Celestial | Saltcrop
Log in or Sign up
Saltcrop
Yume Kitasei
Save to Your Books
100% of affiliate revenue supports Celestial
From the acclaimed author of The Stardust Grail comes the epic tale of two sisters who sail across oceans to find their missing third sister—and Earth’s environmental salvation.
In Earth's not too distant future, seas consume coastal cities, highways disintegrate underwater, and mutant fish lurk in pirate-controlled depths. Skipper, a skilled sailor and the youngest of three sisters, earns money skimming and reselling plastic from the ocean to care for her ailing grandmother.
But then her eldest sister, Nora, goes missing. Nora left home a decade ago in pursuit of a cure for failing crops all over the world. When Skipper and her other sister, Carmen, receive a cryptic plea for help, they must put aside their differences and set out across the sea to find—and save—her.
As they voyage through a dying world both beautiful and strange, encountering other travelers along the way, they learn more about their sister's work and the corporations that want what she discovered.
But the farther they go, the more uncertain their mission becomes: What dangerous attention did Nora attract, and how well do they really know their sister—or each other? Thus begins an epic journey spanning oceans and continents and a wistful rumination on sisterhood, friendship, and ecological disaster.
Show more
Get the Bindery app
Posts about this title from Celestial
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • May 11
eco horror, eco thriller, eco speculative fiction …
eco horror, eco thriller, eco speculative fiction … i love a story of nature pushing back.
📚 books mentioned: - Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell and Ruth Sepp - Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - At Sea by Y.M. Abdel-Magied
👗💄: - dress is from Farm Rio, rented from Nuuly - eyeshadow is The Spring Symphony Palette from Dandy Lion Cosmetics and In A Trance Palette from Colourpop - mascara is Highly Rated Lash Extensions XL from Milani - lip combo is Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain (Lip Lock) from NYX Cosmetics and Glossy Balm (Knew Better) from r.e.m. beauty - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thank you to Flatiron Books and Pegasus Books for the gifted copies!
#ecohorror #naturehorror #thrillerbooks #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @farmrio @riverheadbooks @ecwpress @flatiron_books @pegasus_books
.
eco thriller and horror books • scary nature books • apocalypse books • horror books • thriller books • speculative books • science fiction books • unique books • diverse books • Riverhead Books • ECW Press
4 books
here are some of my favorite fantasy & science fiction books that I read in 2025!
here are some of my favorite fantasy & science fiction books that I read in 2025!
honestly, it was very hard to narrow down because I had SO many incredible speculative reads.
📚 books mentioned: - Fate’s Bane by C.L. Clark - The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar - The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez
👗💄: - dress is from Free People, rented from Nuuly - eyeliners are Vegan Longwear Liners (Lilac and Ocean) from Pacifica Beauty - shimmer is Eyeshadow Single (Sparklepuff) from Half Magic - lip combo is Lip Lingerie Liner Stain (Up To No Good) from NYX Cosmetics and Bisou Jelly (Aissa) from Violette FR - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thanks to Tor and Tordotcom for the gifted copies!
#bestfantasybooks #readingwrapup #bestbooksof2025 #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @tordotcompub @abramsbooks @abramskids @flatiron_books @torbooks @freepeople @nuuly @halfmagicbeauty @nyxcosmetics @violette_fr @pacificabeauty
.
top books of 2025 • favorite yearly reads • annual reading wrap up • favorite SFF books • SFF book recs • favorite books of the year • best books of 2025 • best reads of the year • fantasy books • science fiction books • fantasy book recommendations • science fiction book recommendations • diverse books • Tordotcom • Amulet Books • Flatiron Books • Tor Books
5 books
2
top 10 books of 2025 | my favorite reads from the year
it’s time …. let me tell you all about my favorite books from 2025!
10 books
2
💭 what were your favorite reads from 2025?
💭 what were your favorite reads from 2025?
TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2025!! the first of my wrap up posts has ARRIVED! be on the lookout for a long form video where I go into each of these reads in depth, plus some favorites broken out into genres.
📚 books mentioned: - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar - The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez - The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko - One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - Model Home by Rivers Solomon - Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi - The Children by Melissa Albert
👗💄: - dress is from Aqua (thrifted) - eyeshadow is: In A Trance Palette from Colourpop, The Lord of the Rings Middle-Earth Palette from Glamlite, and You Make Me Happy Palette from KimChi Chic Beauty - eyeliner is Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliner (Sea Sparkle) from Kaleidos - shimimers are duochrome singles from Ourbella - lip combo is Lip Lingerie Liner Stain (Send Nudes) from NYX Cosmetics and Jelly Job High Shine Gloss (Honey, It’s Jelly) from NYX Cosmetics - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thanks to Saga Press, Tordotcom, Tor Books, Amulet Books, Knopf, Flatiron, MCD, Get Underlined, and William Morrow for the gifted copies!
#favoritebooks #readingwrapup #bestbooksof2025 #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @sagapressbooks @tordotcompub @torbooks @abramsbooks @abramskids @aaknopf @flatiron_books @mcdbooks @getunderlined @williammorrowbooks @colourpopcosmetics @glamlite @kimchichicbeauty @kaleidosmakeup @ourbella.us @nyxcosmetics
.
top 10 books of 2025 • favorite yearly reads • annual reading wrap up • favorite books of the year • best books of 2025 • best reads of the year • fantasy books • science fiction books • horror books • nonfiction books • diverse books
10 books
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Dec 8 2025
💭 what’s your favorite 2025 book?
💭 what’s your favorite 2025 book?
drum roll please … welcome to the THIRD annual StarrySteph Book Awards! no questions at this time!
📚 books mentioned: - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar - The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd - Detained: A Boy’s Journal of Survival and Resilience by D. Esperanza and Gerardo Iván Morales - Fate’s Bane by C.L. Clark - Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto - Magic in the Melanin by C.M. Lockhart - Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi - Love Be Damned by Briana Garrett - The Coven Tendency by Zoe Hana Mikuta
👗💄: - dress is from Free People, rented from Nuuly - eyeshadow is In Trance palette from Colourpop - lip combo is Lingerie Lip Liner Stain (Send Nudes) and Jelly Job Gloss (Honey, It’s Jelly) from NYX Cosmetics - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thank you to Saga Press, Tordotcom, William Morrow, Flatiron, Atria/Primero Sueño Press, Harper Voyager, Ingram, Get Underlined, and Disney Hyperion for the gifted copies!
#goodreadschoiceawards #starrystephbookawards #bestbooksof2025 #bestbooksoftheyear #2025books #fantasybooks #scifibooks #horrorbooks #bookrecs #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #TorPartner #WilliamMorrowPartner #atriapartner #FlatironPartner #HarperVoyagerPartner #GetUnderlinedPartner #ingram @sagapressbooks @tordotcompub @williammorrowbooks @flatiron_books @haymarketbooks @atriabooks @primerosuenopress @harpervoyagerus @writtennmelanin @ingramsparkbooks @getunderlined @disneybooks @freepeople @nuuly @colourpopcosmetics @nyxcosmetics
12 books
1
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 11 2025
11/11 is 👹STEPH DAY 👹!!
📚 books mentioned: - The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar - Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker - Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez - You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White - The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko - Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - The Coven Tendency by Zoe Hana Mikuta - Model Home by Rivers Solomon - Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad - The Reformatory by Tananarive Due - These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa
👗💄: - dress is from Chelsea Reece - eyeshadow is Mírame Eyeshadow Palette from Aora - duochrome eyeshadow is from Ourbella - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thank you to Tordotcom, MIRA Books/HTP Hive, Get Underlined, Flatiron, Tor Books, Saga Press, and Disney Hyperion for the gifted copies!
#fantasybooks #horrorbooks #scifibooks #bookrecs #birthdaybooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #FlatironPartner #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #TorPartner #FlatironPartner #GetUnderlinedPartner #HTPHivePartner @tordotcompub @readmirabooks @htp_hive @getunderlined @flatiron_books @torbooks @sagapressbooks @abramsbooks @aaknopf @disneybooks @mcdbooks @groveatlantic @bychelseareece @aoramakeup @ourbella_cosmetics
14 books
5
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 5 2025
book recs inspired by iconic musical theatre moments!
book recs inspired by iconic musical theatre moments!
📚 books mentioned: - Herculine by Grace Byron - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - Metal from Heaven by August Clarke
🎭 shows mentioned: - Sweeney Todd - Hadestown - Fun Home
👗💄: - dress is from Selkie - eyeshadow is In A Trance palette from Colourpop - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thank you to Saga Press and Flatiron for the gifted copies!
#bookrecsfrommusicals #ifyoulikethismusicalreadthisbook #horrorbooks #fantasybooks #scifibooks #theatre #broafwaymusical #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #FlatironPartner #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #ErewhonBooks @sagapressbooks @flatiron_books @erewhonbooks @sweeneytoddbway @hadestown @funhomemusical @selkie @colourpopcosmetics
3 books
1
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Oct 2 2025
i like a dark & disturbing read, but sometimes it’s hard to end in despair. so here’s a bit of gritty hope for your TBRs! 📚 books mentioned: - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez - These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa
👗💄: - dress is from @bardot, rented from @nuuly - eyeshadow is In A Trance palette from @colourpopcosmetics - eyeliner is Epiphany Glow Melt-On (shade: sea sparkle) from @kaleidosmakeup - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thank you to Flatiron Books, Tor Books, and Get Underlined for the gifted copies!
#scifibooks #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #hopefulbooks #fantasybookrecs #literaryfiction #FlatironPartner #GetUnderlinedPartner #TorPartner #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram @flatiron_books @torbooks @getunderlined
3 books
5
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Sep 27 2025
sisterhood in climate dystopia 🥺 and crossing oceans and eco thrills and SO MUCH MORE!!
sisterhood in climate dystopia 🥺 and crossing oceans and eco thrills and SO MUCH MORE!!
also please come join me & Yume at @strandbookstore on Tuesday September 30! i’ll melt if i see you all there
📚 books mentioned: - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei
👗💄: - eyeliner is epiphany glow melt-on (sea sparkle) from @kaleidosmakeup - eyeshadow is brilliant eye brightener from @thrivecausemetics - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thank you to Yume for the gifted copy!
#speculativefiction #scifibooks #literaryscifi #literaryfiction #saltcrop #yumekitasei #flatironbooks #thedeepsky #thestardustgrail #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram @flatiron_books
1 book
1
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Aug 9 2025
✨NYC EVENT! ✨
if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve heard me rave about Yume Kitasei’s books.
so i’m incredibly excited & honored that she asked me to be her conversation partner to celebrate the release of her newest book, Saltcrop!
it’s also SUCH a bucket list item to moderate at The Strand! 🥹 a bookstore that i have spent, um, way too much money at.
tickets are now available and i truly hope you can join us.
📖: Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei 📍: The Strand at Union Square Rare Book Room 🗓️: Tuesday Sep 30, 2025, 7:00 PM
#bookevent #booklaunch #newbook #thestrand #nycbookevent #nycevents #yumekitasei #saltcrop #thedeepsky #thestardustgrail #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #nycbookstagram
1 book
Posts about this book from across Bindery
ofpagesandprint\ \ Dahlia\ \ • May 31
Join for free
[With a day left in AANHPI Heritage Month, I wanted to share some more of my favorite AANHPI reads to continue the celebration all year long! 🫶🏼\ \
- The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia by Leia Ham - A captivating, witty, and magical middle-grade fantasy with stunning illustrations that explores family, friendship, and the weight of expectations. (Leia will join me for an Instagram live on June 12th to discuss and celebrate TMMoSX! We hope you join us. 🥳)\ \
- The Ex-Boyfriend's Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee by Saki Kawashiro (translated by Yuka Maeno) - A hopeful, entertaining, and cozy novel of food, love, and the power of friendship inspired by the author’s own breakup story.\ \
- Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - An emotional, sea-swept SFF novel of sisterhood and salvation set in Earth’s future after an ecological disaster.\ \
- Prodigal Tiger by Samantha Chong - A cinematic, sweeping YA contemporary fantasy with ghosts, Malaysian folklore, and friends-to-lovers romance.\ \
- Shim Jung Takes the Dive by Julia Riew - A whimsical, heartfelt middle-grade fantasy with Korean folklore and captivating adventure set in an underwater kingdom.\ \
- Midnight, at the War by Devi S. Laskar - An emotional, thought-provoking novel following a journalist set soon after 9/11.\ \
- Dinner with an Astronaut by Leroy Chiao with Victoria Bruce - An entertaining and informative memoir of Leroy Chiao, one of the first Asian American astronauts, filled with witty anecdotes and thoughtful insight into space exploration.\ \
- Morbid Curiosities by S. Hati - An addictive, creative, and emotional YA thriller set in San Francisco with a haunting STEM dark academia atmosphere.\ \ \ Happy AANHPI Heritage Month!\ \ Thank you to HTP Books, Fierce Reads, Mariner Books, Epic Reads, Macmillan Audio, Crown Publishing, and Scholastic Press for the free review copies!](https://ofpagesandprint.binderybooks.com/item/pka30MEgAc2qB6MR1vPl/)
More AANHPI Heritage Month Book Recs!
8 books
4
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • May 11
eco horror, eco thriller, eco speculative fiction …
eco horror, eco thriller, eco speculative fiction … i love a story of nature pushing back.
thank you to Flatiron Books and Pegasus Books for the gifted copies!
#ecohorror #naturehorror #thrillerbooks #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @farmrio @riverheadbooks @ecwpress @flatiron_books @pegasus_books
.
4 books
ofpagesandprint\ \ Dahlia\ \ • Apr 26
Join for free
[As flowers bloom and baby birds hatch, welcome spring (and continue the Earth Month celebration) with these brilliant books that highlight the power and beauty of nature! S0me are darker, and some are cozier, but all of them are captivating stories that will sweep you away. 🫶🏼\ \
- Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee - Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe is a spellbinding, cozy YA fantasy with sapphic love, magic, and a powerful exploration of doing one’s part to take care of the planet in the face of climate change.\ \
- Is It Spring? by Kevin Henkes - Is It Spring? is a calming, peaceful, and captivating children’s book that emphasizes the importance of patience, hope, and nature.\ \
- Metamorphosis: Climate Fiction for a Better Future edited by Grist - Metamorphosis is a thoughtful, immersive short story anthology filled with hopeful, creative stories that present an alternative future of “sustainability, inclusivity, and justice.”\ \
- The Tear Collector by R.M. Romero - Set after the end of the world, The Tear Collector is a middle-grade cli-fi tale of monsters, love, memories, and hope.\ \
- Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy - Eerie, rainy, romantic, mysterious, and atmospheric, Wild Dark Shore is a gripping cli-fi psychological thriller with powerful descriptions of the nature, weather, and animals of Shearwater (a tiny island near Antarctica).\ \
- Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee - Heiress of Nowhere is an immersive, sea-swept YA historical mystery with lush descriptions of the nature of Orcas Island.\ \
- Burn the Kingdom Down by Addie Thorley - Capturing the real-life magic and joy of gardening, Burn the Kingdom Down features a captivating plant magic system (as well as swoon-worthy romance and addictive adventure).\ \
- When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. Montgomery - Brimming with botany, Black history, and anecdotes from Montgomery’s life, When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy is an eye-opening and entertaining non-fiction read.\ \
- Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - Set in Earth’s sea-consumed future, Saltcrop is a sweeping, vivid story of sisterhood, sailing, and Earth’s environmental salvation.\ \
- The Island of Last Things by Emma Sloley - Propulsive and vivid, The Island of Last Things is a creative dystopian novel following two zookeepers at Earth’s last zoo.\ \
- Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves by Jaap de Roode - Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves is an enlightening, fascinating, and fun read that blends medicine, evolution, agriculture, and animals.\ \
- Brewed with Love by Shelly Page - Witches, sapphic love, and a delightful mystery meet in Brewed with Love, a cozy YA fantasy with a magic system inspired by the properties of redwood trees.\ \
- The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields - Cozy, romantic, and witchy, The Honey Witch is a spellbinding fantasy with a bee-filled magic system.\ \
- Weyward by Emilia Hart - Weyward is a powerful, irresistible novel following three women across five centuries that centers on the power of women, nature, and magic.\ \
- The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Iversen - Haunting, magical, and immersive, The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt is a twisty historical fantasy with a wonderfully eerie plant magic system perfect for fans of The Secret Garden.\ \
- Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos - Cozy, sapphic, and atmospheric, Homegrown Magic is a welcoming and sweeping fantasy with garden magic and found family.\ \
- Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood - With monsters, mythology, and a harrowing adventure through a Jamaican jungle, Wildblood is a gripping YA novel.\ \
- Wild Is the Witch by Rachel Griffin - Set in the Pacific Northwest, Wild Is the Witch is an enchanting adventure with lush descriptions of Washington’s mountains, banter, only-one-tent, and the cutest owl.\ \ \ Happy reading, and let me know which books you're reading this season! 🫶🏼\ \ Join for free or login](https://ofpagesandprint.binderybooks.com/item/4KXnExXDnhjyHdOM41Jn/)
18 books
2
here are some of my favorite fantasy & science fiction books that I read in 2025!
here are some of my favorite fantasy & science fiction books that I read in 2025!
honestly, it was very hard to narrow down because I had SO many incredible speculative reads.
thanks to Tor and Tordotcom for the gifted copies!
.
5 books
2
top 10 books of 2025 | my favorite reads from the year
it’s time …. let me tell you all about my favorite books from 2025!
10 books
2
💭 what were your favorite reads from 2025?
💭 what were your favorite reads from 2025?
thanks to Saga Press, Tordotcom, Tor Books, Amulet Books, Knopf, Flatiron, MCD, Get Underlined, and William Morrow for the gifted copies!
.
10 books
Fat Forward Books\ \ Samantha Puc\ \ • Dec 31 2025
Join for free
I read so many books for my thesis and for work in 2025, and many of them made my list of favorite reads for the year. I also read a ton of fiction, continuing my horror streak from last year and deep-diving into new-to-me authors.
Here’s to another year of book club meetings, listening to audiobooks on my commute to therapy, and staying up way too late reading comics in bed. 💛📚
#ReadIn2025
[ID: A 6x6 grid of book covers set against a pink, orange, and yellow gradient. In black bubble font across the top of the graphic, it says, “Favorite Reads of 2025.” Black botanical sketches are in the background of the upper right and lower left corner. Samantha’s Instagram handle is in smaller, all-caps black font at the bottom of the graphic.]
14 books
2
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Dec 8 2025
💭 what’s your favorite 2025 book?
💭 what’s your favorite 2025 book?
drum roll please … welcome to the THIRD annual StarrySteph Book Awards! no questions at this time!
12 books
1
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 11 2025
11/11 is 👹STEPH DAY 👹!!
thank you to Tordotcom, MIRA Books/HTP Hive, Get Underlined, Flatiron, Tor Books, Saga Press, and Disney Hyperion for the gifted copies!
14 books
5
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Nov 5 2025
book recs inspired by iconic musical theatre moments!
book recs inspired by iconic musical theatre moments!
📚 books mentioned: - Herculine by Grace Byron - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei - Metal from Heaven by August Clarke
🎭 shows mentioned: - Sweeney Todd - Hadestown - Fun Home
thank you to Saga Press and Flatiron for the gifted copies!
3 books
1
The Inkborne Society\ \ Azhangia\ \ • Oct 29 2025
Join for free
\ \ Join for free or login](https://azhangia.binderybooks.com/item/M3jFgxxQwmRsseiYEWkW/)
November 2025 Book Club Selection
4 books
2
Ladybug Books\ \ Samantha\ \ • Oct 19 2025
Join for free
[Hello friends, and welcome back to my weekly Bindery newsletter! This week has been about rediscovering my 2025 priority TBR and trying to decide what books I want to put at the top of my list for the rest of the year. I also finished my first 2026 release this week.\ \
- *\ \ Reading Updates: Paperback (ARC) | Finished: Agnes Aubert's Mysterical Cat Shelter \ \ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐\ \ Release Date: February 17, 2026\ \ Thoughts: This was such a lovely, cozy read! I would have liked a bit more from the plot but the characters and the cats were enough to keep me entertained. I really love how the cats are their own distinct characters in the story. The romance was a lot less prevalent than I expected but I still found their relationship cute. I also really enjoyed learning about the system of magic and magical artifacts. More thoughts to come closer to release date!\ \ Hardcover | Currently Reading: Moonbound \ \ Progress: 41%\ \ Thoughts: Pros of being a moodreader: not feeling bound to a TBR. Cons of being a reader: actually have to figure out what you're in the mood for. Moonbound caught my interest after I saw it in a few yearly wrapups at the end of 2024. So much so that I put it in my list of 25 books to read in 2025. I randomly picked it up this week because I had no idea what I wanted to read. I love a story with a unusual narrator, so this story immediately captured my attention. The unique blend of far future SciFi and fairytale-esque elements is so intriguing. I am so interested to see how the story continues.\ \ Audiobook | Currently Reading: Goddess of the River \ \ Progress: 63%\ \ Thoughts: I was so excited for the release of Goddes of the River and even more excited when it was an Illumicrate montly pick. So I have no idea why it has sat on my TBR for so long. Another victim of my 25 books to read in 2025 list, I was finally motivated to pick up the audiobook on Libby. The story is beautiful and Ganga's perspective is incredibly compelling. I am struggling more with the son's chapters. I find the destructive nature of his commitment to duty and "justice" intriguing, but I am really struggling to follow all of the different storylines and characters in his chapters. I have been studying the family tree at the front of the physical copy, but I might just have to accept that I am going to miss things.\ \
- *\ \ Future Reading Plans: \ \ I am determined to spend the rest of the year focusing on my priority and physical TBRs. There are still a few upcoming releases I have my eye on, but it should be easier to focus on the books I already own.\ \ Instead of highlighting specific books I'm thinking of reading soon, I wanted to share my current progress on my "25 books to read in 2025" priority TBR. I'm not delusional enough to think that I can finish this list before the end of the year. So help me choose which books to prioritize! Or even which books you think I'm less likely to enjoy.\ \ \ \
- *\ \ 2025 New Releases To Add to the Top of Your TBR \ \ I have read a lot of new releases this year. Some have been big wins and others have been major flops. It can be hard to keep track of all of the books that come out in a year so I wanted to highlight three of my standout favorites (so far).\ \ \ \ Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei: I have been a huge Yume Kitasei fan since her debut The Deep Sky. I was highly anticipating the release of Saltcrop and it did not disappoint. Saltcrop is so many things. A heartfelt story of three sisters, a gripping adventure across dangerous waters, and an eerie dystopian with rich world-building. As a family centered climate adventure, this latest release is distinct from Kitasei's other books. I loved the sense of atmosphere that she created and the way the story moved between tender moments and tense action scenes.\ \ \ \ The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson: The Raven Scholar is one of the strongest new fantasy releases I have read in a really long time. Filled with fascinating characters, engaging writing, a deadly competition, and a complicated mystery, this book is a shining example of everything that I love about the fantasy genre. I am obsessed with this book and it has not left my mind since I read it. I love everything: the uniquely magnificent narrator, the humor, the tension, the mystery, the comptetion, the characters, everything. This charmingly clever story has something that will appeal to almost any kind of fantasy reader. I cannot recommend it enough.\ \ \ \ Voidwalker by SA Maclean: I have been betrayed by fantasy romance new releases with interesting premises many times this year. (I need someone to monitor my Libby holds and stop me from "just trying" another mediocre romantasy). So I have to include a fantasy romance that turned out to be a very pleasant surprise in my recommendations! Feisty, flirty, and fun, Voidwalker was an unexpected surprise! I was not a fan of the author’s debut, The Phoenix Keeper. However, I was cautiously optimistic for her sophomore novel as the premise sounded much more up my alley. Voidwalker immediately captured my attention. The humor and banter in this book are spot on. Maclean had me laughing from the dedication. The phenomenal flirting and tension had me itching to pick the book back up.\ \
- *\ \ I would love to hear about your current reads! See you next week with more reading updates and book recommendations.\ \ Happy reading!\ \ Samantha (ladybug.books)\ \ Join for free or login](https://ladybug-books.binderybooks.com/item/RBsvXCsAi6M9Ko92Uobl/)
Ladybug.books Newsletter (10/12/25 - 10/18/25)
6 books
1
Fat Forward Books\ \ Samantha Puc\ \ • Oct 8 2025
Join for free
Books I Read (and Loved) July-September 2025
16 books I read and loved in summer 2025.
13 books
4
Ladybug Books\ \ Samantha\ \ • Oct 4 2025
Join for free
How is it already October??? #monthlywrapup #booksireadthismonth #bookreviews #readingwrapup #bookrecs
7 books
1
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Oct 2 2025
thank you to Flatiron Books, Tor Books, and Get Underlined for the gifted copies!
3 books
5
Fat Forward Books\ \ Samantha Puc\ \ • Oct 2 2025
Join for free
\ \ Join for free or login](https://fatfwdbooks.binderybooks.com/item/6rO9hYqiM8X9qLG2R1WY/)
Happy October! 👻🎃 Some Housekeeping & Book Recommendations
6 books
5
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Sep 27 2025
sisterhood in climate dystopia 🥺 and crossing oceans and eco thrills and SO MUCH MORE!!
sisterhood in climate dystopia 🥺 and crossing oceans and eco thrills and SO MUCH MORE!!
also please come join me & Yume at @strandbookstore on Tuesday September 30! i’ll melt if i see you all there
📚 books mentioned: - Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei
thank you to Yume for the gifted copy!
1 book
1
Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Aug 9 2025
✨NYC EVENT! ✨
if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve heard me rave about Yume Kitasei’s books.
so i’m incredibly excited & honored that she asked me to be her conversation partner to celebrate the release of her newest book, Saltcrop!
it’s also SUCH a bucket list item to moderate at The Strand! 🥹 a bookstore that i have spent, um, way too much money at.
tickets are now available and i truly hope you can join us.
📖: Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei 📍: The Strand at Union Square Rare Book Room 🗓️: Tuesday Sep 30, 2025, 7:00 PM
1 book