January 2024 Wrap Up

January is definitely working out better than December. I read 9 books! I'm hoping that January ends up much higher than December did. (It did, by two books!)

1: The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone - I had purchased the whole series at my old library's $4 bag sale. I was quite impressed with the writing in it. We follow Micah Dalton, a cleaner for the CIA. Someone who goes in if a mission has gone wrong to make sure things can't be traced back to "the Agency" as it were. We open with him in a small Italian village to identify a body. We then go with him on this wild journey to figure out what happened and stop it from happening again. Micah was amazingly abrassive and sarcastic and I absolutely adored it. He was not super serious at all. I couldn't put the book down. I loved practically discovering stuff with him as he was given more information on just how deep the deceit went and how he fixed the problem. I have already pulled out the next volume in the series, The Orpheus Deceit, to continue on and figure out where we go from here. I definitely recommend this to thriller readers. 

2: Y/N by Esther Yi - I don't know what I read. This poor girl, whom we only ever learn to call N, is obsessed with this K-Pop singer called Moon. And not even obsessed with him, she seems to be more obsessed with just her idea of him. Almost to a delusional level were she superimposes her own thoughts onto reality and just assumes that's the way it's always been. She eventually tracks him down and tells him all of this and has him read a story she wrote that has some exeptionally disturbing content. I mean, I'm not surprised at all at his reaction. Along her way she meets someone in a similar situation. I definitely liked this storyo and the pure sense of "What.....?" it left in me, but be warned, you do need a higher vocbulary for it. Esther Yi uses a lot of $3 words in it. Some that I had to actually look up to understand what was even happening in her head. Really well written, though. 

3: The Keys to Perception by Ivo Dominguez, Jr. - This was interesting. I'd classify it as an intermediate to advanced book. Something not to be gone into lightly. I fully recommend being at least moderately comfortable in grounding and shielding and some mild energy work before even reading this. Or you will be horribly lost. I got to meet Ivo and he had a wonderful piece of advice if you have a signed book, and you don't know what the author was talking about: Put your hand on the signature and concentrate on what it is you don't understand. Then open the book back up. It should be clearer. 

4: The Black Phone Stories by Joe Hill - I picked this up because I'd already seen the Blumhouse movie and I was curious about what the short story would be like in comparison. I was greatly let down by that in particular. I think the only things the short and the movie had remotely in common were the black balloons, Finney, and the phone itself. I liked some of the other stories. A few were just weird and there were two that left an oddly bad taste in my mouth. I didn't like them at all. I think overall, I'm going to give this one a 3.5/5, it was so close to a 4, but let me down. I can't even say "in the end" because Voluntary Committal was actually really good. 

5: Mercury by Amy Jo Burns - My January Book of the Month selection. I picked it because I come from a rural Pennsylvania town in a river valley (other side of the state, but....no less famous being only 30 minutes from Scranton up I-81). This book was just a comedy of errors. They kept trying to cover for each other's faults and just continually made it worse. The slow reveals of which Joseph was doing what and how it contributed to the family drama was just PERFECT. I loved the tangle they accidentally got themselves into. Baylor needed a bit more grace. He was the oldest. He was kind of forgotten/compared to Dad more than Waylon and Shay. He should have gotten better treatment. 

6: The Will of the Many by James Islington - I loved this. I'm not much of a Roman Empire girly (I'm a Hellenistic Greece girly), but this was well written and I loved the drama of it all. We follow Viz Telemus as he gets all these various tasks to follow and has to figure out his way through this school that he didn't want any part of due to certain things from his own history and where he ends up. It was really good. I loved how he had to keep all of this knowledge from literally anyone else and he was starting to not be able to. 

7: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - I enjoyed this one. Yadriel has always wanted to be a brujo, like all the other boys in his family. The only problem is that he is AFAB and they will not see him for who he is. In his efforts to prove himself, he tries to prove himself by performing the tasks of a brujo on his own and it kind of blows up in his face. I loved the way Adrien Thomas told the story and how we see the people on Yads's side and the people who are against him and that betrayal! I never even saw it coming. A 4.5/5 solidly. I'm looking forward to reading more from him. 

8: Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley - I read this one as a buddy read with my friend Rowan. It definitely took a twist that I was not expecting. I thought it was going to be just a coming of age story about an indigenous girl and her efforts to just belong within her own clan. Nope. Well, yes, but no. It did involve that, but also a huge thing that was just so exciting to read. I felt bad for her having to go against her tribal teachings and more or less lie to her elders. I already have the sequel (Warrior Girl Unearthed) and I plan to pick it up as soon as possible.

9: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams - I don't know how to describe what I read. It was supposed to be slice of life in the 1930s, I suppose? But it seemed kind of dumb to me. We are treated to just a little time (two days?) in this family's life. There's nothing exciting or dramatic or really all that special about it. I didn't much care for it at all...this was just...something. Another book where my only take away is "Well, I read it...?" 

January 2024 Book Haul

This should hopefully be a rather small post. If I have followed my own guidelines well enough to get along with what I wanted to do....

Okay so I lied. January 01 was Stuff Your Kindle: Fantasy day, and I totally took advantage of the sales and thus, I've ended up with 40 books (1 that I actually paid money for?) 

1: Wish Hunter by Hero Bowen – This is a normie and a rockstar. How could I resist? I've been very into rockstar romances lately (I blame Eddie for it). I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to feel about the premise, with it being a magical realism book where they literally steal wishes as if they were tangible things, but here's hoping we enjoy it?

2: Spellbound in the Stacks by K. Iwancio – Bookstore owned by a witch. I'm not entirely sure I even read the rest of the synopsis. I've also seen via StoryGraph that it's a light-hearted romance. I'm looking forward to it then. Something to break my funk when I read a particularly heavy book. 

3: Dragon's Don't Eat Meat by Kim McDougall – It was the description of all the various cryptids in her apartment. I'm most looking forward to the story of the basilisk who thinks he's a turkey? That just feels awkward at best. Who doesn't want a turkey-lisk?

4: The Orphaned King by C.N. Noble – I don't know how I feel about this one. I am looking forward to a book where the orphan knows where they are from and what they are going to be getting into, but I don't know if I like the idea that he knows he'll be king when he goes back? Or whatever the actual plot ends up being. Still gonna give it a try. 

5: The Stars Plot Revenge by L.J. Kerry – Fae king is like oop I need an heir, this random mortal will do! And now this chick has to go through and find the prince so she doesn't have to be a Fae and can go the hell home. I wonder if she will actually end up leaving or if she's going to still be Queen (fall in love with and marry the Prince)?

6: Shadows That Bind Us by Amber L. Werner – Just a standard fantasy novel that looked really interesting. There is a romantic subplot that will intrigue me (I'm not much a fan of romance in my fantasies). I'm curious about how they all end up together and what the betrayal will be later on with brother and grandfather.

7: A Time of Turmoil by N.M. Zoltack – Nothing is going right. The dragons who used to rule are gone and the humans, left to their own devices, have absolutely destroyed the culture as they knew it. I'm curious about how they remedy this. Will something happen that brings back the dragons? Brings new dragons? Spurs the humans into actually being decent-ish?

8: Curse of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Adelaide Rowan – I grabbed this one because it's myth inspired and an mm story. My two favorite things. I have no idea what the rest of the novel is about. I, surprisingly, don't mind going in completely blind here. 

9: Heroines of Olympus by River Bennet – More myth retelling, only women this time. This one is all about the various spurned women in Greek mythology and how they are now standing up for themselves or something? No idea. Can't wait, though. 

10: Curse of Thorns by Michelle Areaux – Magical Girl who has no magic. Goes to an academy to try to figure out out. Meets and falls for pretty boy? Come on. It's just the right kind of what my roommate and I call “literary junkfood” that is fun to read and not so taxing on the old brain pan. It looked interesting and I am curious about it. 

11: Of Secrets and Beginnings by Ashlyn B. Rudd – Magical folks who save a world/girl from death. It, again, looked kind of interesting to me. Found it during the January Stuff Your Kindle Day and figured why not give it a try. If I don't like it, I can just delete it from my device. No harm, no foul.

12: Court of Sun by K.M. Mixon – The Fae are real and there is some sort of curse or something that is causing all manner of chaos. It seems very politically heavy and something I'd definitely be into. I'm looking forward to reading it. Gives me vibes similar to The Shadow of What Was Lost only less epic high fantasy. Closer to urban fantasy. 

13: Beneath the Shatter by T.A. Reilly – It looked interesting and it was free. I am easily swayed. Something about a wolvyn (what's that?) that caught my attention and figured I'd give it a shot. I think it's sci-fi/fantasy, and that just makes it even better to me.

14: Dream by the Shadows by Logan Karlie – It's free and it's a dark...fantasy romance? I can't tell really. Looks good though. Girl ends up in the realm of the dark dude (Shadow Daddy?) and falls in love with him or something and then learns how he ended up that way and possibly falls more in love with him and learns things about herself along the way. Looks unusual and I'm curious. 

15: Valor by Casey L. Bond – There had to be a few sword & sorceries on here. This is one of them. Epic fantasy. Main cast appear to be elves instead of humans, and that looks like it could be entertaining for sure. I can't wait to delve into this one and see if I want to continue the series or not. 

16: Revenant by R. Valentine – The customary sexy romance. We all need at least one. Hopefully I like it. I'm kind of glad its a kindle book so no one sees the cover. The synopsis looks really good and I'm looking forward to reading it. 

17: Glass and Bone by Calaena Cuico – Magical dark romance. That's all I know. That's all I want to know. I am curious about it and what will happen. Looks interesting. First in the Diadem series. Maybe she revolts? Who knows! Definitely want to read this one sooner rather than later, too. 

18: The Mark of Chaos and Creation by Arabella Federico – Sword & Sorcery x Voltron = Mark of Chaos. It looks wonderful and I cannot wait to get to it. They are looking for some sort of weaponry in space and it is the exact sort of book that will tickle my fancy about now. 

19: Devour the Sun by Bri Mooney – Vampires. Doing stuff. Was free, looked interesting. We will see if I like it. Looks a lot like the vampires are the main species here? I'm not actually fully sure on that. We will add it to a TBR soon. 

20: The Shadow Within by Serra Rose – Urban fantasy meets magical realism that looks interesting and follows two brothers on opposite ends of the same issue. I'm curious how it will all play out and may put this on my March 2024 TBR. It is definitely sparking an interest. 

21: Tragic Kingdoms by Kell Frillman - “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” Dark fantasy romance that is all about what happens when someone has too much power. It's being compared to Game of Thrones, which I've never seen or read (own the book, should read it one of these days). I am very curious to see what all it will entail. 

22: The Assassin's Blade by Scott Marlowe – Very sword & sorcery. Looks like the cover to the Orbit books I enjoy. Dude is doing things to protect his sister, not because he wants to. It's a driving need. I am totally into whatever is going on here and am going to push this one up the TBR in March.  

23: The Cursed Witch by R.L. Perez – Portal fantasy where I'm assuming the male main character (Leo) accidentally helps the female main character (Brielle) unlock her powers. It is one of those novels that I will likely just devour in a few days. Can't wait!!!

24: Those Who Dwell Below the Sidewalk by Ben Farthing – This one is an urban fantasy that takes place beneath the city. Someone ends up in a realm that they weren't expecting to be in. They have to then figure something out, but I don't remember. 

25: Kingdom Cold by Brittni Chenelle – Political fantasy, the princess (who shares a name with a family member of mine) is forced into an arranged marriage and she now has to sort out what is happening? I was drawn by the cover if I'm being honest. I liked it and I am looking forward to reading the book. I've been drawn into political books lately....

26: The Hummingbird Coven by Augusta Owens – I don't remember why I wanted this. Maybe because it involved a group of witches. Who knows. It looked good so I grabbed it. We will see if I like it and want to keep it!

27: Mercury by Amy Jo Burns – This one is the first non-Kindle book on the list!! My January 2024 Book of the Month Club selection. It's a contemporary fiction set pretty much in the kind of place where I live. Rural PA town in the river valley. I am excited to see where it goes and how much of the lifestyle she actually gets right and what she gets wrong. I've already put it on my Currently Reading. 

28: The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero – We've bought all three of his books now. I read and adored Meddling Kids and my roommate read and loved This Body's Not Big Enough for the Both of Us. She's currently reading this latest Cantero we've picked up and I'm looking forward to getting to it myself. G

29: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo – I've always wanted to read this to compare it to the Disney movie. I know the two of them will be ridiculously different. Disney always extremely waters down their stuff, but it looked good. I can't wait to get into it. (Thank you, Rowan!)

30: The Dark Yule by R.M. Callahan – A mystery solving magickal cat. Do I need to say more? Who wouldn't want to read this? It looks good and I think is indie published, so that's also fun. Can't wait to get to it. Debating saving it for December (Yule!) 

31: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams – I have absolutely no idea why I wanted this. Maybe it was during my classics phase where I was just adding all sorts of things to the wishlist. Who knows? I got it in and it is much smaller than I realized it would be. Ah well. 

32: Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind – Volume five in the Sword of Truth series. I've read the first three,  got the volume four at a second-hand shop, then got this from a friend of mine for the holidays (sent in January). I am looking forward to my reread of the series and hopefully to pick up the remaining volumes to read. 

33: Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind – Yes, you're seeing that right. Volume 5, then volume 1. I had a copy of this book once upon a time, but time unfortunately was not kind to my copy and the pressure of me reading it twice and my roommate reading caused the book to literally split along the spine. I was not as gentle with books in the early aughts as I am now. I didn't know any better. I picked this one up to replace the copy that I got rid of back in 2021. 

34: The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik – I have the first book in this series (A Deadly Education, Scholomance #1) and when I saw these just laying on the shelf in my church's Little Free Library, there was no way I was passing them up. For the wonderful price of FREE? Getting not just one, but both remaining volumes in the series that I wanted to finish in the same edition as the one I already owned? Magickal....

35: The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik – Picked this one up because why not? It was there and it was free. I have no idea if I'll want to continue the series or not after the second book, but I can always just return them to the FLF or put them up on PB if I don't want it. 

36: A Curse of Scales and Flame by Max Walker – I am convinced I saw this on either BookTok or BookTube, one of the two, and it looked interesting so when it appeared in my BookBub for free on Kindle, well, we all know I had to have it. It's LGBT+ (I think?) so that gives it a bonus in my eyes.

37: Glass Closet by Iam Obsydian – An introverted book nerd, who just wants to be left to himself to read is bullied so badly he ends up hospitalized. I have no idea what happens next, but it looked absolutely wonderful and I cannot wait to get into it. Reminds me a bit of the serial I'm working on.

38: Call of the King by T.J. Green – Arthurian legend retelling. Dunno more than that. Don't want to know more than that. Portal fantasy it looks like where this kid from our world ends up in Camelot? No clue. Need to add it to an upcoming TBR.

39: Moon Rise by D.D. Line – A magical universe and something called “The Artemis Curse”. No idea what that means, but I'm looking forward to it. It sounds brilliant and again, FREE. I should not go on those Stuff Your Kindle Day pages.

40: Storm Born by Christine Pope – Unknown magic in this one. The girl doesn't know she's the cause of all the things that happen around her that make her mother move them to a new place. I bet mom does know. She learns and then has to come to terms with it. Sounds interesting. 

Currently Reading #3 [14 to 27 January 2024]

 Currently Reading

- IT by Stephen King [63%]

- The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan [12%]

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

7/72 [10%]

* * *

I'm proud of myself actually. Despite my catching the plague and spending the first half of last week rolled up in bed sleeping off Covid. I finished two books, one of which was that audiobook I've been listening to since the beginning of time. I can't believe how long it's taken me to get through it! I think I started it way back in September of 2023? Just now got all the way through it. 

I'm thinking of what I want to put on my February 2024 To-Be-Read list. So far I'm leaning definitely Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (read-along starting 28 January 2024) and probably The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan because I haven't managed to finish it. Then IT by Stphen King because that will just be the last 450-ish pages. Then it's just my February 2024 selection for Book of the Month. I've also decided on Keeping Her Keys by Cyndi Brannen for audio. I like listening to nonfiction books that way. Keeps me connected. 

Currently Reading #2 [07 - 13 January 2024]

Currently Reading

- IT by Stephen King [49%]

- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas [08%]

- The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan [01%]

- The Will of the Many by James Islington [59%]

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

5/72 [07%]

* * *

So far, I've finished five books this year, and the first two weeks are barely over. If I keep this pace, I'll be well ahead of my goal for the year. In fact, I may well double it. That's not usually happened. I gave myself a goal of 6 books per month, but if I keep on like this, with 5.5 before the end of the second week? I may hit 140!! 

The rest of the week passed kind of slowly. I developed a horrid cough early in the week, which apparently allowed the dreaded plague to get me for a third time. Three free days off work to continue reading some of the books on my Currently Reading list (when I have the mental acuity needed, sometimes a challenge in an of itself there). 

Well, nothing else particularly interesting has happened in the last few days, other than me being sick and unable to focus long enough to read. I will see you lovelies next week~