Three Books I'm Reading Now, 12/15/25 Edition
- The Bossy Bookworm
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Books I'm Reading Now
I'm listening to A Steeping of Blood, the second in Hafsah Faizal's supernatural fantasy Blood and Tea series; I'm reading Endling, Maria Reva's Ukraine-set darkly comic novel of an unlikely journey; and I'm reading Jo Harkin's Tudor-era historical fiction The Pretender.
What are you reading, bookworms?
01 A Steeping of Blood (Blood and Tea #2) by Hafsah Faizal
The first installment in Hafsah Faizal's Blood and Tea series offered intriguing secrets, a swirling mystery, terrible betrayal, heartwarming found family, steady action, and vampires. That book ended with the city reeling from a night of death and destruction.
In this final book in the duology, grieving Arthie Casimir and her makeshift gang--Flick, Jin, and vampire leader Laith--are eager to upend Flick's mother's political stronghold and to set things to rights, achieving some justice.
For my review of the first book in this series, please see A Tempest of Tea. Faizal is also the author of We Hunt the Flame. I'm listening to this novel as an audiobook.
02 Endling by Maria Reva
Roving scientist Yeva is only dating in the Ukrainian marriage industry to earn money to rescue and preserve her precious snails. The desperate Westerners hoping to find docile wives to take home fund her efforts more efficiently than the endless grant-writing and vying for enough to get by.
When Yeva runs across sisters posing as participants of the marriage industry in order to find their mother, a disappeared activist, the three become entwined in a surprising journey across the country. But when Russia invades Ukraine, it changes everything.
Reva is a Ukrainian expat who has spent years keeping track of her family from outside the country.
03 The Pretender by Jo Harkin
Harkin crafts a mid-1500s tale set during growing Tudor influence inpired by the real-life, little-known figure of Lambert Simnel. Here, Harkin builds a rich historical fiction story of John Collan, a ten-year-old who transforms from peasant to claimant to the throne after being told that his father is no farmer, but the Earl of Warwick. John is soon navigating the world of court, political machinations, and threats upon his life.
He has two choices: he must become king or die in battle. He befriends a new ally, young Joan, who has similarly limited avenues: she must marry or become a nun.
I received a prepublication edition of this title (published in April of this year, eeks) courtesy of Knopf and NetGalley.
For my review of Jo Harkin's speculative fiction Tell Me an Ending, please click this link.