What This Week! (Vol. 5 2025)
WEEK: 2/2/2025 - 2/8/2025
I spent the last week in upstate New York just relaxing and enjoying the snow and getting loved on by the sweetest cats-Willow and Olive. My parents recently adopted two cats and they are the apple of our family’s eyes! It was a hard week for me, but somehow they both made it better.
I was able to read a decent amount, but truly-my mental health got the best of me. So, how did I combat the tears, overthinking, and anxiety, you ask? Well, by watching Dexter of course. I had no idea this show about a serial killer who kills serial killers would be so good! I also just managed to finish the audiobook of, Butcher and Blackbird, and that’s also about serial killers hunting serial killers.
I got to see my bestie Shannon as well, and the best thing about our friendship is that we actually met at a book convention! Sinner’s and Stardust-2024. Not only did I get the opportunity to meet so many dark romance authors there, but I also got to meet wonderful friends and bookish peers there as well!
Also, since, it’s the first week of February, I want to share with you all of the books that I finished last month!
Carnage by Shantel Tessier
The Rules We Break by Katelyn Taylor
The Lies We Steal by Monty Jay
Demise by Katelyn Taylor
The Truths We Burn by Monty Jay
The Blood We Crave Part I by Monty Jay
The Blood We Crave Part II by Monty Jay
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Physical Read
Kindle Read
Audiobook
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Bookstagram spotlight
Booktok spotlight
Youtube Spotlight
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Author Spotlight of The Week
Mel Reilly
3 New-to-me Authors
Katie Perez
Sage Mitchell
K.G. Reuss
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ARCs: Who Deserves Them?
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3 Booktube videos I loved this week.
What am I reading this week?
Physical Read:
I started reading this book a few weeks ago but never got the opportunity to finish! Hopefully, I can find the time to finish it this week! From what I’ve read so far, I’m a fan!
Kindle Read:
This week I will be doing an ARC read for Nevermore by Jade Hernandez. I am so stoked about it and I can’t wait to dive in because it’s also the first book in a new series!
Audiobook:
I don’t have a specific audiobook picked out for the week, but I’m going to sit tomorrow and pick one out!
Influencer Spotlight
No spotlights this week. I had a hard week and didn’t spend as much time on social media as I wished, but next week I’ll be doing double the spotlights so don’t miss it!
Author Spotlight
I love me some Mel Reilly and I’m not just talking about her work. She is an Indie, Latina, Dark Romance author and she is AHH-MAZING! She is by far one of my favorite people that I have met in this community. My favorite novel of hers is a novella-Pandora’s Escape! I would 10/10 recommend it to everyone. It’s also why choose and I won’t even lie to you-X will in fact be your favorite.
New-to-Me Authors
Where did I find these new-to-me authors? On Author Taylor Paige’s newsletter! I love signing up for author newsletters because there are so many new authors you can find due to newsletter swaps as well as just cool info on ARCs, upcoming releases, and even exclusive perks for newsletter subscribers!
If you’ve read any of these books before, let me know in the comment section which one you’d like to see the Library of Angel’s team review first! Authors, PA’s, and Readers alike can submit a review request form on our services page!
Bookish News This Week:
ARCs: Who Deserves Them?
Recently, the topic of who deserves ARCs has surfaced. The truth is determining who deserves them automatically implies that there are eligibility requirements to be met for receiving ARCs. It is extremely typical for authors to have a set of requirements that will help them navigate who gets placed on their teams. It is more uncommon that authors accept everyone that applies!
When authors have larger ARC teams, they run a much higher risk of their books being pirated prior to their release date. This can heavily impact indie authors specifically, especially if they’re enrolled in KDP and Kindle unlimited as they can be penalized for versions of their book found elsewhere regardless of it being pirated.
While, everyone hopes for the opportunity to ARC read for a favorite author, a new author, or even just because you want to try to break-into the ARC reader space - ARCs are never guaranteed. It is a huge privlege to be able to access a book prior to it’s release date! I myself, have been so disappointed when I haven’t been chosen for an ARC, but I remind myself that there are so many other opportunities out there to make connections with authors and build my social media or review apps to make myself more appealing for ARCs!
I’ve found that most authors understand a reader’s desire to be chosen and even their frustration when they’re not. That’s because they also started off as readers and likely know how the space operates. I hope this serves as a reminder that it’s okay and normal to be upset about not getting picked for an ARC team. I hope this also inspires you in someway to continue to build that bookish resume to continue to give yourself more opportunities to expand your reach within the community!
Booktube Videos of The Week
Honest Fiction now has a new subscriber! I love when videos bring new-to-me authors to my attention! She also not only gave a good synopsis of each book, but also explained which ones may need an in depth trigger warning review. I’m so ready to dive into more of her reviews and book videos over the coming weeks!