cute – The Constellation of Moon

Moon Reads: The Between-Worlds B&B

Posted on May 29, 2026

The Between Worlds B&B by Amy Mae Baxter

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I grabbed this book from Forbidden Planet on a whim. The cover looked cute and it felt like a light fun read. I am glad I grabbed it.

I wasn’t sure if it was going to be like The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews (but it made me think of it, partly why i ended up going for it, because I enjoyed those), or more like Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter style. I think it actually sits neatly between both, so if either is your kind of book, then please, do yourself a favour and go grab a copy of this book.

Margo is bored and all she really has going for her is that she loves swimming, but she’s not doing too well at school and she doesn’t really have many friends. So when she accidentally gets locked out of her house overnight and stumbles upon a cute little B&B that costs exactly the amount of money she has to spend, she decides to have a tiny adventure.

What she does not expect is that the receptionist of the B&B will be attractive and friendly to her. Or that when someone signs in as a demon in the guest book, that they mean it, right? Demons? Nope, that’s magic and that’s just not real. But what Margo doesn’t know is that she is a guest at The Between-Worlds B&B, a bed and breakfast that has some interesting terms and conditions and that only appears to certain people, but all of them magical. So why is Margo a guest when she is most definitely human?

Well… Margo has to find out if she is genuinely human or is there maybe a tiny bit of magic in hr? And if she has magic, what kind of magic does she have? But as she tries some schemes to find out, she also interacts more on more with the other guests of the inn, all of them with their own problems and conundrums to figure out (but all of them very much magical creatures, so at least knowing if they have magic or not is not a problem they have).

And of course, there is also the fact that the receptionist is cute and they seem to hit it off, but is this doomed from the start since he’s working for the B&B and she will at some point finish her stay?

This was adorable to read. A cosy hug and a cute story to read, and I just enjoyed it very much. The chapters each have a title, which was perfectly fitting, and a little thing I like to see in books (it doesn’tfit all books but here it was just adorable and added to the whimsy of it).

So if you’re looking for a cosy magical adventure about identity, magic and a B&B with a chaos personality trying to help, this is the book for you.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Glam & Beardy Volume I

Posted on May 22, 2026

The Very Serious Diary of Glam & Beardy Volume I by Ruby Clyde & Rachel WD. Illustrated by Vincent Batignole.

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

I love good middle grade series. Some of my favourite have been Diary of an Accidental Witch, The Boy Who Grew Dragons or Tales of the Chocolate Heart. So when Little Tiger had this up for review and request, I had to try it to fill my middle grade craving for a good series.

Glam & Beardy do not disappoint at all.

We start by getting to know Glam who is the last child of the Glamour family and is hoping to get the most glamorous familiar, since all kids get one around her age, except her. Hers just doesn’t seem to come at all. We get to know her family and that the kingdom has several “families” with different skills, like glamour or wisdom or strength.

It is also not common but not a bad thing if your familiar is from a different family (like Glam’s mum, who was born into Wisdom but has a glam familiar). Glam gets sad that she can’t find a familiar, and she’s not very glamorous, until she does meet her familiar Beardy, who is definitely a not glamorous familiar, but even worse, they’re not a defined skills from the kingdom, so Glam is convinced she has the wrong familiar.

This leads to an adventure to try to find a way to find the right familiar for Glam and the right kid for Beardy.

One of the things I really liked was that Glam’s family isn’t absent, on the contrary they are there for her even if she doesn’t always believe it or actually feel like it. I love stories where the parents/family are supportive and part of the story and not just absent or there for plot points.

There was also a lot about friendship, belonging and about skills, and the nice thing is that Glam is very much interested in history and anthropology rather than glamour, but still tries to be as glamorous as she can.

It was super cute to read, the illustrations are spot on and really fun, and there’s a lot f the world and story yet to find out, so I am very curious for the next volume. If you enjoyed any of the series I mentioned above, this is a must read for sure!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Dungeon Runners Level 1: Hero Trial

Posted on April 24, 2026

Dungeon Runners – Level 1: Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

I love middle grade fun series and Dungeon Runners starts with a bang for sure.

Kit is a small little gnorf (part gnome, part dwarf), which means he’s pretty small and doesn’t have any particularly great advantages for playing as Dungeon Runner, but he has always wanted to, since his own grandfather was one of the amazing teams back in the days.

So when a space opens up for a new team to join the Dungeon Runners, Kit is ready. Except that he has no team, so he finds new friends and a new team in Sandy, a sea witch who only knows one spell and Thorn, a vampire who loves knitting. Every team must have a healer, a fighter and a magic user, so they’re perfectly balanced to take it on.

The story is very cute and interesting, with Kit trying to be brave and fit as a fighter because it is one thing to dream you want to be part of a wonderful team, and then actually have to be an amazing team member is another thing. But what Kit may not have in strength he has in being a good gnorf, compassion and even courage when needed, and he will figure out the teamwork with Sandy and Thorn so that they can qualify to be the team selected.

I loved it, between the art, the “dungeons” the narrating of the actual “dungeon running”, and the three friends finding their strengths and weaknesses and the fun and clever ways. It is also a “fair” book in that they’re not perfectly winning all the time, it is an actual competition and therefore not everything goes their way just because they’re the main characters.

It’s a lovely little series and a good start for it, I am very intrigued where it intends to actually go, but so far (I have read up to book 3) it is very delightful and will be a recommended one for kids (one of my work colleagues’ kid is enjoying them too, so even kid approved for sure).

Book Review

Moon Reads: Sad Girl Hours

Posted on March 31, 2026

Sad Girl Hours by Anna Zoe Quirke

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

I can’t remember the exact reason I bought this one, but it felt like it’d be my kind of book. A good dose of cuteness, some sadness and lots of emotions. And I was right, this was a delight to read (despite dealing with heavy topics) and it felt like a warm hug or eating a nice apple pie fresh from the oven (not at burn your mouth temperature but at good temperature).

The story has two points of view, one from Saffron who suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) who is dreading autumn and winter coming. She had to take time off the previous year from uni and can’t afford to do it again or it will make becoming an astrophysicist difficult or impossible. And also she’s somehow managed to keep it secret from all her friends and the people online that follow her for her short bubbly videos on astrophysics in a way that is easy to understand. She’s scared that if people know, they’ll dismiss it like her family does or they’ll stop liking her. And then she meets Nell.

Nell is our other point of view, who is proudly autistic, studying to become a poet, and a lover of autumn and winter and all the coziness they can provide. So she becomes determined to show Saffron that they’re not bad seasons with a bucket list of things to do to showcase how good it is to have the seasons come.

Of course as they start doing things like jumping on piles of leaves or lighting candles and having a cosy day in, Saffron and Nell both slowly start to develop feelings for each other but neither is sure of what exactly is going. And they both are trying to balance their own personal issues with having a fun time, becoming better friends and university.

There is a lot of fun but also some seriousness on caring for yourself and also how others care for you. I think this was a lovely little book to read and I’d recommend it as a nice autumn read. Do be mindful that it discusses SAD, family not taking this into account and being mean and not helpful, and obviously the spirals that can happen in your head about it.

Book Review

Moon Reads – The Bakery Dragon

Posted on March 6, 2026

The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

Rating:

Apparently we are on a theme of reviews being quite cosy. I think partly this is because the world is being a little bit too much and we need reassurance, a safety blanket and cosy books are perfect for this.

The Bakery Dragon was actually initially an illustration Devin Elle made and then this inspired her to write a little book story about a dragon who longs for a different kind of treasure.

I think the overall story is super cute with our little dragon, Ember, finding that a hoard of gold and treasure isn’t really motivating and then while wandering around the town they see a little bakery window and find it so enticing. I honestly fully understand the dragon, I find the bakery windows and looking at bread and pastries super tasty and exciting and I just always end up wanting to go in and buy something and taste it (specially if you add the nice smell of the bread, yum!).

Anyway, bread turns out to be the perfect hoard and treasure for Ember, who is curious and wants to learn how bread is made. The baker then shows Ember how to make bread and Ember learns that sharing bread and making bread and having others enjoy it is very rewarding and a treasure in itself.

I am a fan of Devin Elle’s artwork so it is not a surprise that I loved a book about a little dragon that loves bread and that expands on her illustration work and dedicates itself to bread and cute little dragons. This book is like a bread version of The Tea Dragon Society hitting all the stops in cuteness, food appreciation and dragons.

Book Review

Moon Reads – Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter

Posted on February 27, 2026

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

Rating:

This book was the perfect excuse to pull some cute cat plushies because why not, I have my own brand of “stray” cats.

I loved this book, probably even more the Emily Wilde’s series (and I enjoyed those a lot). And I am so so thankful to Orbit for the review copy because I was able to read the book before it came out and then I raved about it to other people (I do circus arts and I have an informal “book club” where we all read different things but weekly we talk about what we each read and recommend books to each other and this book has been one I’ve recommended a few times).

Anyway, to the actual review of this book. The short version of the review would be that this felt like I was reading a mix of the film and book versions of Howl’s Moving Castle (book version including the other two which rarely ever get included, but are so good), with Agnes being a little like Sophie and Havelock being like Howl. There is also like in the books, a much more involved sister and it is just very satisfying and wholesome and worth reading. Very cosy, very cute, you will want to visit a cat cafe and maybe watch Howl’s Moving Castle or read it afterwards.

Now the longer version, we start our story with Agnes trying to find a place to move into after a mage battle destroyed her previous shop front and the landlady she had cannot afford to fix the damage. Winter is coming and she needs a warm space for the cats and herself as she runs a cat charity to pick up strays. But most places she sees aren’t accepting her because she has cats. Until she finds the perfect shop, but she thinks she can’t afford it, despite being drawn to it over and over. Finally she decides to give in and just check it out, and somehow things work out in a way that is scary but feels meant to be. She’s quickly moving in and everything is pretty smooth, but then she starts getting weird visitors that go through her charity and into the basement of the shop.

To no one’s surprise, turns out she is a front for the most known mage ever Havelock, who is super famous and sought after. And well, as you would expect chaos ensues, with a magical battle between Havelock and another mage and our poor Agnes who loves keeping track of things and organisation struggles. But she’s practical and despite the fact she doesn’t agree with magic and mages, she will make the most of this chaos thank you very much.

She then goes on a mission (if you’ve seen Howl’s Moving there’s a scene that’s very similar to Sophie cleaning Howl’s Castle and it was so satisfying to read) to make things work out for this weird arrangement. But in some ways, she seems to be adopting Havelock as one of her strays and maybe, just maybe falling in lvoe with him despite her misgivings on magic and mages and the fact she thought she couldn’t love someone other than her husband who passed away two years before.

There’s a whole plot that I don’t want to spoil, but I definitely can say that this was adorable, very satisfying to read and honestly 100% worth it. I’d recommend it for the cosy factor, the magic, the Howl vibes, the pastries, the cats and the romance.

Book Review

Moon Reads: How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days

Posted on February 3, 2026

How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva

Rating:

I have typed this review a few times trying to find the best way to tell you “hey, this was really fun to read, and I wish everyone else would read, please go read it. I want more fun cosy chaos books like this one”, and I don’t think I know how else to say it.

How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days is a cute chaos hug to a fantasy nerd. You have Pansy, a halfling in search of a little adventure and that feels a little out of place in her village because of being a little odd and not wanting pure comfort. And you have Ren a goblin who is trying their best to support their clan and also they have a green thumb like nobody else.

Now have Pansy inherit her grandma’s cottage and she feels like this is her chance to make her own life without feeling a bit out of place, she has found her place. But surprise, when she goes to claim her inheritance, Ren is already living there and growing all manners of things (including lots of moss inside the house, apparently moss inside the cottage is not a halfling thing but I think is a pretty cool idea).

To the surprise of both, they somehow end up making a deal on who gets to keep the house, whomever doesn’t leave and stays in it. There’s a few ground rules like not being destructive to each other’s things and stuff, and that you can’t “remove” but only add things (you can already see this backfiring, right?). And so it starts, a little back and forth between them trying to find ways to annoy each other of the home.

It is not to the reader’s surprise of course, that these all backfire in very amusing and funny ways, but also in making the home cosy for both of them. I will say, this was a proper cosy read, with lots of plants and cooking, and questions about belonging and family (or clan) and what it means to be part of them.

But there’s also a lot of little elements reminding you of other worlds, other stories, other classics and some newer works, and it was this also that was fun to read. It felt like a good hug and was about as complex a read as I could muster at a time when I had no voice and a fever. I still enjoyed it a lot and it made me laugh, then cough then regret my life choices, but 10/10 worth it for the story.

Subscription Boxes

Moon Hauls – Fantasy Emporiums Illumicrate

Posted on January 30, 2026

Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Fantasy Emporiums, January 2025

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box that usually features fantasy and sci-fi, and curates a wide range of books, including both young adult and adult fiction. It usually contains a new release and several bookish goodies.

Somehow we’re still trying to catch up on the boxes, but in this case I missed adding the leaflet to the photograph, so imagine it is there. Starting on the top left corner and going clockwise:

A cute little tea strainer inspired by A Tempest of Tea. I am not super big on tea strainers because they are a pain to clean up but this one is super cute!
A trivet inspired by Legends and Lattes, which was perfect becuase a great book chocie and trivets are such wonderful things! This had been in use at home but is currently in storage waiting to the next house move.
Two mini vases inspired by This Poison Heart, which are cute, I just don;t know what I will do with them.
Midnight Bridge Blanket, I didn’t feel like extending it all so there wasn’t a massive view of it, but still, blankets are great.
And finally the featured book which was Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao, which I haven’t read but I’ve head good things so I still want to.

A nice fresh start to the year box, which was fun to open, with a blanket to cuddle up with and things to make the day cosy and make you feel like you’re wrapped up by a fantasy, and I just love it overall together.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth

Posted on November 11, 2025

Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth by Ben Clanton

Rating:

Every time I see there’s a new Narhwal and Jelly book I am very happy for it.

The series is very funny and cute and perfect for little ones. The artwork feels a bit like drawn with a crayon and it is so fun. Narwhal is always so peppy even when bad things happen.

In this one, Narwhal’s “horn” which is actually a tooth starts seeing the effects of having too many sweet things and ahs a crack, which hurts Narwhal, and so JElly and Narwhal go around trying to figure out how to fix it and cheer Narwhal up.

As always, sheaningans, waffles and lots of fun happen and this was very cute, with some interesting facts about Narwhal horns/tooth.

I just want to know what happens next, because Jelly seems to have softened a lot now that they’re good friends with Narwhal.

Book Review

Moon Reads: She Drives Me Crazy

Posted on April 22, 2025

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

I have no memory of how I ended up deciding to buy this book, but I did at some point and while packing books and trying to reduce them, I thought this was a bit of an odd choice (I’m not really someone who reads books with sport involved in them) but decided to give it a chance.

I am glad I did.

She Drives Me Crazy was a fun read. It was easy, flowed well, and I finished it in a day (one bit read while having breakfast, then the rest in the afternoon after having to do the boring adult stuff of the day).

I admit I do enjoy some fake dating, and it was an interesting one.

Scottie is heartbroken, a little obsessed and upset about her ex, who moved schools and is now playing in a different basketball team. And luck just seems to not be giving her a break when she ends up having to give her nemesis, Irene, a ride to school each morning.

Irene is the perfect cheerleader and popular, but Scottie remembers her as mean, and therefore they seem to not be getting along despite their forced proximity. But then, Scottie sees an opportunity to make her ex jealous and for Irene to keep chasing her own cheerleading dreams.

Shenanigans ensue. However, one of the things I liked a lot about the book was how it tackled the emotions after a breakup, the stages of grief it can bring, and how people can change and not recognise it. Scottie has a long journey of recovering from a breakup that had a hit to her confidence, and that was handled incredibly well, and it was very interesting to read the conversations and interactions about it, alongside seeing parents and family of both Irene and Scottie being part of the story and not helpful plot movers.

Both Irene and Scottie having supportive and interesting groups of friends was also nice rather a mean girls vibe it was more interactive and you can see the mixing of their groups as they continue with their fake dating that slowly becomes less fake and brings them to confront why they are dating and if there are feelings in between them.

Overall, quick read about high school, a bit of basketball and cheerleading, a bit of fake dating and just a fun time.