Boundless Press | Water Moon: A Novel
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Water Moon: A Novel
Samantha Sotto Yambao
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A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical quest when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike fantasy novel.
FEATURES A UNIQUE ORIGAMI JACKET that folds into a boat, joining the characters in an enchanting way. The jacket artwork is also printed directly onto the hardcover case underneath.
“Race through a lush world of pure wonder and romance—kites made of wishes that become stars, origami that holds time in its folds, and a night market in the clouds—in this lovely, cozy fantasy reminiscent of Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea.”—Booklist (starred review).
On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.
Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.
Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.
But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.
“Highly recommended . . . Readers who have been swept up in the cozy charm of Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee will fall hard for the mix of magical realism, fantasy mystery, and star-crossed romance.”—Library Journal (starred review)
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jan 9 2025
25 books releasing in 2025 to add to your TBR | anticipated books to preorder ASAP!
Anticipated Releases on my list!
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Posts about this book from across Bindery
Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Dec 19 2025
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Get a Rec from me & What my Taste in books look like
What are some books that represent your taste overall and do we have any in common? 👀
Before we dive into this, Bindery now has an option to request recs and you can go to the 🔗 in my bio and click “Get a Rec” and ask for details of what you’d like from the books I’ve read! I’m also making lists of 2026 releases in fantasy, romance and horror so far so happy to share some of these early on with you guys (these will be recs of what I’m looking forward to rather than what I’ve read) so GO GO GO 🤎
As for my taste in books, I’m never going to be the type that picks only 5 top books for the year guys and I’ve learned to accept it because honestly, what do you mean my top 5 books in one year? I would have to host a meeting with myself for a whole month to decide that 😭 So instead, you guys get my taste in books throughout various sub-genres that I yap about all the time!
Here is a list of the books (if you prefer to read through it or for accessibility needs)🤎: Cottagecore: 🍄 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries 🍄 After the Forest by Kell Woods 🍄 A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison by Aamna Qureshi 🍄 The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton 🍄 The River has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar 🍄 An Arrow to the Heart by K.R. Bacher
Cozy Fantasy: 🍄 The Baby Dragon Cafe by Aamna Qureshi 🍄 Legend & Lattes by Travis 🍄 The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong 🍄 The Nameless Restaurant by Tao Wong 🍄 Watermoon by Samantha Sotto Yambao 🍄 The Spellshop by Sangu Mandanna
Witchycore: 🍄 The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright 🍄 House of Frank by Kay Synclaire 🍄 The Lone Wolf Cafe by Sydney Wilder 🍄 The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore 🍄 A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna 🍄 Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi
Retellings, Fairy Tale & Historical Fantasy: 🍄A Sorceress comes to Call by T.Kingfisher 🍄 What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez 🍄 Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross 🍄 We Shall be Monsters by Tara Sim 🍄 The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G Slatter
The rest is in my pinned comment!
#fantasybooks #topbooksof2025 #favoritebooks
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Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • May 23 2025
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Happy February Friends!🥰Let’s reflect on the last month
Happy February Friends!🥰
Let’s reflect on the last month: What have you done this January? What were your favourite moments?🤎
I find that January usually goes very slow and a lot tends to happen in it. This past month, I’ve made sure to hibernate and to plan, which is what @theslowcozy and I always say nowdays while we embrace our slow, cozy living lifestyle🍂🍄🟫
This month has been an adventure of reading, gaming, being obsessed with my small trinkets and starting a bullet journal or BuJo! I also spent some time recovering post my wisdom teeth extraction on both sides, preparing for an interview that I’ve got coming in a few days (eeek) and slowly readjusting back to normal routine🥺🤎
#cottagecorewitchy #amberacademia #honeyacademia #amberandhoneyacademia #monthlywrapup Cottagecore Witch Cottagecore Sabie Amber Academia Honey Academia Amber and Honey Academia Cozy Gothic Fantasy Books Cozy Games
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Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • May 23 2025
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Let’s fight Monday Blues with a book recommendation from your favourite cottagecore librarian🤎
Let’s fight Monday Blues with a book recommendation from your favourite cottagecore librarian🤎
What kind of book are you looking to read now? Let’s see if I or anyone else can give you some recommendations in the comment
Okay first, can we talk about how beautiful this edition is from @illumicrate by @samanthasottoyambao and the items that came with this box were so cute! There is a blanket themed after Water Moon and its beautiful!
Are you going to be reading Water moon or have you read it already? Let me know what you think!🤎
🏷️🏷️• #watermoon #illumicrateeditions #bookrecommendations Cottagecore Witch Cottagecore Sabie Amber Academia Honey Academia Amber and Honey Academia Cozy Gothic Fantasy Books Cozy Games
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Ezeekat Press\ \ Jaysen\ \ • May 16 2025
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Ezeekat's Book Club is Moving to Ezeekat Press and Discord
Join the Club!
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Skies Press\ \ Emma\ \ • May 5 2025
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BOOK CLUB RESULTS: Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao (April 2025)
No livestream this month, so here are our Water Moon results!
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Daph's Reads 📚✨\ \ Daphne\ \ • Mar 25 2025
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Some recent book mail 🤍📚 #bookhaul #bookstagram #gifted
6 books
Moonlit Fables\ \ Rupali\ \ • Mar 20 2025
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filming everytime i finished a book
gagged a couple times over the last 2 months • #booktok #readingvlog
7 books
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Discotopia | Diverse Books\ \ Disco (he/they)\ \ • Mar 11 2025
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Books with Studio Ghibli Vibes
Loved all of these! Books listed: Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa translated by Louise Heal Kawai Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine D’Engle #booktok #studioghibli #fantasybook #fantasy #fairytale
6 books
Discotopia | Diverse Books\ \ Disco (he/they)\ \ • Mar 11 2025
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Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao review
[Gifted book] Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is out 14th January! Thank you so much @Penguin Random House for the review copy! Sorry I don’t have it for this review, I finished it just before a trip. #booktok #watermoon #samanthasottoyambao #bipocbooktok #fantasy
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Discotopia | Diverse Books\ \ Disco (he/they)\ \ • Mar 11 2025
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All the Review Copies I have to Read
[Gifted books] What’s your next read? #booktok #bookhaul #bookish #queerbook #diversebooks
3 books
Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Mar 7 2025
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Reviewing the 10 Books 📚 I Read in February!
Ratings and reviews for the 10 books I read in February!
10 books
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Lavender Crown\ \ Jordan | MyGayBookcase\ \ • Mar 5 2025
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Studio Ghibli Meets Literary Fantasy: Why Water Moon is a Must-Read
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Moonlit Fables\ \ Rupali\ \ • Feb 27 2025
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some new books for my birthday :)
some new books for my birthday :) #bookish #reader
2 books
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Kiln Books\ \ dylan joseph\ \ • Feb 19 2025
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reading vlog 📚 building a book nook, redecorating my home library & a writing update
🐻 in this video: i make a matcha and open up some book mail, i go for a bookshopping trip to my favorite bookstore, i rant about a book i didn't like, and start the latest hunger games book in preparation for the new one!
9 books
Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Feb 2 2025
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[And somehow I thought things couldn't get worse... \ \ This Week in the Book World: \ \ Honestly, I didn't pay much attention to what was happening in the book world this week. I was too preoccupied with everything else that seemed to come crumbling down on top of us this week. \ \ If you caught wind of some important news or drama that I didn't, please drop me a comment and spill the tea.\ \ This week's publishing news: \ \
- Author of one of my favorite YA books (Pride), Ibi Zoboi's announced a new fantasy book titled The Serpent, The Rainbow, The Island below. Based in Haitian mythology, it's about "three orphans who are the descendants of Vodou gods, on a quest to reunite with their loved ones and protect a magical underworld from shape-shifting monsters"\ \
- I've also talked a lot about queer horror this week, so was excited to see a new book announcement from Ryan La Sala's, author of The Honeys, called The Dead of Summer, about a teen in a queer resort town off the coast of Maine and "a mysterious, supernatural plague rising from the sea"\ \
- We also got another Johnny Compton announcement! This one is titled Chimera Skin, and is a science fiction horror novella "pitched as The Fly meets The Thing and I am Legend".\ \
- The sporror genre is alive and well! Laura Cranehill's debute, Wife Shaped Bodies, is "about an isolated newlywed, covered in mushroom growths like all the wives in her community, who strikes a precarious balance between following her husband's strict rules and pursuing an intense connection with another woman"\ \
- And I know nothing about this book, but looks like we might have another big Romantasy title coming soon. Cortney L. Winn's, Vesselless, won a 6-figure deal to Voyager and also won deals with 8 other publishers for international distribution. Definitely one I'll be keeping an eye on.\ \ \ This week's new releases: \ \
- Old Soul by Susan Barker (Adult, literary/horror)\ \
- We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin (Adult, literary)\ \
- Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry (Adult, Non-fiction)\ \
- Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker (Adult, horror)\ \
- The Scorpion Queen by Mina Fears (Teen, Fantasy)\ \ \ What I read this week: \ \ Onyx Storm (Finished)\ \ Well, I finished it and I thought it was fine. Maybe I had just mentally prepared myself for a cliff-hanger, because I wasn't overly phased by anything that happened. Am I pissed I have to wait til 2027 for the next book? Yes. Is my interest in this series waning a bit? Also yes. I'm definitely going to experience some fatigue if we don't wrap this up soon, because I predict this may go the way of From Blood and Ash.\ \ The Afterdark (Finished)\ \ This was a fun little queer YA horror novel! I listened to the audiobook over the course of a couple of days and it was a nice little brain break from the real world. It started out a lot stronger than it finished, but I still really enjoyed it. It was a nice little snack of a book.\ \ Listen to Your Sister (36%)\ \ Holy shit. I cannot stop listening to this book. THIS is the exact kind of horror I love. It's creepy, it's emotional, it has a ton to say. I'm literally going to start listening again as soon as I finish writing this post.\ \ Gifted & Talented (20%)\ \ Might this be Olivie Blake's best book yet? That is definitely possible. I love, love, love Olivie Blake's style and voice, but her books require a certain level of attention that can make getting into them hard. I usually struggle through the first 50% before falling hopelessly in love with the story and reading the rest in one or two sittings. This one, however, has been so easy to jump into and it already has its claws in me after only 100 pages. Woof, it is long though.\ \ What I bought/shelved \ \ It's here!!! I finally got my galley of my Bookstagram buddy's debut fanatasy novel, A Dance of Lies! It's going to be my next ARC as soon as I finish Gifted & Talented.\ \ I also got both my Illumicrate (Watermoon by Samantha Sotto Yambao) and my Evernight (Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker) books this week.\ \ Here are some books I shelved this week:\ \
- Prince of the Sorrows by Kellen Graves\ \
- Anathema by Keri Lake\ \
- Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian\ \ \ Other musings: \ \ My husband I watched The Dead Don't Die, which came out in 2019 but somehow flew completely under our radar and it was so fun. It's one of the driest movies I have ever seen, but is absolutely a pop-culture gem. Their depiction of small town life–specifically a certain Steve Buscemi scene–had me cackling. 10/10 would recommend watching on Netflix.\ \ I also started playing Lemoncake again after putting it down for awhile. If you love cozy games, particularly time management games like Diner Dash, this one is so fun to play on Switch.\ \ Lastly, it's time to vote on our February book club! In February, we're going for grand, sweeping romantic gestures and I'm really excited about our options. They're all backlist titles that I've been wanting to read for years. Join and vote here.](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/MDT4MovYkxqqzYEHTfJr/)
14 books
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Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Jan 19 2025
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[Shit got weird this week... like really weird.\ \ This Week in the Book World: \ \ RIP Booktok. I was hoping you and I would get to know one another a bit better this year, but looks like fate had different ideas for us. Seriously though, the last 24 hours have been a propaganda fueled nightmare and I would like to wake up.\ \ Neil Gaiman. What is that quote about living long enough to see your heros become villains? Well that one hit real hard this week. I read half of the Vulture article, immediately wanted to throw up, and then mourned for several days. Please, please take care of yourself if you decide to read this article.\ **Onyx Storm. **I'm going to say it. Some of y'all need to chill the f*ck out. It's literally a book. If you go into a target and swap the dust jacket on a book, that's theft. If you're digging through boxes that are unopened on the floor and causing a headache for underpaid retail workers, you're the asshole. If you're complaining about how a small business (who probably got their books on Friday) can't compete with one of the largest supply chains in the world, you're buying local for a pat on the back, not because you actually want to support local. I know someone is going to be a jerk to me this week about their book and I am going to lose it.\ \ Also, low key am glad that B&N finally got fined for breaking the rules, which they've been doing for YEARS.\ \ Also, also, people started preordering this book in like March, so watch me cackling at these videos of people crying about how they can't get a deluxe edition now. Like, friends... really?\ \ This week's publishing news: \ \ So many great gothic books announced this week! Here are some favs:\ \
- Necrogenesis by Ashia Monet's which is a dark academia gothic fantasy about a true crime fan who "resurrects a victim of a massacre to uncover what claimed the lives of six necromancy students at a secluded manor in the '70s"\
- Bloody Mother by Kim Bohyun (translated by Archana Madhavan) about a mother-turned-vampire "fated to a lifetime of man-killing time-travel to avenge her daughter's brutal death"\
- A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon by Hannah Reynolds's which was pitched as a " YA cozy romantasy" where a magic academy student tells suitors by telling she's engaged to a demon "only to return home and find a demon waiting for her, insisting she honor the engagement"\
- Two books from Kawai Strong Washburn's (Sharks in the Time of Saviors)–The Names of the New World, a literary ecothriller in 4 acts; and The Horizon Thief, a "Polynesian retelling of Lord of the Flies"\
- The Halls of the Dead by S.M. Hallow, described as "a queer, gothic romance set in Victorian London, in which a woman who has dedicated her life to protecting the necromantic secrets held in sentient grimoires bound with human skin" resurrects her murdered partner\ \ This week's new releases:\ \
- Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao (Adult, fantasy)\
- Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (Adult, sci-fi)\
- The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill (Adult, fiction)\ \ What I read this week: \ \ Elatsoe (78%)\ \ This has been such a fun middle-grade/teen read. I'm almost finished with the audiobook and I have LOVED the asexaual representation in this one. This one is fully focused on family and friendship, which has been so refreshing. I can't wait to finish it.\ \ Fagin the Thief (62%)\ \ I had to pause on this one this week to read my Underbrush fantasy book club pick–The Will of the Many.\ \ The Will of the Many (31%)\ \ Not going to lie, I was super intimidated by this one, but was up for the challenge when we chose it as our book club pick. I am thrilled to say that this one is actually super easy to get into. I started this one on a 7:30am flight and was almost immediately invested, which is saying a lot because I am NOT a morning person. I need to get to the halfway point of this one before meeting tomorrow, so excuse me while I read this for the rest of the evening.\ \ What I bought/shelved \ \ I've already posted two posts about new books in my collections, so I won't bore you with those again. If you're interested you can see my Indianapolis book haul here and my extremely exciting publisher book mail here.\ \ Other musings: \ \ Honestly, I'm tired. Like really tired. So, I don't really have any other thoughts. I'm sending all of you all so much love as we head into tomorrow. It's going to be an emotional rollercoaster, but we will get through it.\ \ See you on the other side. Take care of yourselves.](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/LrnHi4hmhZo6hZ3XVBb2/)
5 books
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Written Reveries\ \ Krystal\ \ • Jan 17 2025
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Vlog: The Dandelion Dynasty | Katabasis | What I've Read | Book Mail | An Author I No Longer Support
my first weekly vlog! I chat about a new favorite series, hopes of getting 1 of 200 Katabasis proofs, update you on what I've read so far this year, book mail and some thoughts on a recent Vulture article.
bindery: https://writtenreveries.binderybooks.... tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@krystallotuslang insta: https://www.instagram.com/krystallotuslang/ storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile... email: krystallotuslang@gmail.com
booktube newbie tag 2025 | new booktuber | booktube introduction | diverse reader | diversify your bookshelves | fantasy and sci fi books by marginalized authors | bindery books | katabasis | rfkuang | the dandelion dynasty | ken liu | chain gang all-stars | krystallotuslang |
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Arcane Nights Press\ \ Cassidy\ \ • Jan 16 2025
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New Books Released January 14th
Here are just some of the many books that came out today! We’re talking romance, mystery, fantasy, and more!
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Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jan 9 2025
25 books releasing in 2025 to add to your TBR | anticipated books to preorder ASAP!
Anticipated Releases on my list!
24 books
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Written Reveries\ \ Krystal\ \ • Dec 24 2024
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My most anticipated reads of 2025 Part One
My most anticipated reads of 2025 Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor Fable for the End of the World and A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid Gifted & Talented and Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake Oathbound by Tracy Deonn The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Babylonia by Costanza Casati The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar Audre & Bash are Just Friends by Tia Williams The Buffalo Huntee Hunter by Steven Graham Jones Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon #bookrecommendations #bookish #bookmail #sagasayscrew #tiktokpartner @Penguin Random House @HarperCollins @Tor Publishing Group @Simon Teen @Little, Brown and Co @Saga Press Books 🛸🧙🏿♀️🔪 @berkleypub @Bloomsbury Books
15 books
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Arcane Nights Press\ \ Cassidy\ \ • Dec 15 2024
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My Most Anticipated Fantasy Books of 2025
Here are my most anticipated fantasy releases for the first half of 2025! Let me know what books you’re excited for in the comments.
22 books
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