in Arcana: The Lost Heirs, a tarot-inspired fantasy graphic novel for young adults. James, Daphne, Koko, and Sonny have all grown up surrounded by magic in the Arcana, an organization of witches that protects the magical world, run by the mysterious and secretive Majors. Eli Jones, however, didn’t even know other witches existed . . . until he stumbled into James. As James introduces Eli to the world of the Arcana, he finds the family he never had, and a blossoming romance with James. The five new friends soon realize that sinister things are afoot and everything may not be what it seems at the Arcana. When the group delves…
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MISMATCHED BY ANNE CAMLIN & ILLUSTRATED BY ISADORA ZEFERINO // spoiler-free book review: gushing over this queer graphic novel retelling of emma for days!!!
Rare that you see a graphic novel review from me right? Well let me tell you SHE WAS WORTH IT AND I MUST SPILL MY GUTS!!! Let’s dive right in <3<3<3 Title: MismatchedAuthor: Anne CamlinIllustrator: Isadora ZeferinoPage count: 264Date published: 3 September 2024Genre: Young adult contemporary 💖 Synopsis: A teen social media star learns he can’t control everything in this delicious, queer graphic novel adaptation that relocates Jane Austen’s Emma to a modern-day high school in Queens, New York. Evan Horowitz has it beauty, brains, and a not-so-secret flair for matchmaking! An Insta influencer with a talent for makeup and a taste for romance, he’s no stranger to playing cupid for those hopelessly clueless in finding love. So when shy transfer student Natalia shuffles into school one day, Evan can’t help but get his hands messy! With so many matches to choose from, it’s not long before he sets a plan in motion for Natalia—much against the better judgement of his level-headed best friend, Davi. But he takes things too far, creating a web of drama that spirals out of his control. Can Evan learn to put the people closest to him before his misguided ambition? Or will he lose…
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YOU BELONG HERE BY SARA PHOEBE MILLER & MORGAN BEEM // blog tour book feature: a gorgeous ya graphic novel that’ll punch you in the gut!
I’m on fire just a little bit and I kinda like it? Anyways, very excitied for my stop and the final stop of the tour celebrating You Belong Here! Let’s get into it 🙂 Title: You Belong HereAuthor: Sara Phoebe MillerIllustrator: Morgan BeemPage count: 256Date published: 4 March 2025Genre: Young Adult contemporary 💜 Synopsis: A young adult graphic novel following Essie through heartbreak, star-crossed romance, teen drama, and the question on every high-school senior’s lips: where do I belong? It’s the first day of senior year and seventeen-year-old Essie Rosen is already over it. Her best friend went off to college and barely responds to her texts, her brother’s on the other side of the country in rehab, every conversation with her mom becomes a fight, and her long-term boyfriend, Bruno, feels weirdly distant. Essie’s counting down the days until she can escape her Long Island hometown and join her bff at NYU, where she’s SURE she’ll get into the acting program she’s dreamed about for years. But when Essie gets dumped AND botches her college audition, her entire trajectory changes. Instead of doing community theater, she ends up slumming it in the school play, where she’s cast opposite the…
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JULY RECAP // movie theatre mania aka going to barbenheimer, publisher events, back to school & cute reads
Quite chuffed with myself for being mostly on time with these lately. Who knows if it’ll stick because I have a big fat deadline at the end of August. You have been warned of my potential upcoming hibernation. Let me stop freaking us all out (lmao) and jump right in! — Nothing More To Tell by Karen M McManus {★★★½☆}:I FINALLY picked up this one and ugh Ms McManus always manages to sweep me away with a great time. Unfortunately, this was not my favourite of hers, I usually tend to love her characters but they weren’t my fave in this one. But the cold case was fun and I kept going, so it’s definitely worth a read if you’re a fan like me. Big thanks to Penguin Random House South Africa for the eARC and physical copy. More thoughts in GR review right over here You, With A View by Jessica Joyce {★★★★½}: I mean wow. Round of freaking applause for this DEBUT that literally knocked my socks off. Jessica has pure talent in those finger tips and this book was just absolutely everything. From the writing to the romance to the settings and the gut-wrenching grief conversations THIS…
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DEMON IN THE WOOD BY LEIGH BARDUGO // spoiler-free book review: the darkling origin story in stunning graphic novel format that you need to read
Just realised I have never actually reviewed a graphic novel on here before and idk why this is notable but there you go. And you’re getting two posts in a row, I’ll call that a miracle! Anyways, really excited about today’s post and you have my personal permission to publically shame me if I don’t FINALLY read the Grisha trilogy after this. Seriously. Come back in like idk 3 months? A reasonable amount of time. I’ll stop now so we can get into the post!!! Title: Demon In The WoodSeries: Grishaverse book #0Author: Leigh BardugoIllustrator: Dani PendergastPage count: 200Date published: 27 September 2022Genre: Young Adult Fantasy 🖤 Synopsis: Before he led Ravka’s Second Army, before he created the Fold, and long before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy burdened by an extraordinary power. Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha—they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, they must hide their true abilities wherever they go. But sometimes deadly secrets…
