Currently Reading #8 [17 - 30 March 2024]

Currently Reading

- Godkiller by Hannah Kaner (23%)

- Ink, Iron, & Glass by Gwendolyn Clare (00%)

- The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones (32%)

* * *

Yearly Goal

16/100

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So this last two weeks involved me finishing several books, including two eARCs that I've since posted the reviews of. I've been approved for another eARC, and put in requests for two. There's one I really really want. It's a sapphic, tarot-themed book coming out on my birthday whose title is literally my life-path card. How could I not want this? Was there any real chance for me?

I'm proud of myself for finally knocking It off my damn list. I have been reading that book since November. NOVEMBER. I cannot believe it took me so long. Normally I can knock out books of that size in a month or less. I was even reading it across all three formats just to make it go faster and it still took me forever and a half. Ugh. I did like it, and I've put up my review for it on StoryGraph and the blog to be seen tonight or tomorrow. I refuse to be bested again. 

The Orilium Spring Equinox readathon starts on Monday, so be ready to see the three books I'm currently reading paused for now. Just til I can get through the prompt list. My PC is a second-year Star Whisperer and a third-year Godseer. I'm so proud of him for actually making it each year. I think...after he finishes up his Star Whisperer training, I'm going to bring back my other character. He was going to be Spellsword. Or I will stick in my comfort area and build an all new character (still Iltirian because I love their lore) and have him be a Storyweaver. I'm undecided....We'll see as the time draws nearer. 

I have selected my books for the OSE, and all but one of them is available through the CloudLibrary system my local uses for their ebooks and audiobooks. I think I'll try to aim for print as much as I can, and suppliment with the digital copies when I'm out and about. I wonder if I can borrow all six of them at once or if there's some kind of limit? Who knows. I'll work on it other ways until then!!

I will close this for now, because I'm about to head out for the day, but....HAPPY READING.

First Quarter Review [March 2024]

As is the standard these days, I plan to do a full quarter review at the end of each quarter in 2024 [March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31] to hold myself slightly more accountable for what I'm doing. With that said, let us get on with the review~

January was a good reading month. I got through nine books total and was on track with my 2024 goal. I enjoyed most of the books that I read and it wasn't actually all that terrible of a month to get through them. I think I had a bit of a start that would make me over-proud of myself and kind of fall into failure. I was reading and writing at an unusually high pace for me. It couldn't last. 

And it didn't. By the time February rolled around, I found myself in an sort of soft slump? That's the best way I could think of it. I wasn't necessarily in a slump. Yet I also wasn't reading as voraciously as I normally do. It was odd. I read precisely one book in February. Absolutely destroying the lead I had on my goal. I ended up just starting tons and not reading much. 

Then March hit and I finished six books over the course of like two weeks. I am still nine books behind on my goal. I knocked two ARCs and one huge tome from the list of Currently Reading books, which made me so happy. I also started another budy read with FenrirArcher on StoryGraph, which I am like a third of her percentage. I have to get to it. Found a copy through the library that I am now reading on my phone while I'm out. 

Hopefully the next quarter goes better than the last! Happy reading, y'all!

April 2024 To Be Read

It is that time of year again. The Orilium Magical Readathon: Spring Equinox! I can't believe how long it's been. My sweet 'spooky bog witch' is now an apprentice Godseer and novice Star Whisperer. Hopefully by the end of August, he will be an adept Godseer and an apprentice Star Whisperer. 

I am half considering, once he fully matriculates as a Master Star Whisperer (2025), bringing my old Spellsword back. I will need a new character no matter what. 

Anyway! This is a TBR, not a blog post! Let's get on with it!!

1: Art of Illusion - Read a book with "play" or "game" in the title: The Traitor's Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen

2: Astronomy - Read a book chosen from recommendations for your zodiac: The Cloisters by Katy Hayes

3: Conjuration - Spin a color wheel and read a book based on the color [cyan]: Jackaby by William Ritter.

4: Demonology - Read a book you didn't pay for: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

5: Inscription - Write three titles on pieces of paper and select one: This Body's Not Big Enough for the Both of Us by Edgar Cantero

6: Lore - [INTERRUPTED: SEE FILE]

7: Psionics & Divination - Make a book predictions bingo board: The Last Heir to the Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

8: Restoration - Read a book you think could break a slump: The Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

I have been looking for these available digitally via Amazon, which all were expensive. So far though, I have found every single one through my library's app. I'll work my way through that way! Granted,  one of them is only available via audio, but that's okay. It's short enough that I should be able to fly right through it while doing other things. Now I'll just have to decide if I want to read in order, or if I want to be random about it.....

March 2024 Wrap Up

I've read 6 books in March. It's definitely better than February with its lowly 1 book.

1: A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock - It was interesting. I loved the way the plot was written. All I could think the entire time I read it, was "If Victor had a thing for botany." I don't feel bad at all for what happened to Mallory or to Connie's dad. They both deserved what they got. Worth the read for sure!!

2: IT by Stephen King - Four months! I think that's the quickest I've ever read a 1000+ page book. I have forgotten most of it now, and I have no idea why I highlighted a passage. The whole idea of what It actually was was really impressive. I think there's only one other book of his that has a similar idea of something coming from "outside" of our reality. I liked it. Now I can watch the movies.

3: The Myth of June by A.B. Daniels-Annachi - An eARC I got of a book being re-released in March. I don't know how to feel about this one. On the one hand, I did like it's portrayal of the various Greek gods as perfectly fallible individuals, which was true, but on the other I didn't like how almost oblivious June sometimes was. The whole thing could have been avoided if she just asked questions. I am trying to decide if it's meant to be YA or Adult, and I don't know. 

4: The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan - One of the KU books I grabbed. I saw an ad on BookTok about the sequel to it, Rise of the White Owl, and I wanted to read that one. So I figured I should start with the first book in the series. It's rather good. I liked the way it was written and all the tension between Blaze and Catrice. She is a 'hero' to her people simply by being alive and he is falling for the enemy.

5: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver - I'm entirely sure I wasn't supposed to be amused by this book, but I definitely was. As I reached each of the various trigger warning locations within the book, and guessing if they were the right thing and seeing how close I am (I must say, I did like the "questionable use of a mummified corpse"). I could have done without the gratuitous sex scenes, but that's just a me thing. Overall, it was pretty good. 

6: Crown of Feathers by Nikki Pau Preto - This was an interesting read. I liked the take on magic and how it worked in the world. The connection people have to animals and how they used their magic really could tell you a lot about them. I liked getting the story from different perspectives, though I did keep thinking poor Sev was actually in his mid-late twenties instead of being eighteen. He kind of came off as much older than he was. I think I saw the hint of a romance to happen with him and another character in Heart of Flames that I cannot wait to see about. 

7: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner - I adored this one. Easily the only 5/5 I've read in March. I loved how absolutely cynical Kissen was. She'd been let down by people and gods too many times and had trust in no one but herself, Yatho, and Telle. She didn't take anyone at face value and formed her own opinions. I liked how we watch her grow attached to people and learn what's really going on in the background. I loved her relationship with the noble heir and the god that is attached to them. I'm really curious to see if in the next book, he does get a shrine and we find out his memories. It's going to bother me until I know. I like men like Elogast, owning up to their mistakes and trying to rectify it, even at great cost. 

March 2024 Book Haul

I have acquired 7 books this month through various means, be it Amazon, BN, Pango, FLFs or whatever other thing I may have done. 

1: A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen - I saw this one on the list and I knew I had to have it. It looked absolutely beautiful and while it doesn't have the metallic sky blue sprayed edges like the BN edition has (easily fixable, I know how to do that myself), I am still so looking forward to reading this. It's about a shield maiden who ends up having to fight for her life to keep herself and her land safe. Sounds good!

2: Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki - I have no clue what this is about other than its translated Japanese fiction that has been praised as one of the better novels of its time and it cost me an incredible...fifty cents. That's literally all I know and I'm fine with that. I don't want to know more. I can tell you that from my limited knowledge of Japanese, "kokoro" means "heart"....? 

3: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner - I saw it while we were at Target picking up stuff for dinner and couldn't pass it up. I know very little about this. Gods are outlawed and people kill them as a profession? I think. Someone is tasked with killing a god and kind of can't because that would mean killing the human attached to the god. So they go to the gods for help? I have no idea. I'm gonna buddy read it with my friend and we'll see what I think about it. 

4: Stone Blind by Natalie Hayes - A Medusa retelling. I love reading the stories of Medusa. I believe this one follows her after she is cursed/blessed by Athena and is struggling. She ends up meeting someone who cannot see her? I don't actually remember.

5: Letters to Half Moon Street by Sarah Wallace - I don't know anything else other than it's a historical queer romance between two men. That's all I wanna know. I'm down for the surprise of it all. It has a stunning cover and was cheap/free. Why not give it a try and see if I like it?

6: The Myth of June by A.B. Daniels-Annachi - I received an eARC of this from the author in return for a fair and honest review. I have no memory of joining the ARC team, but that's not a current me problem. You can see my review here. 

7: Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews - I don't even remember what this is about. It's a YA Horror novel about a forest and that's literally all I know. I will likely not be getting to it until October. It's a spooky book, and I'm gonna save it. 

8: Beloved by Toni Morrison - Found it at the FLF in my local chuch. I've been into tales relating to the struggles of slavery recently and when I saw this in perfect condition, I had to get it. It looks good and I have never read anything by this author. I am greatly looking forward to it. 

9: Heart of Flames by Nikki Pau Preto - I bought this one after finishing the first book (Crown of Feathers). I adored the first book, and I found this one (and the finale, Wings of Shadow) available for $5 each from PangoBooks which means naturally I have to buy them. Somewhere in the synopsis or possibly tags, I saw the phrase LGBT+ and while I have half an idea, I want to know. I love it and I cannot wait to get into it. 

10: Wings of Shadow by Nikki Pau Preto - It is the final volume and it was on PangoBooks for only $5. Naturally I was not about to pass it up. Who would? Turns out it's also a first edition (as is Heart of Flames) which makes me even happier. This is the conclusion to Veronyka's story and I am very much looking forward to reading it. I cannot wait.

Review: The Myth of June by A.B. Daniels-Annachi

When Juniper Georgian's father gazed into the face of divinity without flinching, the last Titan God, Typhon, took it upon himself to offer lifelong protection to the newborn girl.

Years later, with Typhon away and June now a grown woman, she is viciously attacked by someone she thought she could trust - resulting in yet another God stepping in with a gift of their own.

Blessed with extraordinary power, June is thrown into a battle against one of the most powerful gods in existence. Through her fight for justice, she will have to uncover deep secrets that her father has withheld, and take on the terrifying monsters and angry immortals that she'd always believed to be a myth.

Will she be able to stop a war of the gods before it begins? Or will all fall to Chaos?

* * *

I went into this book sort of blind, yes, pun entirely intended. I got an email from A.B. Daniels-Annachi thanking me for signing up for the ARC team. Which I have absolutely no recollection of doing. I downloaded the book to my Kindle and got to reading. 

I don't quite know how I feel about the history of the Greek pantheon being like, the primary deities of this alternate universe not being explored more. I would love to know why and how that universe evolved be pantheistic versus the majority monotheistic one we have in our current reality (I say this as a Hellenistic Pagan, I do see the irony). I want to know more. 

I couldn't tell what age-range this book was meant to be for. It's set in 1926 at the start, but it has what felt like anachronisms all throughout it. The writing was kind of juvenile for the themes that were going on. There was a lot that happened that made me wonder how dense the characters actually were. June is generally one of the most intelligently oblivious people I've ever read from the perspective of. I understand that this is a retelling of Medusa. I didn't care for it. It seemed forced in a lot of places where the plot kind of ran out before the scene was done. They would run into the wall of having the characters clearly needing to do more, but not really having anything to do. 

The initial part of the description apparently happens off-screen? We never even get to see it happen. It's talked about, kind of, but we never see it happen, which bugged the hell out of me. I don't think I'll ever reread this or really recommend it to anyone....

* * *

This book will be re-released on March 26, 2024.

Currently Reading #7 [03 - 16 March 2024]

Currently Reading

- Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver [43%]

- The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones [08%]

- The Myth of June by A.B. Danies-Annachi [69%]

- The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan [29%]

- Crown of Feathers by Nikki Pau Preto [32%]

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

12/72

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Welcome back to a new blog post~

I did it! Only took me exactly 4 months, but I finally read IT all the way through. Finished it at 10:45pm on March 6th. 4 months to the day since I started it (November 6th, 2023). It took me forever, but I did it. I'm also beating February's reading wrap already. By just one book, but it's still more than I read in February. I'm at exactly TWO books for March. One of them being the stupidly long book. I'm excited though. I cannot wait to get more into the books that I'm already reading. 

Haven't read very much else this week. I did get approved for a new eARC of a rerelease of the first book in a series that's coming out in like...two weeks. The book, The Myth of June, from the Violents series by A.B. Daniels-Annachi, looked really fun and is being rereleased on March 26, 2024. I am almost 10% in now and it's a really interesting read. I wonder where it's going? I've come across one grammatical error so far, but other than that, it's not bad. 

I apparently did it again. I don't even realize half the time when I forget to put up a blog post, even though I have an ALARM set that goes off every single Saturday at 12:00. What is wrong with me?! Anyway. I picked up a few books in the last two weeks, finished none at all, and then started like three more? I don't recall exactly. Something like that. who knows. Anyway! Hopefully I can actually keep up and tell you everything between tomorrow and the....23rd? I think that's right. 

Happy reading~

Review: A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock

I would like to begin by thanking the staff at NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my fair and honest review. Let us hope I don't let you down. 

* * *

Mexican Gothic meets The Lie Tree by way of Oscar Wilde and Mary Shelley in this delightfully witty horror debut.

A captivating tale of two Victorian gentlemen hiding their relationship away in a botanical garden who embark on a Frankenstein-style experiment with unexpected consequences.

It is an unusual thing, to live in a botanical garden. But Simon and Gregor are an unusual pair of gentlemen. Hidden away in their glass sanctuary from the disapproving tattle of Victorian London, they are free to follow their own interests without interference. For Simon, this means long hours in the dark basement workshop, working his taxidermical art. Gregor’s business is exotic plants – lucrative, but harmless enough. Until his latest acquisition, a strange fungus which shows signs of intellect beyond any plant he’s seen, inspires him to attempt a true intelligent life from plant matter.

Driven by the glory he’ll earn from the Royal Horticultural Society for such an achievement, Gregor ignores the flaws in his that intelligence cannot be controlled; that plants cannot be reasoned with; and that the only way his plant-beast will flourish is if he uses a recently deceased corpse for the substrate.

The experiment – or Chloe, as she is named – outstrips even Gregor’s expectations, entangling their strange household. But as Gregor’s experiment flourishes, he wilts under the cost of keeping it hidden from jealous eyes. The mycelium grows apace in this sultry greenhouse. But who is cultivating whom?

Told with wit and warmth, this is an extraordinary tale of family, fungus and more than a dash of bloody revenge from an exciting new voice in queer horror.

* * *

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect going into this book. I was pleasantly surprised. We are introduced first to Gregor and Simon. They are a duo who have been living in this greenhouse for presumably a few years now. Long enough that the people are accustomed to their strange behavior. I loved the idea of them knowing each others' proclivities well enough to have set up places where they could explore those talents and curiosities in peace. 

Then the weirdness happens. Gregor gets this box from Sumatra. He knows what is supposed to be in the box. It's something he's ordered, but it goes all kinds of strange. I never once thought I'd be down to read about a mycellium that can think for itself. At least, in the most rudimentary of ways. The mycellium (a sort of squishy goo mushroom) was caring for a plant. It would make sure the thing was kept in the ideal conditions for its growth. I loved that. The mushroom knew what to do. 

Gregor gets the brilliant idea while watching this mycellium, to build a sort of mobile lattice. That's the best way I can think to describe it. He talks about it with Simon. I didn't like that Gregor weaponized their relationship to force Simon's hand. The way that he twisted his love for his actual boyfriend so that he could get what he wanted made me angry. No one should behave that way. You don't threaten someone that you'll divulge something that will get you both arrested and possibly killed just to get what you want. 

Past that grossness, it was an interesting story. I was hooked from page one. I loved how every time something traumatic would happen, Simon would make a physical representation of the emotional response so he wouldn't have to feel it himself. Something he didn't want to think about? A brain in a jar. Something he didn't want to remember seeing? A barber's cup full of preserved eyeballs. It was so bizarrely just....Simon, that I couldn't help enjoying it. 

I eventually gave this book a 4.5/5 stars. I took off the last half a star because I didn't care, again, for how Gregor treated Simon like a possession or how just absolutely batshit he went during the whole creation of Chloe, their Botanical Daughter. It was bad. I adored Chloe and Jenny and their relationship as things were discovered between them and things sort of progressed. That's the best I can describe it? 

The resolution was worth the read. I liked how they learned and grew throughout and what eventually became of everything as they did so. 

I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Noah Medlock!!

* * *

This book will be available from retailers on March 19, 2024.

March 2024 To-Be-Read

I will admit it, my (current) March To-Be-Read is literally just my currently reading. I didn't finish ANYTHING from the original post and now I'm just gonna copy it back out again~ Enjoy my crazy...

Print

1: IT by Stephen King - I actually only need to read about 350-ish pages of this to be done. I'm just now on 801/1153. I'm 100% confident that if I buckle down I can get it done. If I get myself to read ~50 pages per day, that's only a week. I can do this. I am enjoying the story so far. It's interesting how these kids just instinctively know it's on them to fight it and that they won't be ready for years. I can't wait to read the resolution (and before anyone asks, no, I've never seen any of the movies). 

2: The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones - As I mentioned in my blog earlier, I got this book after listening to a really good sermon given at my church. I was enthralled throughout the entire sermon and afterward had to get my hands on a copy of the book. It is quite dense and it will take quite a bit of focus to actually read and understand what's being talked about, but I am looking forward to learning more about the history of the country I live in and what it did to people it did not consider to even be human. 

3: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver - This one was all over BookTok, BookTube, Bookstagram, and Threads. You couldn't (and in the case of some apps still can't) be on too long without seeing it. I grabbed it in February's Book of the Month and am currently quite enjoying it and cannot wait to continue and see how it goes. If I like it, I'll get the sequel, if I don't like it it will go on my Pango store. 

Digital

4: A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock - This one is an eARC I got through NetGalley that just looked absolutely deranged and wonderful. It's about a couple who lives in this old greenhouse. One is a botanist and the other is a taxidermist. Together they build a 'mobile plant bed' for some rather inquisitive mycelium? It is like if Dr. Frankenstein was into botany and I'm living for it. This particular book will be available through Amazon and other booksellers on March 19, 2024.

5: The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan - Apparently I waited to long between goes of reading this and had to reborrow it from KU. I am enjoying the story so far. I forget exactly what the synopsis is, but we are following a girl who's father was the last Prophet of a religion that is now outlawed? Her city was destroyed, forcing her and her mother on the run. Now she works to spread the word of the Prophets throughout the kingdom and is wanted for it. She ends up banding together with the enemy (friends to enemies to lovers?) who she used to be friends with in order to move from one place to another. It is weird and I like it. 

Audio

6: Crown of Feathers by Nikki Pau Preto - A girl, Veronyka, gives up everything she knows in order to join a band of Phoenix riders. I started this after realizing the book that I had originally picked is meant to be a full year of study and kind of requires the print edition along with it, which I don't own. This book is pretty good so far. I love how she is willing to do just about anything to get what she wants. Even if it means betraying what she was taught. Veronyka is very headstrong and I am liking it. I hope to get it done in March. 

Currently Reading #6 [25 February to 02 March 2024]

Currently Reading

- IT by Stephen King [69%]

- Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver [39%]

- The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones [03%]

- A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock [48%]

- The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan [29%]

- Crown of Feathers by Nikki Pau Preto [32%]

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

10/72

* * *

February was the worst reading month so far. I am aware we've only had two. But come on! In January I read 9/6 books. In February, it was 1/6? That was just tragic if you ask me. I am planning on trying to do better in March. Goal is 6 [8] to at least catch up to where I should be. According to SG, I'm only 2 books behind schedule. If I can get through 2 of the ones that are still on my Currently Reading, then I can make it to caught up. 

I mentioned going to Barnes, but I never mentioned my original reason why I went! I attend a Unitarian Universalist congregation in the next town over from me, and we have a diverse range of speakers during our 'sermon' on all kinds of topics. The previous week to the blog post I put up was on #StayWoke, which I thought was brilliant. The speaker, a Mr. Arthur Breese, kept mentioning a book called The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, and he quoted from it a few times. After the service (or possibly during, I don't remember), I downloaded a sample of the book from Amazon. I loved what I read and when my friends told me they were planning a trip adventure shopping I had to tag along. I found the last copy my local Barnes & Noble had. It's a little beat up, but I'm okay with that. I'm annotating it as I read, which I think everyone reading nonfiction should do. Annotate all of your books if that's what you'd like! (I know resellers will be clutching their pearls, but I'd rather actually purchase an annotated book over a pristine one. I like knowing what other people thought was important). It's good so far, even though I'm only on page 19.

Um...nothing else particularly exciting occured. I picked up A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen for my Book of the Month in March. I'm not sure which of the categories it falls into yet between Fantasy-Romance, Romantic-Fantasy, or Romantasy, but we will find out when it arrives. It looked interesting and was Norse inspired, I think? I don't actually recall. The cover is pretty enough. I am curious about how I will feel about it now that I'm seemingly getting more into romantic plots.

I will see you all next week, if I remember, for an update~

HAPPY READING!!

February 2024 Book Unhaul

So in February I ended up unhauling a single book. I am never expecting this to be particularly long, but you never know with me. Perhaps March will have more? Or none at all. There's really no telling with me. 

1: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - I had already read it and I wasn't terribly impressed by the content. I know people will tell me to hold out that it gets better in later books, but I'm sorry, the whole point of the first book is to hook the reader. If I don't care enough to continue reading after the first one....I'm absolutely not waiting until volume 3-4 for it to get any better. Then not that long ago, I read the Tweet or whatever it was where she just randomly throws in mourning the loss of an innocent girl into a plug for her latest book and when called out on it, instead of taking down the post, she just leaves it for people to be like "Well then..." yeah, no. I don't want that on my bookshelves. She's out. 

February 2024 Wrap Up

Yeah, February is possibly going to be my weakeset month of the year. I only managed 1 book. I'm not sure if it's because I was just that tired from work or if I was in a pseudo-slump? Either way I will try to do better in March. 

1: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher - This was good. I have no clue what genre it's supposed to be in, but I liked it. Definitely a 4.5/5 stars from me. I loved how determined Marra was to help Kania, especially after she couldn't help Damia. I loved how slow they were at first to pick up on clues that were given to them. Marra is the kind of person you definitely want on your side with her dogged determination to see something through to the end, even being willing to sacrifice herself for her family. I loved it. I am definitely going to add more T. Kingfisher books to my reading list. 

February 2024 Book Haul

Trying (and likely enough failing) to keep my book buying DOWN this month. January was bananas...even though I think I only paid for two of the books, I still don't want to add nearly that many to my To Be Read lists in February!!

With that said, I acquired 15 books in February!

1: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver - I grabbed it as an addition on the February book box from Book of the Month. It looked interesting, serial killers that specialize in killing serial killers? Come on. That sounds fantastic. And I've heard it's supposed to be a romantic comedy of sorts. I don't know how that will mesh with the thriller/murdery aspect of it, but damn am I looking forward to that. I cannot wait to dive in and find out for myself what all the hype is about.

2: The Fury by Alex Michaelides - I have the other two books by this author (I've read The Silent Patient and it was really good), so when I saw this one up there I had to have it. I know it's some kind of a thriller that takes place on an island. I've read books of a similar stroke in the past, and I am quite curious about the plotline and how it will develop from there. I am quite curious and cannot wait to read it. 

3: Roman Conquests: Gaul by Michael Sage - I grabbed this one for research on a novel idea that I have. The basic culture/time period is the Gallic one before Caesar invaded an annexed it onto the Roman Empire. I will be starting it as soon as I am actually ready to research the book itself. For now though, it's enough that I have it. I will definitely be keeping you all updated for that!

4: Ink & Incarnation by many authors - This one is an anthology of YA lit that looked interesting and I've been meaning to read more of these anyway. I want to read one per day. Like at night before I go to bed. Hopefully this will help me get more into that! 

5: Medusa: Rise of a Goddess by H. Dean Fisher - I am a huge Greek Mythology nerd and I've been looking into more books on Medusa. She got shafted. Let's be real. People don't tell her whole story usually and I saw this available in the Little Free Library at my church, so I had to have it. I did return with one the next week I was there. It looks interesting, if not a little juvenile. I'm still quite interested in the book. 

6: The Common Heart ed. by Netanel Miles-Perez - I have always been interested in learning more about various religions and the way people practice them. This was very intriguing being a bunch of essays by various religious practitioners and how they all connected to each other. It looks interesting and I'm very much looking forward to reading. 

7: King of the Rising by Kacen Callender - The sequel to Queen of the Conquered. I read that probably two or three years ago, whenever it first came out, and I've just now purchased the second volume. I will likely enough need to read the first one again because it's been way too long since I've read it and this one throws you right into the action with no recap. I've been meaning to buy it for a while, but new and exciting books have always caught my attention first.

8: The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones - I attend a very lovely Unitarian Universalist church in Dallas, PA. The week of the 18th, we had a lovely speaker who talked about staying 'woke' and he made mention several times of this book and said a few quotes from it. I sent myself a sample from Amazon and I kind of did the magic disappearing act while I was reading it and thus had to go get myself a print copy of it. I have already started it and I cannot wait to continue and learn more. 

9: The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni - I have heard a lot about this one and it sequels. I saw it (usually I only see volumes 2 & 3) and I just had to grab it. I have no idea what it's about and I am so excited for it. It says for fantasy lovers on the cover and I'm hoping that it's true. 

10: To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose - I've also seen this one floating around the internet and since finishing Angeline Boulley's book, I'm curious about more indigenous folks in books as the main character. I'm curious about it and what I'll find in the pages. This one is on my tentative March 2024 TBR. It looks beautiful and I am so super intrigued by it. 

11: The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri - I have no excuse. I just wanted it. I've been seeing it (and it's sequel (The Oleander Sword?) all over TikTok/YouTube under LGBTQIA+ recs. So when I saw it I was like why not? It's by my favorite publisher of all time...so I am confident that I'm going to love it. It's got giant typesetting, so like this will be something. 

12: A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal - It's pretty? I've seen it not that long ago and I knew I needed it. They had exactly one copy at my local BN. What's a bookworm to do? I had to get it while I was there. That way I could be sure I had it. It looks stunning and the plot, from what I can tell, is going to be amazing. I cannot wait to read it. It will be a top contender in the April 2024 TBR. 

13: Stars of Chaos #1 by priest - I've been seeing this all over the danmei world, and I'm curious. I want to know. I have no clue what it's about. I don't know any of the characters. I know literally nothing about this book other than the cover is pretty and its about gay Chinese boys. That's all I can say. I grabbed it because they finally had a copy in stock at my local BN. 

14: A Duet of Darkness and Dreams by L.H. Blake - I pre-ordered this. It's the sequel to A Song of Sin and Salvation, which is very much Eddie x Chrissy. I think this one is very much like Billy x Nancy and that amuses me to no end, so I must know what's going on here. I want to find out more and love the color scheme compared to the first book. I'm hoping there is a third volume that's got Steve (and is purple?). One can only hope. 

15: I'd tell you about it, but it's a Wednesday book and I fully support the SMP marketing boycott, which I'm not even sure is still happening? But for now at least, I will continue.

Currently Reading #5 [04 February to 24 February 2024]

Currently Reading

- IT by Stephen King [63%]

- Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver [17%]

- A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock [02%]

- The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan [29%]

- Crown of Feathers by Nikki Pau Preto [20%]

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

10/72

* * *

You'll notice Mistborn is gone. I soft DNF'd it. Just wasn't in the mood now. I'll pick it up again later to reread or I'll skip it and just jump right into The Well of Ascension, since that's the next book and I'm all for it. I remember enough from the first one to keep going. I don't know yet. I'm undecided. 

I did remember to finally add all of my Currently Reading books to the active list. The ones that I am really reading. I nearly forgot to actually start A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock. It's an eARC from Netgalley about an LGBTQIA+ couple who use science to make themselves a daughter? I think? I don't know. I'm still pretty early on in the book and so far we're just describing where Gregor and Simon live. I haven't made it further yet. I am excited about it and I plan to get my review out as soon as I can!

What....happened? I swear yesterday was the fourth of February and then all of the sudden, almost three weeks has gone by. In that time, I've hardly read anything, but I have made a large purchase. Yeah...I know. I'm terrible!! We went "adventure shopping" and I requested my favorite place in the whole world other than my own house: Barnes & Noble. We also went to Jo-Ann Fabrics where I bought more cloth for book-sleeves and a sticker sheet of bees....I even went in with the intention of only purchasing one book. There was a special one that I wanted and then I found five more....yep. 

Finished ONE (1) book in February so far. I've started a few. Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher. It was certainly something. I'm not entirely sure I was supposed to be laughing at it? Or if it was meant to be serious. I enjoyed the read either way. It was fairly quick, but that's hardly surprising for such a short book. T. Kingfisher is going to end up on a list of authors to keep buying from. I'm considering picking up What Moves the Dead soon and seeing if I like that. If I do, they will join the ranks of favorites. For now, this is going to sit pretty high up there at at 4.5/5. 

Not much else has occured at all in February, beyond my lack of reading. I blame work for that. Hopefully now that I'm back in the swing of things I can update you more regularly!! See you all next time~

February 2024 To Be Read

I am pleased to announce the books I want to read in February 2024: 

Print

1: IT by Stephen King - I've only got 429 pages remaining (724/1153), so I figure I can actually probably get this done in February. I had meant to read 50 pages a day in January and finish it before the end of the month, but I got distracted by other books. Let's get this done! Check a 1000+ page novel off my list in 2024. 

2: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson - This one is a reread for a Fable club I'm in. I had meant to reread it anyway so that I could continue reading the rest of the series. I've got 6/7 of the books. I still need to actually pick up The Lost Metal, but that's fine. It'll take me a while to get to it anyway. I'm enjoying my reread already. I forgot how snarky Kelsier is. 

3: Book of the Month Selection - Just my Book of the Month for February 2024. It's been my goal to actually read my monthly selections during the month in which I select them. Why have the subscription if I'm not using it appropriately?

Digital

4: The Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock - This one is an ARC I got through Netgalley. I'm looking very forward to reading it! It's kind of a Frankenstein retelling? This dude makes a daughter for himself out of a cadaver and some kind of parasitic mushrooms....that's all I know. It looked brilliant and I cannot wait to get to it. [Available 19 March 2024]. 

5: Curse of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Adelaide Rowan - An LGBT+ fantasy about kitsune. That's literally all I can remember from the plot. I picked it up during the January Stuff Your Kindle Fantasy day. I got nothing. The cover looked fun and it's m/m. What else did I actually need to know?

Audio

6: Crown of Feathers by Nikki Pau Preto - Just grabbed one at random from my Audible list. I didn't have anything particular in mind. It was the first one up on the Not Started list that was already downloaded. So far (I started it on the 30th) it is pretty good. Phoenix riders of legend are set to return to the country and I am looking so forward to completing it. 

Bonus

7: The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan - I started this back in December? Something like that. I'm just under a third of the way through it, and I should be able to get it done before the end of February if I'm just more dedicated to reading it. I'm excited. It's really good so far. I'm looking forward to the sequel when it comes out. I know the title involves White Owl, but I forget what the whole thing is and it hasn't been announced on StoryGraph yet. Wish me luck!!

Currently Reading #4 [28 January to 03 February 2024]

Currently Reading

- IT by Stephen King [63%]

- Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson [12%]

- The Black Crow Flies by L.B. Perdan [29%]

- Crown of Feathers by Nikki Pau Preto [09%]

* * *

Yearly Reading Goal

9/72

* * *

I didn't quite finish where I wanted to in January, but that's okay. You can't win them all, right? I am proud of myself for reaching 9/6 books for the month though. That was brilliant. I've always set myself a goal of 72 for the year. 6 books per month. But if I keep up the pace of 9....I could hit 108. Wooo! Over 100! A lofty goal indeed.

I've decided to dedicate most of February to actually finishing IT. I've been reading it since some time in November. It's time I finish. I may even read it as my book today. I've less than 500 pages to go. I know I won't be able to finish it today [03 February 2024], that's impossible, but I can get a decent chunk done. I used to try to read 50 pages per day. If I can do that again, it will take me 8.6 days to read through the rest of the book and be finally done with it. 

I've dropped a book already. I didn't actually manage to put it on my currently reading before it was DNF'd. I plan to go back to it eventually, but I'd need to pick up the print version to do so. It's a nonfiction that is apparently also a lesson book with exercises you are supposed to complete over the course of an entire year to become a Key-Keeper. Someone who is devoted to Hekate, Goddess of the Witches. It wasn't wasn't really marked in the description that I saw. Eh, oh well. 

I started Mistborn for a group read, but immediately got halfway down another rabbit hole and kind of fell of the train. I need to catch up at the absolute least. I'm around 90 pages shy of where I should be and I think I can get through that today. It shouldn't take all that long with how invested I already am. I plan to read it today to try to make my way through more of it. 

I think that's as much as what happened and what I can talk about this week. See you all on the 10th!!

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~