Sunday Post #332

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday!

I didn't post last week because I was in Austin, Texas babysitting our grandkids while our daughter and SIL went on a little anniversary getaway. We left on Wednesday and came home on Monday. It was a lot of fun, but very busy. We got to see our granddaughter receive an award at school for problem solving. The award was a surprise for her. She was so happy to see us in the audience because she didn't think anyone would be there since her parents were out of town. 

While the kids were in school we traveled out to Fredericksburg on Thursday and New Braunfels on Friday to sightsee and explore. My daughter and husband came home on Saturday, so we were able to spend some time with them, too. 

Pioneer Memorial Library in Fredericksburg, TX

Gruene Dance Hall in New Braunfels, TX

Pepper (my daughter's cat) looking down on his servants as we watch Apollo 13

Red Cardinal by my daughter's house in TX

 

So excited to see the Red Cardinal because we don't see them in California.

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed in Texas: Busy City by la pauz

Puzzle 17 of 2026

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed: Clam Talk by Hasbro (Charles Wysocki)

You should be able to see the 4 missing pieces. Bummer.

Puzzle 18 of 2026

Came home to everything blooming and so pretty here! We went on a hike today (Saturday) and it was gorgeous! I'll share more about that next week.

Read:

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews-5 Stars

The Price of Lemon Cake by Jennifer Ashley-3 Stars

Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams-5 Stars

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir-5 Stars

This is two weeks worth of reading. I didn't get to read *listen* to as much as I wanted to. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me was one of my most anticipated reads for 2026 and it delivered! I want to do a re-read soon! I can't wait for the next book! Her Last Breath was riveting and intense! We (my husband and I) just finished the audio to Project Hail Mary and loved it! I teared up a few times at the end! We want to go see the movie soon.

Received:

Meet Me in Italy by Brenda Novak

4/7/26

Too Close to Home by Seraphina Nova Glass

4/14/26

The Moonlight Runner by Karen Robards

3/24/26

Blaze Orange by Paul Doiron 

4/28/26

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, Park Row, and Macmillan Audio! 

How was your week?

Review: Half City by Kate Golden

 

Half City (Harker Academy #1) by Kate Golden

Publication Date: February 17th 2026 by Ace

Pages: 496

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Twenty-one-year-old Viv Abbott has been fighting demons alone ever since she watched her father murdered right before her eyes. She’s spent years carrying that burden alone, so when an invitation arrives from Harker Academy for Deviant Defense, a school for demon hunters, she’s stunned to learn she’s not the only one out there. The offer becomes even more suspicious when it comes from Reid, a Brood demon she has every reason not to trust.

 

Viv has always felt like an outsider among her family and friends, forced to hide the truth about her life and constantly missing out when hunting called. At Harker, for the first time, she finds people who understand her. The camaraderie is immediate, the friendships fast and genuine. But the safety she feels is short-lived. When one of her new friends disappears and the academy is attacked, Viv and her tight-knit group are thrust into a dangerous mystery. I loved this crew, quirky, loyal, and determined to uncover what happened. The romance was a slow-burn, chemistry-heavy enemies-to-lovers that I’m on board for.

 

Half City starts with a slower setup as the world and characters are introduced, but the moment Viv steps onto Harker grounds, the story hits its stride. The mystery surrounding the missing student and the escalating attacks unfolds with several surprising twists, leading to a thrilling, high-stakes conclusion. The book ends on a to-be-continued note. I’m eager to see where Viv’s journey goes next!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

She just also happens to be a demon hunter.

Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider. . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?