Good morning and I hope your Monday is going good so far.

I’m currently at work and wishing the weekend here. Working two jobs leaves little time to do much else but I enjoy what I do.

This week I’m going to read a highly anticipated arc that I just received, an e-arc I received via Netgalley, and a reread of a horror manga.

What are you reading this week?

The Ballad of Never After- Stephanie Garber

The fiercely-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Once Upon a Broken Heart, starring Evangeline Fox and the Prince of Hearts on a new journey of magic, mystery, and heartbreak.

Not every love is meant to be.

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she’ll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can. . . .

The Blame Game- Sandie Jones

In the vein of the Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick The Other Woman, Sandie Jones’s heart-pounding new novel The Blame Game will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Games can be dangerous. But blame can be deadly.

As a psychologist specializing in domestic abuse, Naomi has found it hard to avoid becoming overly invested in her clients’ lives. But after helping Jacob make the decision to leave his wife, Naomi worries that she’s taken things too far. Then Jacob goes missing, and her files on him vanish. . . .

But as the police start asking questions about Jacob, Naomi’s own dark past emerges. And as the truth comes to light, it seems that it’s not just her clients who are in danger.

Fragments of Horror- Junji Ito

A new collection of delightfully macabre tales from a master of horror manga. An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Ito’s long-awaited return to the world of horror.

Ma no Kakera (魔の断片, also titled Shard of Evil or Fragments of Horror), is a series of short stories by Junji Ito.
It began serialization in the first issue of the revived Nemuki+ (ネムキプラス) magazine on April 13, 2013. It was subsequently published as a collection in Japan in June 2014, with the final story, “Whispering Woman”, having been previously published in Shinkan (シンカン) rather than Nemuki+. In December 2014, it was licensed by VIZ Media to be released in English in June 2015, under the “Fragments of Horror” title.

Chapters:

Futon (Blanket)
Haunted Wood Mansion
Tomio: Red Turtleneck
Lingering Farewell
Dissection Girl
Black Bird
Magami Nanakuse
Whispering Woman