Title: Don’t Poke the Bear Author: LeeAnn Dominick Genre: Board Book Publisher: Taffy Tales Source: Publisher Format: Board Book Release Date: August 25, 2026 Rating: ★★★★★
Review:
In this board book, each page features a different animal in the forest. They each have a textured piece that you’re not supposed to poke (but really you should). I liked seeing the different materials for each animal, like the skunk and the beehive. There was even a porcupine, which is much softer than it would be in real life!
Thank you Taffy Tales for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!
Title: Fight Song Author: Kirk Van Brunt Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: Swift Water Books Source: Author Format: Paperback Release Date: September 15, 2026 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A talented yet cynical Indigenous teen hockey player escapes a dangerous situation in the foster care system in this powerful and timely YA novel.
It’s not easy to miss Nokes Lasley, especially when she’s on the ice. Towering over the competition at over six feet tall, she routinely dominates on the right wing — and her no-nonsense approach and fiery temper have helped to solidify her reputation as a hockey superstar. Despite her tenuous situation at home, she dreams of hitting the Olympics one day and proving that she can compete in the big leagues.
But suddenly, Nokes’s life is turned upside-down when her father is arrested for murder and she’s forced to enter the foster care system. Nokes bounces from home to home, from one dangerous setting to the next . . . until she decides to escape across the border to Minnesota, where the promise of a family friend with professional hockey connections far outweighs the abuse she’s experiencing in her home province of Ontario.
Through careful lies, and with the help of Aidan, an attractive new friend, Nokes is able to start a new life in a new country — and, most importantly, keep playing hockey. But the past has a nasty way of catching up to her, and soon Nokes has to make a terrible choice: keep running or face her past head-on . . . and maybe even come to terms with her Indigenous heritage.
Review:
Fight Song is a gripping young adult novel about an Indigenous teen who won’t let anything stop her from following her dreams of playing hockey. Nokes Lasley has faced so much tragedy in her young life. She’s lost both of her parents, been abused at foster homes, and run away from home. However, she finds creative ways to play hockey and follow her dream of playing in the Olympics.
I liked how the story was told through the current timeline of Nokes playing hockey with flashbacks to slowly reveal the trauma she had experienced. This kept some of Nokes’s past a mystery until the end of the story, which made the story more intriguing.
Fight Song is a great new novel!
Thank you Kirk Van Brunt and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!
Content warnings: racism, death of parent, abandonment, child abuse, sexual assault
Have you read Fight Song? What did you think of it?
Title: On Noah’s Ark Author: Taffy Tales Genre: Board Book Publisher: Taffy Tales Source: Publisher Format: Board book Release Date: 2026 Rating: ★★★★★
Review:
Noah’s Ark is a fun “lift the flap” board book. The book is colourful with lots of animals on the pages. There are flaps that give more details to the story and have a little activity to search for something in the illustrations. This is such a cute board book!
Thank you Taffy Tales for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!
Have you read On Noah’s Ark? What did you think of it?
Title: Dead Fake (Bleak Haven #1) Author: Vincent Ralph Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Contemporary Publisher: Wednesday Books Source: Publisher Format: Paperback arc Release Date: January 20, 2026 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Would you Swipe to Die?
When the new craze takes over Bleak Haven High, Ava Wilson refuses to join in. As the niece of an infamous murderer, it’s the last thing she needs.
The mysterious website allows people to view their own ‘death’ – an AI generated version of their final slasher-movie-moments. But, when some of her classmates’ deepfakes are replicated in real life, Ava can either catch the killer…or be the next victim.
Review:
This book is creepy and thrilling. There were plot twists that kept me guessing. The ending was so surprising that I actually gasped when I read it. It’s also short at under 250 pages so it would be a perfect beach read!
Dead Fake is a creepy thriller!
Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book!
Content warnings: death, mass murder, murder
Other books in the series:
Night Terror (Bleak Haven #2)
Have you read Dead Fake? What did you think of it?
Title: The Doughnut Fix Author: Jessie Janowitz Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers Source: Bookinfluencers.com Format: Paperback Release Date: April 1, 2018 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Superfudge meets The Lemonade War in this funny, heartwarming book about change, adventure, family, and of course, doughnuts. Tristan isn’t Gifted or Talented like his sister Jeanine, and he’s always been okay with that because he can make a perfect chocolate chip cookie and he lives in the greatest city in the world. But his life takes a turn for the worse when his parents decide to move to middle-of-nowhere Petersville―a town with one street and no restaurants. It’s like suddenly they’re supposed to be this other family, one that can survive without bagels and movie theaters. His suspicions about his new town are confirmed when he’s tricked into believing the local general store has life-changing chocolate cream doughnuts, when in fact the owner hasn’t made them in years. And so begins the only thing that could make life in Petersville worth getting the recipe, making the doughnuts, and bringing them back to the town through his very own doughnut stand. But Tristan will soon discover that when starting a business, it helps to be both Gifted and Talented, and it’s possible he’s bitten off more than he can chew…
Review:
When Tristan’s family moves out of New York City, his parents assign him and his sisters to make up a project until they go to school next term. Tristan decides to make a business selling the town’s famous chocolate cream doughnuts. He must follow steps to creating a business with the help of some new friends in town. This is a great story to teach kids how to follow their dreams and achieve their goals. Tristan had to go through a lot of trial and error to complete his project, including experimenting with the recipe for the doughnuts. One character who stole the show was Tristan’s younger sister Zoe. She provided some fun comic relief throughout the story!
The Doughnut Fix is a great middle grade book!
Thank you Bookinfluencers.com and Jessie Janowitz for providing a copy of this book for a sponsored campaign!
Have you read The Doughnut Fix? What did you think of it?
Title: Essentials, Vol. 2 Author: Luke Arnold, Chris “Doc” Wyatt Genre: Graphic Novel, Science Fiction Publisher: The Lab Press Source: Bookinfluencers.com Format: Hardcover Release Date: May 12, 2026 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
The mind-bending adventure of Essentials continues in volume two.
ESSENTIALS VOL. 2 continues the mind-bending journey of Harris Pax, a mathematician who predicted the end of the world but couldn’t prevent it. Now to save humanity, he must return to the underground bunker where madness began, but not without a fight. Alongside unlikely sidekicks—from walking corpses to toy robots—Harris weaves through fractured realities of creatures, angels, and monsters to restore the world he once knew. But will it be enough to defeat Snuggles once and for all?
Review:
This story continues Harris’s journey to save what’s left of humanity after the world ended. The survivors have created their own realities which they’re living in. Harris and his friend Buttons must travel through these imagined realities to save the humans inside. However, they don’t always want to be saved. This is a thought provoking graphic novel about what’s reality and the power of imagination.
Essentials, Vol. 2 is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel!
Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!
Title: The Divine Feminine Scent Author: E.C. Beaumont Genre: Contemporary Publisher: Independently published Source: Bookinfluencers.com Format: Paperback Release Date: June 4, 2026 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
She seduces powerful men to harvest their energy.
Selene is a high-stakes investor building life-saving infrastructure, powered by a secret. What begins as a gift becomes her Protocol, refined through psychology, ritual, technology, and obsession.
Then Ethan signs the Protocol.
Ethan is a Silicon Valley millionaire with everything to lose. He becomes her most powerful subject yet. Their connection is intoxicating, obsessive, and irreversible. But Selene’s power comes with a brutal cost. As the line between harvest and love blurs, the stakes become more dangerous for both of them.
A story of dark feminine power, psychological intensity, and the cost of loving your prey.
Inside this high-heat, literary romance: • Female-dominant dark power dynamics • A powerful woman who may be saving the world or destroying what she loves • Psychological conditioning and control • Obsession-driven relationship • Morally complex, unapologetic protagonist • Explicit, high-intensity scenes (no fade-to-black) • Foot worship and sensory domination • Supernatural elements woven into a grounded, literary narrative
What would you do to the man you love if it saved thousands?
Content note: This novel contains explicit sexual content, power exchange dynamics, psychological manipulation, and morally dark themes. Intended for adult readers (18+). This is not a conventional romance. There is no redemption arc. The ending will stay with you.
Review:
This story is about a woman who could channel her power through seducing men. Her feet had an intoxicating scent that would then give her power. She used the power to help fund investments to build much needed infrastructure around the world. However, she had to balance her morality, power, and work for the greater good.
The Divine Feminine Scent is a study in sexual power.
Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!
Content warnings: psychological manipulation, sexual content
Have you read The Divine Feminine Scent? What did you think of it?
Title: Three Days Grace Author: Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato Genre: Contemporary Publisher: Indigo River Publishing Source: Bookinfluencers.com Format: Paperback Release Date: May 12, 2026 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
On the eve of their trip to South Africa, Lynne and her wife, Susan, await three guests in a Paris Nick, Lynne’s distant son; Laslo, Susan’s effusive friend; and Marc, a former professor living on borrowed glamour.
What begins as a bon voyage soon becomes a clash of old wounds and fresh resentments. As night falls, long-buried secrets surface, threatening to dismantle the facades each has built.
Through the winding corridors of Paris and the tangled landscapes of memory, five people must confront the truths they’ve spent decades avoiding. At the heart lies the tragic story of two brothers-one present, one absent-and the lingering trauma that continues to shape their lives.
Set over three days, this unflinching exploration of family, betrayal, and silence asks whether we can ever truly escape our past-and what it takes to finally face the truths we’ve spent a lifetime running from.
Review:
This is a gripping novel about loss and grief. Nick’s father dies suddenly, which brings back the memories of the abuse he suffered as a child. He realizes how much the adults around him knew and chose to ignore. I couldn’t put this book down. I think I could have easily read it in one sitting.
Three Days Grace is a powerful and heartbreaking story.
Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!
Content warnings: child abuse, rape, death of parent, suicide
Have you read Three Days Grace? What did you think of it?
Title: We’re Going to Win this Game Author: Alberto Casamayor, Palma & Kako Genre: Children’s Publisher: Editorial el Pirata Source: Bookinfluencers Format: Paperback Release Date: March 17, 2026 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Soccer, laughs, and a team that breaks all the rules!Meet theSuper Goals, the most unlikely soccer team you can imagine. This series is packed with humor, friendship, and a passion for soccer that shows how perseverance and determination can lead to the game-winning goal!InWe’re Going to Win This Game, Alex, a soccer-obsessed girl, dreams ofjoining the Super Goals. However, the new coach seems determined to make it impossible. Why does she have it out for Alex? Is it because she never seems to sleep? And what’s up with her grandma’s pet toad in the middle of it all?Every page is fully illustrated in color, with dialogue in comic book speech bubbles. The reading pace is fast and full of humor. Recommended for boys and girls aged 8 to 11. Other titles inThe Super Goalsseries:We’re Going to Win This GameThe Dream Cup
Review:
This is a fun soccer story that shows perseverance pays off. Alex wanted to join the soccer team but she wasn’t old enough. When they changed the age requirement, they ended up with a coach who didn’t like Alex and picked on her. Despite being held back from the team, Alex kept trying her hardest to earn her spot on the team. There were some funny characters on the team who kept the story entertaining! Since the FIFA World Cup is starting, this will be a great book for kids to read this summer!
We’re Going to Win This Game is a great children’s book!
Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!
Have you read We’re Going to Win this Game? What did you think of it?
Title: Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin (Enola Holmes #10) Author: Nancy Springer Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery Publisher: Wednesday Books Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: February 10, 2026 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Enola Holmes—international bestselling and Netflix streaming sensation—returns when the rescue of a young woman sends her into battle with her brother Sherlock against his most deadly, implacable enemy – Professor Moriarty.
In February 1891, London, Enola Holmes—the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes—is attending the burial of her former landlady when she hears the faint sound of a handbell in the graveyard. Investigating further, as is the Holmes’ family instinct, she discovers that the bell is attached to the temporary tombstone at a recent gravesite and someone, buried within, is pulling the string to ring the alarm.
Galvanized into action, Enola and her companions successfully unearth the coffin within, freeing a still-living young woman, Trevonia Trairom. Enola, by predilection and by trade a Scientific Perditorian, a finder of lost things, finds herself comforting and protecting this young girl, who remembers very little, including her own identity. While protecting this mysterious girl from an enigmatic enemy, she finds Sherlock engaged in a related mystery and joins him in his battle against the Napoleon of Crime, Professor Moriaty. As that epic conflict rushes towards it’s inevitable conclusion, Enola takes her place more fully than ever before as a proud member of the Holmes family.
Review:
This was another great Enola Holmes book! Since I’m a fan of Sherlock Holmes mysteries, I guessed who the villain in this story was early on. I enjoyed the way the mystery unraveled. I think new readers who aren’t as familiar with Sherlock will really enjoy this story!
Thank you Wednesday Books for sending me a copy!
Have you read Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin? What did you think of it?
Jill's Book Blog 