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    The Broken Binding Fantasy Sub #11: January – March 2026

    Meh… blogging hasn’t really been going great for me lately. Aside from writing reviews for the books I’ve read, I just can’t seem to finish any other blog posts. I currently have so many half-finished drafts sitting around, about crafts, outings, things I’ve been working on, things I’ve watched… you name it. But I just can’t seem to bring any…

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    Read in March 2026

    March turned out to be an exceptionally strong reading month, and above all one filled with books that will stay with me in different ways. I started the month by finishing a buddy read of a book I had already read ten years ago. Once again, it proved to be a massive hit, which was also a lovely confirmation that…

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    Review: The Last Town by Blake Crouch

    After that ending of Wayward, it was immediately clear that the final book in this trilogy was going to be intense. My colleague and I didn’t hesitate for a second before diving into The Last Town. And yes, “intense” is definitely the right word! Blake Crouch – The Last Town (Wayward Pines #3) ★★★★ Genre: Science Fiction / Thriller /…

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    Review: Wayward by Blake Crouch

    Sometimes it is not so much a question of whether you read a sequel, but simply when. After the complete WTF-ending of Pines, it was immediately clear to both my colleague and me that we wanted to keep going. We did have to wait a few days to get our hands on the sequel, but once we could start Wayward,…

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    Illumicrate #41: February 2026

    I was actually planning to skip the February Illumicrate entirely. Although the predicted book seemed cool, it wasn’t exactly something I necessarily wanted a special edition for, especially since the standard cover was already very beautiful. Moreover, starting this year, Illumicrate is switching from four to just three items per box, while the price remains the same. In itself, that…

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    Review: Pines by Blake Crouch

    Sometimes the best reading experiences happen entirely by accident. Pines was not on my immediate TBR at all, but when a colleague mentioned she had started reading it and became so engrossed that she nearly missed her train stop on the way home, my curiosity was piqued. I have had the entire trilogy sitting on my e-reader for ages, waiting…

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    Fairyloot Adult #48: February 2026

    The February FairyLoot arrived just in time for February itself. It’s always nice when that happens, because sometimes deliveries run a bit late. This month’s theme was: Forbidden Bargains! According to FairyLoot, the book of the month would be perfect for readers who enjoy gothic fantasy. And that sentence alone was enough to grab my attention. They also revealed that…

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    Review: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

    Ever since I first read the Dutch translation of Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier years ago, I’ve been meaning to continue the Sevenwaters series. However, given how much time has passed since that first read, I wanted to revisit the story before continuing, this time in its original English. An impromptu buddy read with a few people online…

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    Reviewing with BALSPEL: 2026 update

    A few years ago, I wrote in detail about how I rate books with stars. In that post I explained how my system evolved from purely gut feeling to something a bit more structured. Since 2022, I’ve been using my own version of BookRoast’s CAWPILE system, which I renamed BALSPEL. And yes, I still use this system today. But as…

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    The Broken Binding SF&F Sub #2: January 2026

    To be honest, blogging hasn’t been going so well for me lately. Just…not feeling like it. It happens, but my numerous book subscriptions keep coming in, and I don’t want to deprive you of those unboxings. Last October, I started the new SF&F subscription from The Broken Binding. At the time, it was still a bimonthly subscription, good for six…