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kikuism · 7 months ago

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hi mariam!! how about you? any books you're looking forward to reading? ooh, or manga?? any shows or movies that you enjoyed recently? or new tasty meals or baked goods that you've been proud of? 💌 🥐📚

hi jenna! 🤎🤎🤎 ooh let's see

for books, there are a lot on my tbr, but i'm excited for lady macbeth by ava reid! i really love how lyrical her writing is and i always look forward to anything she writes. i'm also tentatively looking forward to the familiar by leigh bardugo — i've only read the six of crows duology and ninth house, but i love a historical setting so i think i might like this one more than ninth house. oh, another book i enjoyed whose sequel i'm eagerly waiting for is the art of prophecy, it's a martial arts fantasy and it's exactlyyyyy what i wanted to read for so long! i needed something to fill in the green bone saga hole left in my heart, and while this isn't exactly a serious epic family saga, it had just the right amount of martial arts and compelling characters to leave me satisfied. it's honestly like if fujimoto wrote a novel. none of these characters were taking themselves too seriously and the writing wasn't taking itself seriously but at the same time there were epic fights scenes and emotional scenes that packed a punch (no pun intended). i really enjoyed it, i loved how funny it was. the fact that the main characters are majority women and one pathetic chosen one warrior is sooooo fujimoto coded. this boy can't do a single thing right and it's up to one of the greatest martial arts legends, an old woman, to take him under her wing and make sure he lives up to the prophecy that's been foretold. included in the cast is the most cringe fail assassin i have ever read in my LIFEEEEE, she's soooo embarrassing when it comes to flirting with other girls it's crazy. she's an insane killer but can't pick up a date to save her life. and who's she trying to flirt with? the other main character, a stoic warrior who's fighting for her people's freedom, she's soooo 🫣 so it was hugely entertaining and i can't wait to get the sequel from the library. i honestly Need to read more fantasy books like this, it's so much fun.

oh, i also finished bel canto last night, and it was.....strange. it's about a mass hostage situation that eventually morphs into something surreal and romantic. yeah, i think romantic is definitely the word bc there is no way this would happen in real life, it was just so impossible to me that these high profile hostages, foreign dignitaries and ceos and whatnot bonding with their captors who want to start a revolution like 😭 in the end they all become a huge family which was equal parts charming and equal parts baffling. so i had to really suspend my disbelief. they were really under house arrest with their captors for 4.5 months, that's crazy. but eventually i stopped asking how they didn't push for negotiations more fiercely and how the police and crowds outside didn't just break in and deal with it and just enjoy the language. i think it's about how people can form impossible bonds in impossible circumstances and so from that aspect it was charming and surreal. i've read 3 books from ann patchett and there's no doubt she writes really beautifully. it's just that after about 100 pages i was like okay....i get it, really. do we really need 200 more pages of this? and the epilogue was stupid i'm sorry...so it was a strange experience.

for manga!! tbh it's been soooo hard for me to get into manga lately, i really think this is because as the years go by it's just harder and harder for me to read on my phone, it's just not a comfortable experience. but then on my laptop, the screen is too big 😭 BUT i did actually start an ongoing manga called firefly wedding, which is about an aristocratic girl with a chronic illness who ends up marrying an assassin for her safety after she's captured. the premise sounded really interesting, so i started reading, and i actually really loved the beginning. the girl really just wants to abide by her duties and marry someone respectable for the sake of her family (she's quite no-nonsense about it, which really reminded me of naomi....) during the course of the story she realizes that because of her condition, she doesn't have much time left, and wouldn't she want to spend it doing what she wants instead of what's expected of her? so what ends up being a marriage of convenience ends up becoming more complex as she starts developing feelings for the assassin. and the assassin, well, he's kind of insane 😭 he's a yandere and like ofc he's written like that, very possessive and toxic, and at times he can be a little too much for me. i really liked their dynamic at the beginning, when they were constantly trying to one-up each other in little sly ways—sooooo good. and obviously someone like him has never known love, so he's always testing her limits to see if she's really committed to him because in truth he also just wants someone to love and be loved in return. and he's really cocky which i really love, which made me really drawn to him....but i liked how she didn't take any shit from him and she made sure he knew it too. i really liked watching their feelings develop.

it's just, when she starts developing feelings in return, and their romance further develops, so does his possessiveness.....'the thought of you with another man is more agonizing than death' ummm 🧐🤔🤨 so like, moments like that made me go oh! is that supposed to be romantic? and i'll admit some parts i was like 'girl he's crazy!!!!! how can you be falling for him???' hgkshfjdj but i get it, he knows nothing of the world of people and relationships and he's learning slowly. he's obviously written like that on purpose, this is the only way he knows how to operate in the world, he doesn't know better. AND something else i really like is that during these scenes, she's visibly unsettled; she makes her discomfort clear to him, so i really appreciate that, and that takes him down several notches. i like how he listens to her that way.

they're slowly shaping each other's worldview, which i like. i like how they both learn from each other; she learns how to take chances, and he learns how to listen to others and take accountability.

plus the manga does this thing where it presents double meanings all the time and i just had to screenshot this moment, it's from a scene where she has to pretend to seduce a client in order to get something valuable from him, and he starts getting physical with her, and the assassin comes to the rescue, and obviously everyone outside can hear that something's going wrong but they won't intervene bc it's a brothel:

'we wouldn't want to be in the way of someone who is trying to make their beloved fall more deeply in love with them' hellooooo?????? i gasped.

she has a scar on her chest from a surgery she had to undergo because of her weak heart, and she's self conscious about it, but then the assassin shows her all of his scars and says there's nothing to worry about, it was really cute.

and then some time later her bodyguard shows up, and he's like 'im gonna take you back home no matter what! i can't believe you've been out here like this for so long' and i was like ohhhhh my god please don't make him an annoying overbearing love interest please please please BUT i was pleasantly surprised!!! he's concerned for her, of course, and he has feelings for her and they've known each other since childhood, but he also ends up coming to respect her wishes and autonomy and hes now cooperating with her and the assassin to make sure she can live out her own life. it's really sweet. i do roll my eyes at the rivalry he and the assassin have though, but i love how they're all working together and they both respect her, it's great. anddddd i'm obvious like this but like the bodyguard more hgjshfhf he's the nice one (and his name his kou!!!) and i've always liked the nice guys instead of the bad ones.

so yeah i'm enjoying this manga quite a bit. plus it takes place in the meiji period which i love. i just wish it was already completed, because it's very hard for me to consistently maintain an interest in ongoing manga bc it only takes a few missed chapters for me to end up abandoning it oops. and it's soooo funny that my main complaint is that the love interest is just too much of a yandere bc that's literally the whole point 😭😭😭 it's exactly what it says on the tin, but i have to share my truth....i'm just not used to it at all so it's a bit much at times. sometimes the scenes that are supposed to be romantic make me go oh 🤔 but i'm excited for him to meet her family.....

the art style is so nice too!!! i really love it

as for anime, i did watch two episodes of the apothecary diaries and i liked it, it didn't hook me, but i plan on continuing it eventually. i think maomao is an interesting protagonist! there's some new anime i want to watch, like windbreaker, it just looks really nice. and i need to catch up with dungeon meshi, i haven't watched the last 3 episodes oops. as for movies, i watched the sound of music recently (everybody clap, i watched an old movie) and i liked it, it was charming! too long, but it was cute and corny. i also watched the classic korean thriller old boy, which was crazyyyyyy....that's all i'm going to say. also watched midsommar, which was.....kind of....mid 😭 sorry. i think my expectations were too high, because hereditary scared the shit out of me. but this was just.....okay. it was too overt for my liking. florence pugh was great though. oh, and for shows, i want to watch shogun, bc i just can't believe it's as good as everyone says it is 😭 idk why, i just have to see it for myself to believe it.

no updates on baking and cooking, it's just been the same old...i'm actually trying to just perfect the basics. i want to make the tastiest eggs and the perfect pizza. lately i've been kneading dough by hand and it's so satisfying and i can actually feel when it's ready instead of relying solely on the mixer, and my pizza has been coming out fluffier and softer so i love that.

i'm also getting back into crochet (it's like an on and off relationship at this point) and i always think i've forgotten but i'm pleased to note that it's muscle memory now. i'm crocheting a basket and tbh i really love crocheting things like that. i don't know if i would wear crocheted clothes but i really love making baskets and bags and whatnot. i just wish this wasn't an expensive hobby.....for this basket i had to buy 4 skeins of yarn and a new hook which ended up costing $50 😭 so i think that's why i just don't do it as often as i want to. however, i really do want to get into tapestry crochet/intarsia, i did it when crocheting my kobo sleeve, but it was messy and i want to make another one and improve my technique, maybe even make some wall hangings.

sorry for this novel length response omg!!! are there any new books you're looking forward to jenna!!

#answered #schech #ugh i Need more historical shoujosei manga....

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starswallowingsea · 10 months ago

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What books are on your wish list right now?

OH great question great question.... there's a lot and you can definitely check my goodreads/storygraph (both @/starswallowingsea) for my TBR but my top 10 are probably...

Blindness/Seeing by Jose Saramago. Counting this as one because it's a duology but I really want to read more of his work after Cain and the Gospel According to Jesus Christ. Can also put all of his other works here (The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis, Death with Interruptions, etc)

The City of Brass/The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. I really enjoyed the Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi when I read it last summer so I'm hoping I'd enjoy her other works too.

Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko. I have seen some people talk about this one and it just feels like something I'd like.

Map is not the Territory: Studies in the History of Religions by Jonathan Z. Smith. I wanted to read this for my capstone project before I had to change topics

Re-Pitching the Tent: Re-ordering the Church Building for Worship and Mission by Richard Giles. See above

Ficciones/Short Stories by Jorge Luis Borges. I need to read more of his works idc if its the original Spanish or an English translation but I really enjoy his stuff

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe. Idk found it on a book recommendation list for a book I hated but the premise seemed interesting so I'd like to give it a go.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. What kind of hispanic lit fan am I if I haven't even read that smh

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White, another one that just seems interesting

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This one was recommended to me by the archivist at the museum I interned at I believe? Just a good read in general from what I've heard

#idk why i did 10 this time instead of 5 i just did but yeah :3 #message in a bottle #anonymous

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awritingcaitlin · 10 months ago

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✨the january roundup✨

Boy did January feel long. And this past Monday felt particularly long. Anyway, here’s a wrap-up for what’s been going on in January!

💻At the Keyboard💻 I wrote roughly, in the ballpark, of 9k this month, which does not sound like a lot. But I also edited a ton. I finished up part III of TBW to send it off to my critique group. Which meant there was a lot of rereading. And making sure everything was in the right order. Multi-POV problems. I’m excited to have them read it though. And I’m telling myself not to think too hard about the next round of revisions.

Tentatively, my plan is to work on Heist revisions next. I’ve been reading through previous beta feedback and leaving myself notes for what I want to see in Draft 3. So I think that will be February’s project.

📚From the Bookshelf📚 Rereading your own book fifty million times counts, right? 😅 I did also finish reading another writer’s manuscript in critique group and wow, if that book was on shelves right now I’d be telling you all to go buy it. It’s so good! I was on the edge of my seat, I loved it so much.

Other than that, I’ve been keeping up with my long-running fanfics and that’s about it at the moment. I do want to put a bit of a dent in my TBR though, so here’s to there being more books read next month! Or, if nothing else, catching up on other beta reads! 📺On the Screen📺 We finished watching Reacher Season 2 this month, as it was a show releasing weekly. Oh man did those last episodes hit hard. The third-to-last episode actually had me in tears. It was very good writing and very emotional. I really like Reacher because it stays true to itself and it’s fun to watch characters solve problems that I can also follow along with and solve. There are no “surprise unexpected twists” to keep the audience on their toes. The twists feel real, and like something like people would really do or come up with.

Also, we re-watched Cowboy Bebop (the original anime). And it was super cool to see how much really stood up as far as technology is concerned. It's super believable, all things considered. We were also lucky enough to have a theater nearby that ran one of the showings of the movie, so we went and watched that as well. It was an amazing blast from the past. That’s the highlights for the month. Not a bad start to the year!

#writing #writeblr

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just-a-cup-of-anxietea · 1 year ago

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End of the Year Book Tag 2023

Tagged by @the---hermit! Thanks friend!!

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

AHAHA yes. Very much yes. I have SO many books that I started this year and need to finish; it's honestly pretty ridiculous. I think the official number is something like...36? So, yea. I'd say of those 36, I only intend to actually finish 4-6 by year's end. (Two of those are textbooks for courses that end in December.) I have a very long list of books that I "need" to finish, but I'm flexible on the timeline.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Not really, no. I've just been doing my best to keep my head above water lately, so I haven't been doing book (read: vibe) planning or, like, conscious book transitions. I suppose I probably should find an autumnal book, though, huh? Would be nice! Cozy vibes are always good. I am writing this now while on break, and I have a bit of time to make that Deliberate Choice of an Autumn Book Selection. (Any suggestions, anyone?)

Is there a new release you're still waiting for?

YES!! Marissa Meyer's With a Little Luck comes out on February 13, 2024. Not this year, so I don't know if that's exactly what this question is asking, BUT I'M VERY EXCITED FOR IT. Ali Hazelwood's Bride is also coming in Feb of next year, Feb 6, and I'm pretty stoked! (I've been reading more romcoms lately, and it shows.) I can't think of any releases I'm waiting for between now and Dec 31, 2023 though.

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

I'm still finishing up the 23 books in '23 list. I just finished The Alchemy of Architecture by Ken Tate and Duke Tate (finished literally ten minutes ago lol), but I'm still trying to get to O Pioneers! by Willa Cather, The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs by Tristan Gooley, and Beyond the Last Oasis by Ted Edwards. (Planning to update that 23 books in '23 list very, very soon on my studyblr! YAY FOR BREAK AND HAVING TIME!)

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

I mean, I think if I anticipate the shock, it’s not really shock anymore, is it? So no. But ALSO, in a less pedantic sense, I think maybe I could really like How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler. I've read quite a few good books this year though, so we shall see!

Have you already started making reading plans for next year?

Oh, I’ve got a TBR that could stretch to Mars on TNR size .2 font, babey! The exhaustive list is, as always, available on my Goodreads. I do have specific plans and lists that I'm hoping to enact next year, though, yeah. Of those, I've got the 24 books in 2024 list (tentative, still making decisions about what I'll Officially Include), the Intro to Philosophy list (lots of Nietzsche, Jung, and Plato), the Psychology list (covering all things from neuroanatomy to neurotoxins to cognitive sci), and the Environmental Science list (lots of eco-anxiety fodder). From these lists, I'm particularly looking forward to Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid by Thor Hanson, and The Republic by Plato.

No pressure tagging: @noa-the-physicist @daydreaming-optimist @nettlewildfairy @courageisneverforgotten @obesecamels @deirdrerose @permanentreverie @dinosnaurnuggets @willowstea @senatorhotcheeto and anyone else who wants to!

#tag game #tagged #books #book list #mutuals #friends #the---hermit #studyblr #study blog #End of the Year Book Tag 2023

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mermaidsirennikita · 2 years ago

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Caro's April 2023 Book Recs

Another month, another book roundup. I will say I focused a bit more on exploring new subgenres this month, so not as many historicals here--I'm *hoping* to knock out some books I've been meaning to knock out for a while when I'm on vacation. My tentative rule is "no ARCs and no KU"--because those have for sure been jumping the line in front of books I've had on my TBR for a while.

But honestly, I believe it's kind of impossible to stay engaged with a genre when you only read one subgenre, so I've been enjoying authors like Adriana Anders and Sara Cate quite a bit, while also discovering new to me authors like Caroline Linden and Cate C. Wells and debuts like Lana Ferguson. Much productiveness here, I'd say.

Her Wanton Wager by Grace Callaway. "Percy" Persephone Fines vows to become a lady in order to fulfill her family's dreams and marry a peer. But her goals become more difficult to achieve when her brother loses a bet to Gavin Hunt, owing him everything. Interceding on her brother's behalf, Percy makes a deal with Gavin--she'll meet with him seven times. If she resists him by the end of those meetings, the debt will be dropped. If she gives her virginity to Gavin, he'll collect on the debt. What Percy doesn't know is that her brother falling prey to Gavin is no coincidence...

Another fun Grace Callaway book--though I will say, I do like the later books I've read by her more than these early novels (which is a good thing, she's clearly grown and evolved a lot). The setup isn't super crazy: it's a revenge plot with an intrepid innocent heroine and a big, bad man. I found Gavin a lot more compelling than Percy, but that's consistent with my likes. The romance was cute, the sex was good, I wasn't blown away but I had fun.

Praise by Sara Cate. Following a bad breakup, 21-year-old Charlie heads over to her ex's dad's place to pick up her half of a deposit. The catch: Beau's dad, Emerson, is much more attractive than she expected. And he thinks she's one of the women sent to "audition" to be his secretary... which would entail being his submissive, as well. Charlie immediately responds to Emerson's praise and soft dominance; and though he offers her a real job--he has a kink club to open, after all--he refuses to give in their mutual attraction. At first.

Here's the thing: the plot of Praise is not dense. Girl with daddy issues becomes the submissive to her ex's hot dad, who is a partial owner of a kink club, and they do stuff in secret while agonizing over what would happen if his son found out. But the character work? Is really good. Sara Cate deftly milks the tension of the story for all its worth, while also delving into the shame surrounding kinks. While also giving you a really good, fun time. I found it to be a really romantic, lovely, kinda dirty love story.

The Boxing Baroness by Minerva Spencer. Marianne Simpson has made a name for himself as a "lady boxer" in her uncle's circus. But she's thrown off guard when she's approach by Duke St. John Powell--"Sin"--who needs her help to find his brother... by way of locating Marianne's ex-lover, the man who deceived and abandoned her. Sin isn't above blackmailing Marianne, which means their journey isn't off to a good start. Yet the more time they spend with each other, the harder it becomes for them to resist their attraction to each other.

This book takes MANY twists and turns. It's long--maybe a bit too long, but I still enjoyed it--and you get everything from circus boxing to a crazy journey across Europe that culminates in one of the wildest "real historical figures? in my romance?" moments I've read. The sexual tension crackles, the duke is a good mixture of douchebag and actually quite sweet, and the heroine is a fun, brash babe. Was there a LOT happening? Yes. But it was a romp, and it snatched the moments it needed to. Always.

Eyes On Me by Sara Cate. Garrett is part-owner of a sex club; but he hasn't had sex in ten years. He prefers to watch--which leads him to look for new ideas on a cam site. The surprise? His stepsister Mia--who he's always thought of as an annoying pest--is on the site. And she's good at her job. While masquerading as a client online, a guilty Garrett can't resist interacting with Mia in person--and what if his attraction is more than skin deep? What if he does actually like this grown-up Mia? And what if he's been exactly who she's wanted for years...

This was... a lot. In terms of emotion and sex. Mia and Garrett aren't just stepsiblings--they've been stepsiblings since she was eight and he was twenty-one, which the book seems to think isn't that big a deal because they didn't grow up together... But in reality, Garrett didn't grow up with Mia. Mia very much grew up with Garrett as a fixture in her life, and she's somewhat obsessed with him. That might skeeve some out, and if so, I get it, but--I... have softer limits as a reader. I loved the taboo of Garrett and Mia's relationship, how guilty he felt as they talked, how dirty the book got. There was a late stage element I wasn't as certain on, but it didn't stop me from loving the book. I'd say that this is hotter than Praise, but the relationship development of Praise is probably a little better--but again, I loved this. And if you're looking for some voyeurism in your romance... this is it. It's hot.

King's Captive by Amber A. Bardan. On her eighteenth birthday, Sarah watches as her entire family--save her little brother--is killed by the mysterious Julius King. Three years later, she's been living on Julius's private island, untouched and perfectly cared for--and one month away from the day on which she agreed to marry Julius. She has no idea what his motives are, or why she's oddly attracted to him. But Sarah isn't giving up without a fight, and she'll do anything to escape Julius's clutches.

As I continue my foray into dark romance... I'm kinda living? This book was fast-paced, crazy, incredibly hot, and somehow super romantic? There is, obviously, a lot more to Julius than Sarah realizes. But well before those realizations, you get that delicious sense of a man with coiled energy, desperate to have this woman yet unable to make his move. The degree to which Julius longs for Sarah while still having this sense of true menace and danger is incredible, and adds to the romance of the story. It's wild, and I personally adored it.

Run Posy Run. Posy Santoro is more loyal gangster's kept woman than mafia princess, and she's happy to be at the beck and call of her boyfriend, mafioso mastermind Dario Volpe--even if they don't emotionally connect. After all, Dario doesn't show emotion to anyone. Not until a video gets passed around his inner circles. A video he was never supposed to see; a video that's been used to make him think Posy did the unthinkable. Posy hasn't just been abandoned by Dario--she's running from him.

I've always been skeptical of this novel, despite the recommendations, because I felt like the premise would be tough for me to get over. Mafioso sees video of girlfriend with her ex and sets out to kill her in a jealous rage. Except... it's not that. For one thing, the fact that Dario gets mad about anything related to Posy is your first clue that he does care about her, as he's basically a sociopath. For another, the video has been doctored to make it look like she's cheating, which, justified or not, would be truly insane considering his power. Also... Dario isn't the one after her. At. First. With all that in mind, this is a fucking ride of a book, and I had a great time. It's about a relationship that was never what either of the people involved thought it was, which is a truly interesting take in romance. It's about falling in love after being committed for a long time--and it's about falling in love when you think you aren't even capable of it. Posy is such a unique heroine, a woman who's been raised to be on someone's arm and must actually work to find herself. And Dario's slow realization that... shit, he loves this woman, is DELICIOUS. Very good.

A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon. After she's caught spying on her employer in the act, maidservsant Esther is offered a position at a particularly unique establishment. At Rooksgrave Manor, she'll serve men--multiple men--of a certain... background. Monstrous men, perhaps. And she'll do so happily.

So this was historical erotic monster romance, and I'm happy with that. It's not straight up erotica; there is a plot beyond the sex, and Moon does a very good job with establishing genuine connections between Esther and her men (and the men themselves, amongst each other--in all ways, at times). But Esther does have... depending on how you look at it, five or six partners. And those are partners for whom she has real feelings, and with whom she has a lot of sex. If you're not down, cool, but I found it very fun. The sex in this book? Fab.

A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger. ARC; read the full review here.

What A Gentleman Wants by Caroline Linden. When rake David Reece is sent away by his stern identical (and ducal) twin, he ends up breaking his leg and being nursed back to health by sensible vicar's widow Hannah. Charmed by Hannah and the idea of a reformed life, David proposes a marriage of convenience, which she accepts for the sake of her daughter... Only for David to get cold feet and forge his brother's signature on the marriage license. Now Hannah is very accidentally married to Marcus, who's quite a bit colder and more judgmental than David. But Marcus will do anything to avoid scandal--including moving Hannah in with him.

My first Caroline Linden read, and it was a bit zany and a lot sweet. It's a classic "uptight man has life flipped by a headstrong woman and her child" book, though the kid is not annoying. Honestly, the premise was enough to have me listening, and Marcus and Hannah have a slow burn, "grown fucking adults" chemistry that takes a while to boil over, but when it does... it's good. I wasn't blown away, but I enjoyed it a good bit, and the setup for David's book (DAVID. OH MY GOD DUDE WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU) was great.

His Study in Scandal by Megan Frampton. ARC; read the full review here.

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton. When the Agency of Undercover Note Takers (AUNT) puts their two top agents, Alice Breedlove and Daniel Bixby, together on a crucial mission, it should be a no-brainer. But posing as a married couple is making the cold, removed Agents A and B confront some difficult feelings--which could put not only the assignment, but their lives on the line.

This series has been incredibly fun and romantic--and it's gotten better with each installment. This one may be my favorite--it's between this and the last book. It has all the classic India Holton humor and wit, but Alice and Daniel have both suffered significant trauma, and Alice in particular is deeply scarred. That makes it more difficult for them to admit their feelings, but they just can't resist that sexual tension, and the tension is so! Good! I'm so happy with how this series ended. Give me repressed spies in love forever.

The Dueling Duchess by Minerva Spencer. ARC; read the full review here.

The Nanny by Lana Ferguson. Grad student Cassie needs a job and a place to stay, so she jumps at the chance to get a well-paying live-in nanny gig. The only problem? Aiden, a high profile chef and her new charge's single father, used to a big fan of Cassie's... specifically, when she was a cam girl on OnlyFans. Cassie recognizes Aiden quickly; but he doesn't recognize her. As the tension between them builds, she's torn between honesty and her need to keep her job--and her connections with Aiden and his daughter.

What a good! Look, this book is not super complicated. Both Cassie and Aiden are good people--there are no outright shitheads in this novel. Even the annoying person is just being a flawed, well-meaning human being. The plot is basically two people falling in love with a wrench in the mix by way of boss/employee issues and OF. But the writing is snappy and fun, the leads have great chemistry, the child is actually cute (and doesn't get too much page time), and the sex? Is. Hot. And plentiful! Basically, if you believe in the chemistry, you're going to have fun with this book. I definitely did.

What a Rogue Desires by Caroline Linden. Dissolute rake David Reece is given a chance at responsibility when his twin brother goes on his honeymoon--only for David to lose Marcus's signet ring in a robbery shortly after. That robbery? Was orchestrated by Vivian, a con artist David believed was an innocent widow. Determined to get the ring back, David kidnaps and imprisons Vivian. She's determined to resist his interrogations (among other things). He's determined to prove he's more than the disaster everyone thinks him to be.

It's a bit zany, a bit funny, a lot sexy. Let's call it a lighthearted kidnapping romance. David truly is a flop, while Vivian is smart, scrappy, and resourceful. She pushes him to be better (while also affirming his good qualities), and he offers her affection and gentleness she's really never experienced before. There's a Pretty Woman vibe to the novel, and I enjoyed it greatly. Plus--the sex scenes were REALLY good. Especially the wall one.

Possession by Adriana Anders. Superstar Zion Mason and Hollywood newcomer Twyla Hernandez just entered into a platonic contract marriage for PR--and that PR goodwill implodes when Zion is caught on camera having sex with a woman who looks just like Twyla. Escaping the paparazzi, he goes where he can be himself and explore his desires--Kink Camp. But Twyla--the wife he assumed was innocent and virtuous--isn't going to let Zion go without having her questions answered. And while there, she discovers who her husband really is--and she might like it.

Kink positive and a mixture of marriage of convenience and marriage in trouble. Zion is a classic dom hero, but he's not mean or abusive to Twyla in any way, like so many badly written doms are. He just can't bring himself to be truly vulnerable. Twyla is plus-sized--and Latina!--and presented as confident and sexy, if not without normal insecurities. So fucking refreshing. The found family of the camp is queer (Zion is also queer, by the way) and diverse. A super well done erotic romance.

Give Me More by Sara Cate. Drake and Hunter have been best friends since childhood, and that's continued past them finding success, and past Hunter marrying the woman of his dreams, Isabel--who quickly became Drake's other best friend. The trio are on a roadtrip to check out the competition for Salacious, Hunter's sex-positive club; and in an unexpected turn, Hunter catches Drake and Isabel in a moment that isn't what it looks like. But Hunter likes the idea of what it looks like--and he likes it even more when he convinces Drake and Isabel to have sex while he watches. Even even more when he gets involved. What starts out as fun on the road, however, gets complicated when the three recognize feelings that may have been lurking there for years...

This is a capital B bisexual romance. Nobody goes unloved here, nobody goes less desired. Hunter and Isabel adore each other and have a strong marriage. However, while Drake has been out as bi for years before the book began, Hunter is obviously deeply closeted, even to himself, for realistic (and tough) reasons. What I loved about how Sara Cate did this is that Drake was clearly always a part of this relationship. He was always in love with Hunter (and vice versa), he fell in love with Isabel (and vice versa) as Isabel and Hunter fell in love. The three of them just didn't see what the relationship actually was until it got sexual. There's angst aplenty in this, and Hunter especially deals with a lot of self loathing and sorrow that is difficult to read. But for me, it was worth it, and I really appreciated the blending of heat with emotion here. Not easy to do, but she got it. Maybe the best menage romance I've read so far.

#romance novel blogging #book recs #book wrap up

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mccoppinscrapyard · 2 years ago

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23 Books I'd Like to Read in 2023

* = owned

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni *

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake ✔️

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo * ✔️

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman *

Audacity by Melanie Crowder *

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde *

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay * ✔️

When You Ask Me Where I’m Going by Jasmin Kaur

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly ✔️

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin *

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum *

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw ✔️

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata ✔️

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai * ✔️

Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown by Ann E. Burg

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf

Girls That Never Die by Safia Elhillo ✔️

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse *

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant *

The Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes* ✔️

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang ✔️

My general goal is at least 25 books. A lot of these have been on my TBR or shelves for a while... some are newer and I may not get through all of them but these are my tentative reading goals.

#TBR #to read #books #reading goals #personal #updated!#2023 TBR #probably won’t read most of these cause I keep buying new books

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dausy · 2 years ago

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So I plan on finishing an illustration today and hopefully get it uploaded. I have a tentative first day at a new job tomorrow and now I'm stressing over that.

but also I spent the entire day out of town yesterday. We took our first ever outdoor rock climbing trip yesterday and I think all of us are feeling it today.

I felt kind of bad because I didn't have a chance before January to talk about some stuff I accomplished last year of all my hobbies and what I wanted to accomplish this year. So I figured I'd do a looksy backsy and ramble for a bit. Hopefully with cute divider icons if tumblr formats correctly.

so anyway, art related stuff. This time last year I was really wanting to try and build my own stationery set to sell at a local craft fair. Have to admit moving makes this seem too far out of reach. I do kinda feel like abandoning tiktok for youtube. Even though tiktok has the majority of my everything right now. Im at the moment enjoying the bloggy style rambling of youtube. I already have quite a few projects that I want to do but I feel like its been so long since I've uploaded an illustration that I need to do that first. I also have quite a few art supplies that I want to buy..maybe with like my first paycheck.

Games, last year I somehow managed to utilize my switch a lot. That thing went up on a shelf for a long time after animal crossing a few years ago and this past year I pulled it out quite a bit. I really need a goodreads but for video games so I can track what I've played because my memory is getting so bad. I played quite a few cozy games like ooblets and disney dreamlike valley but I also did some jrpgs like Atelier Sophie and Xenoblade Chronicles. I did just download harvestella as a break from xenoblade but I did enjoy the style of that game and would kind of like to play its sequels. I also at some point had meant to play Octopath traveller because I'd never played it and the sequel is out/coming out soon and the sequel looks better than the original imo.

The bulk of my playing though was Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel. I played Assassins Creed Valhalla before that too so that was A LOT of open world explorey explorey, one right after another. I played HZD and immediately started Forbidden West immediately. I was really brain dead at the end. I get into insane map clearing mode and I cannot do anything until the map is clear. I really liked the idea of the story and I liked the open world nature. I originally wasn't interested in the game because of the machinery involved. Im more of a mystical dragons and castles person but I actually did really like the idea. I had some issues with the execution of the story. It taking itself so seriously yet being so cartoony at the same time. Ill play the triquel but I wasn't thrilled with HFW really.

Books. Previous year I did a personal challenge of trying to read 100 books and I think I got to 98. So I was a bit burnt out this past year. I did read more than I thought. Think I thought I read maybe 15 but I counted and read about 33 not including the Harry Potter Philosophers stone reread that I read in spanish. I do plan hopefully to read book 2 in spanish this year. I'm studying spanish and HP is such a familiar story I think it makes the language less daunting.

My favorite books were definitely Legends and Lattes and Home Before Dark by Riley Sager.

This year I have no real plans to read any sort of amount and I dont want to feel pressured to do so. I'm finishing some books that I didn't complete before 2022 ended. I finished 5 Days at Memorial right before the clock hit midnight practically on 2023 and it made me so angry at the medical field. I added 2 more medical books to my tbr. Ill finish 2 more books that are halfway done probably in the near future and then I don't know what else to read.

Ill admit trying to film art for youtube really interupts ones audiobook experience. I may just ditch books for ambient music.

#2022 recap #2023plans #happynewyear2023 #artblog #artistblog #readingtbr #gamingblog #gaming #videogames #art #books #arttube #booktube

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lizziestudieshistory · 3 years ago

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Books of 2021 - September TBR: Magical Readathon edition

(AKA. Lizzie has gone mad!)

It's my last month of relative freedom before the last year of my masters begins in October, so I wanted to make the most of my time rather than just doss about on my phone for another month. As such I decided to do the Magical Readathon, hosted by G from Book Roast on Booktube, to make me read. However, because I'm a chronic overachiever, instead of picking out prompts I wanted to do I'm trying to read for all of them. Someone needs to restrain me at this point!

Anyway, here's the books:

The Novice Path Entrance: read a book with a map - Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Already a bad start for a readathon... I’m getting back into the mood for high/epic fantasy and I need to finish my rereads of both these books. I’m currently in the mood for Oathbringer, mainly because I’ve been catching up with Shardcast and finishing my Words of Radiance review. However, I REALLY want to reread Rhythm of War now we’re almost a year on from its release, but I need to reread Oathbringer first.

I do want to say I might give myself a pass and say if I’ve read half of Oathbirnger I’m counting it as a success because these books are MASSIVE and I’ve got a few other tomes on this list!

Ashtorn Tree: a book that keeps tempting you (or top of your TBR) - Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

This is where posting your tbr a week into the month gets awkward... I’ve already finished Peter Pan. However, I read this in one of my whims to read a book with Captain Hook in it, usually I veer off into a retelling but it was time to read the origninal book. I’d not read Peter Pan before, and I keep feeling the urge and surpressing it. (Should have kept doing it because the book really hasn’t aged well...!)

The Mist of Solitude: read a standalone - Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray*

Another bad choice... I’ve wanted to read this book for ages, I’d meant to start it earlier this year, and I’m buddy reading it with a friend. I need to read it now and it definitely fits this prompt. I do really love Vanity Fair as a story - both the film and miniseries are FABULOUS - so I’m excited to get into the book...it’s just 900 pages!

Much like Oathbringer I might give myself a pass if I read over half the book and say I’ve completed the prompt!

*I've left my physical copy at my Nan's like a prize idiot so I couldn't include it in the photo...

Ruin of the Skye: read a book featuring ghosts/hauted house, or other supernatural elements - The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Oops another one I’ve already finished. This is the only ghost story I own that I haven’t read, it’s also short (thank God!) However, I really don’t like ghost stories... It showed in my reading experience.

Obsidian Falls: read a thriller or mystery - Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

This is another genre I don’t read a lot from, I’ll read the occassional mystery through dark academia or Agatha Christie but I can’t even think of a thriller I’ve read recently! However, Jamaica Inn is my book club read for September so I’ve got to read it and the quotes on the book says it’s a classic thriller

Tower of Rumination: read a five star prediction - Malice by John Gwynne

I rarely predict 5 star reads, that last book I remember picking up thinking ‘this will be a 5 star read’ was The Way of Kings, which I read 5 years ago... However, I do have high hopes for this one? Honestly, this is the book I’m most likely to switch out for something else depending on my mood later in the month.

Orilium Academy Arc: a book with a school setting - Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

I needed a book I know is going to be a quick read at this point, I also really want to revisit the Finishing School series because I read the whole series in about 4 days! I also want to have a small refresher before Carriger’s next book in the Delightfully Deadly series comes out next month, which is a sequel about one of the sidecharacters introduced in this book. It’s also a fun, fast paced, YA adventure about victorian girls at a school for spies - what more could you want?!

I’m tentatively throwing Measure for Measure by Shakespeare onto the pile because it’s left over from last month - but no promises because there’s already A LOT. I also needed to finish Emma at the start of the month, so that added on abotu 200 pages!

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sparksflys · 3 years ago

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Hi Myriam! Merry Christmas to you 🎅 and I hope you're having a wonderful December so far :D In case you've noticed, I recently changed my URL (I was hermionegrangcr).

There's a lot going on since Red TV's release, but I really enjoyed the vault tracks in the re-recorded album 💖 My current favourite vault tracks are: Message In A Bottle, Better Man, and Forever Winter. What about you?

And which album do you think Taylor will re-record next?

It's hard for me to choose between All Too Well short film vs I Bet You Think About Me music video (since both are so good), but I love the costumes that she wore in the latter!

Ahh same!! I feel like there are so many exciting book releases but also so little time to read everything on my tbr list :o In addition to the upcoming Holly Black and R.F. Kuang books, here are a couple books that I'm also looking forward to:

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

Susanna Clarke's The Cistern is also tentatively slotted for October 2022 release. I loved Piranesi & am planning to read her other novel next month, so I'm really excited about it!!

P.S. I think both Lush and Valentine have different strengths as individual albums: Lush feels more raw & authentic, while Valentine showcases more mature songwriting & production styles.

But if I have to choose between Lush and Valentine, I would also say that Lush emotionally resonated with me more.

Currently my favourite from Valentine is Forever (Sailing) and my favourite from Lush is Speaking Terms.

Hello Jennifer!!! Merry Christmas and happy new year to you!!!! I hope you have a great 2022 <333 Love the new URL!!!

My fave vault tracks are definitely Better Man, All Too Well (10 min version) and Run. I think that she will re-record Speak Now next but I’m really not sure. What do you think ?

The costumes are great in the IBYTAM music video but the All Too Well short film has really stunning visuals!! I love it so much!!!

The books you mentioned all look really interesting, I will definitely check them out when they’re released.

I didn’t know Susanna Clarke had planned to release a new book so SOON?? :O I can’t wait to see what it’s about!!

About Snail mail : exactly, I 100% agree!!

#ask #ily <33

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natreviewsbooks · 4 years ago

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Fat Chance, Charlie Vega FCCV Book Tour

I’m ecstatic to talk about this next book, because I’ve been waiting for its release since early last fall. For a lot of people, it’s rare to find a book that ticks off so many boxes in terms of rep. For me, it was near all. Brown skinned, fat, and nerdy protagonist who loves to write, and is struggling with some self confidence issues? Let me just say that after finishing this book, I feel so seen, and am so honored that Turn the Page Tours selected me as a host to review this amazing title. This book is such a gentle yet fierce breath of fresh air that I think will resonate with many. I loved this book from start to finish, and found myself in tears at how visible I felt after reading this book. Crystal manages to make this connection with the reader that goes beyond superficial. It’s a story that you read and go “She’s telling MY story”. You’re going to want to add this book to your TBR.

Before I get too far into my love for this book, let’s talk about what it’s about! Make sure to stick around until the end, because I’ve got a giveaway for you to enter!

Synopsis:

Coming of age as a Fat brown girl in a white Connecticut suburb is hard.

Harder when your whole life is on fire, though.

Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat.

People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it’s hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn’t help. The world and everyone in it have ideas about what she should look like: thinner, lighter, slimmer-faced, straighter-haired. Be smaller. Be whiter. Be quieter.

But there’s one person who’s always in Charlie’s corner: her best friend Amelia. Slim. Popular. Athletic. Totally dope. So when Charlie starts a tentative relationship with cute classmate Brian, the first worthwhile guy to notice her, everything is perfect until she learns one thing–he asked Amelia out first. So is she his second choice or what? Does he even really see her? UGHHH. Everything is now officially a MESS.

A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice and tons of chisme, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tackles our relationships to our parents, our bodies, our cultures, and ourselves.

Review:

I tend to be pretty easy to please when it comes to enjoying books. However, getting to where I cry for a book is pretty rare. From the beginning of this book, I felt connected to Charlie in a way that I’d never connected to a character in a book before. She’s a young woman who’s full of life, but filled with reservations about herself, and compares herself to others, especially her best friend Amelia. I won’t lie, that last bit in itself was hard for me to read. Because it was like looking into a mirror of what high school was like for me. I was/am the fat best friend. Her relationship with her mom is good, but strained when it comes to talking about weight. Her mom can’t accept the fact that Charlie can be happy being the size that she is.

The more you read, the more you get sucked into this story, and the more you become invested into the characters. I think all readers will love the dynamic that Charlie and Amelia share, and at the same time, want to give Charlie a hug as she navigates the incredibly cruel realities that sometimes happen in high school. Charlie’s biggest insecurity is being compared Amelia, but it’s enhanced even more when it comes to romantic relationships. Her biggest hang-up is not being the second choice to someone. Enter Brian. Brian is awesome. He’s such a sensitive guy, and I loved seeing him interact with Charlie. I can’t wait to see fan art of these two together.

I’m going to try not to write an essay, but seriously, you should pick this book up. It’s not too fast paced, and there’s a lot to unpack (and I won’t discuss it all here, even more reason for you to get it ;)) in terms of self-confidence, racial identity, and more. One of the more interesting aspects of this book were the discussions of Charlie’s Puerto Rican heritage and not feeling connected to it as she doesn’t speak Spanish, but also not presenting as “white” enough to be accepted by her peers. This book is introspective and I was HERE for it. I beg of you, if you choose to read something this year for good representation AND diverse representation, this is it. For me this is a 5/5 read and I encourage EVERYONE to have it on their TBR list.

Book information:

Book Title: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

Author: Crystal Maldonado

Publisher: Holiday House

Release Date: February 2, 2021

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53399306-fat-chance-charlie-vega

Book Purchase link:

https://holidayhouse.com/book/fat-chance-charlie-vega/

Author Bio:

Crystal Maldonado is a young adult author with a lot of feelings. Her debut novel, FAT CHANCE, CHARLIE VEGA (Holiday House), will be released on Feb. 2, 2021.

By day, she is a social media manager working in higher ed, and by night, a writer who loves Beyoncé, shopping, the internet, and being extra.

She lives in western Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Author Links:

https://www.crystalwrote.com/

https://www.instagram.com/crystalwrote/

https://twitter.com/crystalwrote

https://www.facebook.com/crystalwrote

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19798656.Crystal_Maldonado

GIVEAWAY:

Enter to win one (1) finished copy of Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado! Open USA only. There will be 1 winner.

Giveaway starts: Monday, February 8, 2021

Giveaway ends: Monday, February 15, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. CST

<a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1e4a114d21/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="1e4a114d21" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_8t3y5915">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

Direct link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1e4a114d21/?

#booktour bookreview book review reviewer TTPT turnthepagetours FCCV fatchancecharlievega reading booklove

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coffeebooksorme · 5 years ago

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SEPTEMBER 2019 WRAP UP

I know I say this every month but holy fuck, did I read a lot of books this month! 18! That’s the most I’ve read in a month all year so I am definitely proud about the amount. I’m also super stoked about the quality, too, because I managed to read 10 5 ⭐ reads so like...holy shit, damn good reading month! Also, Darkdawn ruined my soul and I don’t want to talk about it lol

I’ve already got a somewhat TBR for the month of October going as well. My poor coffee table is a mess of books. My husband even suggested building a small TBR shelf for the living room for my monthly TBR despite having a giant TBR bookcase. I luff him so much. Anywho, I am participating in TWO readathons this month! One hosted by booksandlala on YouTube called Spookathon which runs from Oct 14th-20th and Spooptober hosted by our very own @bookofmirth which runs from Oct 18th-31st!

Before those two start I have a tentative TBR of Gideon the Ninth, The Institute, Ninth House, and Capturing the Devil. THAT IS LOFTY AS FUCK because those are some chunky monkey books but I’m super excited to read all of them so who knows!

FAVORITES OF THE MONTH

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff

Well Met by Jen Deluca

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

DUDS OF THE MONTH

Finale by Stephanie Garber

The Little Bookshop at Herring Grove by Kellie Hailers (Read my review HERE!)

PREORDERS FOR OCTOBER

Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire Illustrate Edition

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

#booklr #books #bookstagram #wrap up #monthly wrap up #reading wrap up #read #reader #reading #bookworm #book dragon #bibliophile #mine

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libertyreads · 5 years ago

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Anticipated Releases: 2020

The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious #3) by Maureen Johnson-- The final book in the Truly Devious series is coming and I’m so nervous! Hopefully we get answers to all of our questions. Book one delves into an old mystery at a boarding school that brings up a lot of questions when mysterious things start happening again.

Moment of Truth by Kasie West--It’s another Kasie West. Is anyone surprised she made it onto this list? I didn’t think so. I have read all of her books and will continue to do so next year. I know this is about a prank someone pulls during the main character’s swim meet and her trying to get to the bottom of it. West is an auto buy author for me right now so I don��t need to know more.

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas-- The first book in a new series by Sarah J. Maas. This is a story of a half-Fae/half-human seeking revenge in a fantasy world. Do I need to say more? I loved the Throne of Glass series so I’m ready to see what else Maas has to offer.

Check, Please #2 Sticks and Scones by Ngozi Ukazu-- The final volume about Bitty and his college hockey career. I absolutely adored the first volume when I read it this past year. My love of hockey and my love of baking were combined with my love for reading and just...Heart eyes everywhere.

Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett-- Another Young Adult contemporary on the list. Josie goes back to her childhood hometown to discover that her old best friend has become the resident bad boy. Romance ensues. I’m so ready for it.

The Damned (The Beautiful #2) by Renee Ahdieh-- The second book in The Beautiful series. I’m pretty sure this is going to be a four or five book series so we’re just getting started. We finally get another vampire series. I’ve missed vampires so much. I’m hoping this one just dives deeper into vampires and vampire lore.

The Faithless Hawk (The Merciful Crow #2) by Margaret Owen-- Book two for this one comes out in the summer and I’m excited. I loved the magical world in the first one and I’m glad I get to go back. In the first book, a plague is ravaging a fantasy world where there is a caste system in place. The lowest caste is charged with dealing with those who die from the plague because they’re the only caste immune to it. It goes further from there and it dives into a world of magic and political intrigue.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (An Absolutely Remarkable Thing #2) by Hank Green-- The supposed last book in this duology comes out this summer and I was really on the fence about whether I was going to read it. I think book one--An Absolutely Remarkable Thing--does a great job of making the reader ask hard questions about their own lives as well as telling a good story. But I felt like there’s a level of absurdity to this story that I’m not sure enhances it for me. I read the first book super quickly so I know readability isn’t the issue. However, once I found out it’s only two books I decided to go ahead and read this one as well.

Untitled (Book #2 of the Nikolai Duology) by Leigh Bardugo--This one I’m skeptical to believe is coming out in 2020. Bardugo just published another book this year and I don’t know if she’s had the time to finish this one. However, there is a tentative publication date of 2020 on GoodReads so I had to add this to the list. The Nikolai Duology is a spinoff from the original Grisha trilogy starring Nikolai Lantsov. I had actually read the Six of Crows duology before eventually coming back around to the original Grisha trilogy. I had no idea I was missing one of the best characters in this world. Nikolai is amazing and I’m so glad he got his own duology. I AM a little worried that this one is going to get pushed back.

All but two of these are continuations of series which is pretty in line with the reading I’ve been doing over the past year. I’ve been trying to complete or continue series that I've already started and not grab new ones if I didn’t desperately want to read them, focusing more on the TBR shelf.

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kbrown78 · 6 years ago

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Yearly Wrap Up: 2018

Sorry this post is so late, it took awhile to get all the information I needed and I kept going back and forth on the format I wanted to do for this post, but I finally have an end result I am happy with. In this post I will be going over all the books I read in 2018, all the stats, completion of 2018 reading goals as well as 2019 reading goals. Also fair warning, this is going to be a long post. So to begin with I'll talk about my 2018 reading goals and of I was able to accomplish them. This year was the first year that I did the Goodreads Challenge, I thought it would be good to see how many books I could read in a year. My initial goal was 50 books and I ended up reading 80 books, so I was definitely able to tackle my Goodreads goal. Unfortunately that was the only reading challenge I was able to finish. One of my reading resolutions for 2018 was to finish a reading challenge and I did that with the Goodreads one, but I also did the PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge. That one provided a large number of reading prompts that I hoped would help expand the genre of the books I was reading (which was another reading resolution of mine) and of the 50 prompts I was only able to complete 34, which is not bad, it's more than half, but I still wanted to complete all of them. As I mentioned I wanted to expand the genre of books that I read, since I mostly read YA fantasy, and I do think I achieved that goal by trying to read more adult fantasy, science fiction, different fantasy sub genre's, and a few books in other genres, but I will go more into that when I do a break down of all the books I read this year. I also wanted to go to more book events and that did not really happen. I only went to 1 this year and the rest I was unable to go to for various reasons, so I need to get better with planning in order to go to more events this year. I did want to be more active in the book community and I definitely think I achieved that, with providing regular posts and book reviews. I was originally going to do a channel on YouTube but I suck with editing software and I honestly prefer writing. Finally my #1 resolution for 2018 was to tackle all the books in my physical TBR, with books from 2017 and 2018, I was able to narrow down my overflowing basket to just 5 books. Since I now have a rule where I have to read 10 books before I buy a new one (holiday's are an exception) I'll probably have the rest of those books read by the end of 2019, so that all new books in my TBR pile will all be from 2019. Now that I've summarized my status on all my reading goals for 2018, I'm now going to start going into the actual books. I'll begin by listing all the books I've read and putting them in different groups based on their star ratings. Then I'm going to go into the statistics of all the books, like genre, authors, status, and other things.

Ratings:

5 Star Books: These are without a doubt my favorite books of the year, the cream of the crop, and some of them are possibly my new favorite books or series of all time.

A Natural History of Dragons (Memoirs of Lady Trent #1) by Marie Brennan, The Tropic of Serpents (Memoirs of Lady Trent) by Marie Brennan, The Tethered Mage (Swords and Fire #1) by Melisa Caruso, The Defiant Heir (Swords and Fire #2) by Melisa Caruso, East by Edith Pattou, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu, Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire, Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3) by Seanan McGuire, The Star Touched Queen (Star Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi, Crown of Wishes (Star Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers

4.5 Star Books: These are the books that I did really love and couldn't find much fault with but I couldn't fully connect to the story (would still recommend all).

A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers #2) by Becky Chambers, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire #1) by C.J. Redwine, The Voyage of the Basilisk (Memoirs of Lady Trent #3) by Marie Brennan, Rosemary and Rue (October Daye #1) by Seanan McGuire, The Call by Peadar O'Guilin, Robots vs Fairies

4 Star Books: This one is a bit split because some are books that are solidly 4 stars and lean more toward the 4.5 star rating, and other were saved by a fantastic ending from a 3.5 star rating. There are things that could have been improved on within the story but overall I enjoyed reading all of them.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2) by Seanan McGuire, Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi, Vivian Apple at the End of the World (Vivian Apple #1) by Katie Coyle, A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1), Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch, Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) by Sara Raasch, Uppity Women Speak Their Minds by Vicki Leon, Invisible Planets translated by Ken Liu, In the Labyrinth of Drakes (Memoirs of Lady Trent #4) by Marie Brennan, Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers #3) by Becky Chambers, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J.K Rowling, Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs, Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity #1) by Elizabeth Wein, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

3.5 Star Books: This is a bit of an unusual rating because it usually means that I was expecting to be disappoint by these books, and while there were still issues that I couldn't ignore, I surprisingly enjoyed.

The Registry (The Registry #1) by Shannon Stoker, Caliban's War (The Expanse #2) by James S.A. Corey, Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero, The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

3 Star Books: These were books that I thought were decent, but they had flaws in them that I was unable to over look.

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas, Walk on Earth a Stranger (Gold Seer #1) by Rae Carson, Like a River Glorious (Gold Seer #2) by Rae Carson, Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha) by Tomi Adeyemi, An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard, After: 19 Stories of Dystopian and Apocalypse, Illuminae (The Illuminae Files) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor #1) by Mark Lawerence, Sabriel (The Abhorsen #1) by Garth Nix, Monstress Volume 3: The Blood by Marjorie Liu, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski

2.5 Star Books: These are books that I had a lot of issues with but were redeemable enough that I would still give them a try.

The Collection (The Registry #2) by Shannon Stoker, Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by Kendare Blake, Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor, The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco

2 Star Books: These are books that I had lot of issues with but it didn't upset me enough to make me want to quit it. These books and downward I personally wouldn't recommend reading, but that's just my opinion.

Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodrigez McRobbie, Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor, Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle (Vivian Apple #2) by Katie Coyle, The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking Trilogy #1) by Patrick Ness, Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey, Bitterblue (Graceling #3) by Kristin Cashore, Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic #1) by Tamora Pierce, Lirael (Abhorsen #2) by Garth Nix, Torn (The Unraveled Kingdom #1) by Rowena Miller, Into the Bright Unknown (Gold Seer #3) by Rae Carson, Front Lines by Michael Grant, American God's by Neil Gaiman, The Falconer (The Falconer #1) by Elizabeth May

1 Star Books: These, sadly, are the bottom of the barrel. I had a hard time finding good qualities with these books and some of them I got so frustrated by I ended up quiting them.

The Wicked and the Divine Volume 1: The Faust Act, Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab, Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard, Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle #2) (DNF) by Libba Bray, The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides, Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veroncia Rossi, The Library at Mount Char (DNF) by Scott Hawkins, Daughters of the Storm (Blood and Gold #1) (DNF) by Kim Wilkins, The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan, Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1)(DNF) by Ann Leckie (I didn't hate this book, it was just too weird and confusing to carry on)

Statistics:

This is the part where I'll break down authors (gender and ethnicity), status (finished or not finished, companion, stanalone, special cases), and genre of the books.

AUTHORS: (Not counting anthologies with multiple authors, also series counts as one)

Male: 16

Female: 42

White: 48

POC: 10

STATUS:

Finished (If the book was part of a series that ended than had a companion series follow it, I'm still counting that as a finished series, also I'm counting anything 2 or more books as a series): 8 (A Court of Thorns and Roses, Gold Seer, Monsters of Verity, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Vivian Apple, Snow Like Ashes, Ignite Me)

Unfinished and Completed (Unfinished means that I haven't finished reading the series, uncompleted means that all the books in the series haven't been released yet): 12 (Gemma Doyle (won't be completing), The Knife of Never Letting Go (won't be completing), The Wrath and the Dawn (won't be completing), The Facloner (won't be completing), Under the Never Sky (won't be completing), Abhorsen, Memoirs of Lady Trent, Imperial Radch (won't be completing), Harry Potter, Front Lines (won't be completing), The Registry, Circle of Magic (won't be completing))

Unfinished and Uncompleted: 10 (Legacy of Orisha, The Witchlands (won't be completing), The Bone Witch (won't be completing), The Expanse, Swords and Fire, Book of the Ancestor (won't be completing), The Unraveled Kingdoms, Three Dark Crowns (won't be completing), October Daye, Blood and Gold (won't be completing))

Companion series: 8 (Wayfarers, Wayward Children, Star Touched Queen, The Illuminae Files, Code Name Verity, Graceling, Nightfall, Ravenspire)

Stand Alone (includes non fiction): 13 (Princesses Behaving Badly, Beauty Queens, An Unkindness of Magicians, Uprooted, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Uppity Women Speak Their Minds, The Virgin Suicides, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, You Are A Badass, The Library at Mount Char, American Gods, The Red Tent, The Legend of Holly Claus)

Anthologies/ Short Story Collections: 6 (After: 19 Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, Robots Vs Fairies, Invisible Planets, Tales of the Peculiar, The Language of Thorns)

Comics/ Graphic Novels: 2 (Monstress Vol 3: The Blood and the Wicked and the Divine Vol 1: The Faust Act)

Special cases (Special cases are for books that I'm leaving as a self contained standalone even though they have a sequel): 2 (East by Edith Pattou, The Call by Peadar O'Guilin)

GENRE: I'm going based off of where these books are shelved in stores, even if I don't agree with some of them.

YA: 44

Adult: 33

Fantasy: 42 (A Court of Wings and Ruin (Epic fantasy/ Romance)(YA), Every Heart a Doorway (Portal fantasy/ Contemporary fantasy/ Mystery)(A), Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Gothic fantasy/ Mythic fantasy)(A), Beneath the Sugar Sky (Portal fantasy)(A), Walk on Earth a Stranger (Historical fantasy)(YA), Like a River Glorious (Historical fantasy/ Romance)(YA), Into the Bright Unknown (Historical fantasy/ Romance)(YA), A Crown of Wishes (Epic fantasy)(YA), Day's of Blood and Starlight (Epic fantasy/ Portal fantasy)(YA), Dreams of God's and Monsters (Portal fantasy/ Epic fantasy)(YA), Children of Blood and Bone (Epic fantasy)(YA), Truthwitch (Epic fantasy/ Romance), A Great and Terrible Beauty (Historical fantasy/ Portal fantasy)(YA), Rebel Angels (Historical fantasy/ Portal fantasy/ Romance)(YA), The Bone Witch (Epic fantasy/ Romance) (YA), The Wrath and the Dawn (Retelling/ Romance/ Historical fantasy)(YA), East (Retelling/ Historical fantasy/ Romance)(YA), The Falconer (Historical fantasy, Steampunk, Romance)(YA), Uprooted (Epic fantasy/ Retelling)(A), Tales of the Peculiar (Fairy tales/ Short stories)(YA), The Tethered Mage (Epic fantasy/ Mystery)(A), The Defiant Heir (Epic fantasy)(A), The Library at Mount Char (Urban fantasy), Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book (Children's fantasy)(YA), Sabriel (Epic fantasy/ Gothic fantasy)(YA), Lirael (Epic fantasy/ Gothic fantasy)(YA), The Star Touched Queen (Retelling/ Romance/ Epic fantasy)(YA), Nightfall (Thriller/ Low fantasy)(YA), Monstress (Epic fantasy/ Horror/ Comic)(A), The Wicked and the Divine (Urban fantasy/ Mythology/ Comic)(YA), Torn (Romance/ Epic fantasy)(A), Three Dark Crowns (Epic fantasy/ Gothic fantasy/ Romance)(YA), Rosemary and Rue (Urban fantasy/ Mystery)(A), A Natural History of Dragons (Fantasy of Manners)(A), The Tropic of Serpents (Fantasy of Manners)(A), The Voyage of the Basilisk (Fantasy of Manners)(A), In the Labyrinth of Drakes (Romance/ Fantasy of Manners)(A), American Gods (Urban fantasy)(A), Daughters of the Storm (Epic fantasy)(A), The Shadow Queen (Retelling)(YA), The Legend of Holly Claus (Juevnile fantasy)(YA), The Language of Thorns (Retelling/ Short Stories)(YA)

Science Fiction: 10 (The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Soft SF)(A), A Closed and Common Orbit (Soft SF/ Biopunk)(A), Record of a Spaceborn Few (Soft SF/ Generation Ships)(A), Leviathan Wakes (Space Opera/ Crime Noir/ Alien Invasion)(A), Caliban's War (Space Opera/ Alien Invasion)(A), Invisible Planets (Anthologies/ Translated/ Soft SF/ Hard SF)(A), Ancillary Justice (Hard SF/ Space Opera)(A), Under the Never Sky (Survival/ Romance)(YA), The Knife of Never Letting Go (Survival/ Alien)(YA), Illuminae (Survival/ Soft SF/ Cyberpunk)(YA)

Science Fantasy: 3 (contains magic and technology): 3 (The Paper Menagerie (Short stories)(A), Robots vs Fairies (Anthologies)(A), Red Sister (Grim dark fantasy/ Epic fantasy)(A))

Dystopian/ Post Apocalypse: 8 (survival's the name of the game): Our Dark Duet (urban fantasy/ post apocalyptic)(YA), Vivian Apple at the End of the World (Contemporary/ apocalyptic)(YA), Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle (Contemporary/ apocalyptic)(YA), After (Anthology/ dystopian/ apocalyptic), The Registry (Dystopia/ Action)(YA), The Collection (Dystopia)(YA), Ignite Me (Dystopian/ Science fiction/ Romance)(YA), The Call (Contemporary fantasy/ Portal fantasy/ Horror/ Apocalyptic)(YA))

Literary Fiction (lacks magic or new technology): 6 (Beauty Queens (Contemporary/ Satire)(YA), Code Name Verity (Historical fiction)(YA), Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Philosophical fiction)(A), The Virgin Suicides (Contemporary)(A), Front Lines (Alternate history/ historical)(YA), The Red Tent (Historical/ Biblical fiction)(A), The Giving Tree (Poetry)(YA))

Non Fiction: 4 (Princesses Behaving Badly, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, Uppity Women Speak Their Minds, You Are a Badass)

2019 Goals:

I did a T5W outlining my 2019 reading goals, and I promised I would talk about them more in this post. So I'm going to conclude my Yearly Wrap Up post by discussing what I hope to accomplish in my 2019 reading year. For starters I have a goal that I'm carrying over from 2018 and that is to read a wider genre of books. I wanted to accomplish this last year, but going into 2019 I have a better idea of what specific genre's I would like to try more of. This year I really started to transition from YA fantasy to Adult fantasy, but I haven't given up on YA yet. I want to try some YA contemporary and magical realism, but as of right now I only have specific picks in mind for this. I want to read more historical fiction and historical fantasy, like the Golem and the Jinni. I enjoy reading about settings from different time periods, especially if they have magical elements, I just need to be careful about finding books that don't get heavy handed with a crappy romance. I want to read more science fiction, specifically Adult Science fiction, since I haven't come across a YA science fiction that intrigues me. I'm sill trying to learn what exactly I like in science fiction, but I know I like character driven stories, like Becky Chamber's series. I knew I would like to attempt the New Weird and Hard science fiction genre's but at the same time I'm a little intimidated by them. I also want to get back into literary fiction, including adult dystopian's and classics. I used to have no problem reading classics and would read 1 or 2 a month, then I just got burned out by it, but I want to pick up that genre again. In terms of fantasy, I still expect that to be the genre that I read the most of put there are still some things I would like out of 2019. I've already said that I'm leaning more toward Adult fantasy and wanting to read more historical fantasy, but I would also like to read more fantasy standalone's. That's something I wanted to do in 2018 but sadly did not find any new ones that I really loved. I also want to read more anthologies or short story collections, in any genre really, because that was something that I discovered that I really liked in 2018 and want more of. The next reading goal I want to accomplish in 2019 is to complete is to finish at least 5 series. For this I'm counting anything that is 3 books or more as a series. I finished 7 series in 2018 but 2 of those were duologies, and I feel like those are super easy to finish. There are several series that I started I won't be completing or the series isn't completed yet. Fortunately most of the series that aren't completed yet I already know I'm not going to continue, and the rest are either being completed this year or have a large number of books that I need to get through for me to catch up with the series. With that being said there are at least 3 series that I will definitely be finishing this year: the Memoirs of Lady Trent, The Registry, and the Swords and Fire series, and I have also already completed one series, so this is goal I can definitely tackle by the end of the year, maybe even half way through the year. Something else I want to accomplish this year was to go to at least two book events, but that's going to be difficult to do. Most of the bigger book events or conventions, are over 8 hours away. I could also attend book signing events but all of the others that I want signatures from are either not doing events or are doing ones not within a close driving distance for me. That might change as the year progresses, but for now I'm not expecting to be able to accomplish this goal and will instead invest my time in completing a reading challenge, which I was not able to accomplish this year. Another goal for 2019 is to read more diverse books. I want to read more books with POC people as POV characters, or disabled characters, or on the LGBTQ spectrum. I think I've been progressively getting better about that over the years but where I really want to focus on is more diverse authors. As you can see from the statistics section my reading from last year was heavily skewed toward white authors. I want to change that and work toward at least having more POC authors, and almost all the brand new books on my TBR pile are from POC authors and I'm excited to get to most of them (although all authors I've read this year so far are Caucasian). I would also like to read more books by authors that are diverse in other ways beside their ethnicity but it's more difficult to identify those things. Like last year there's only a few couple authors that I'm pretty sure qualify in that way, but I'm not absolutely sure. My final reading major reading goal of 2019 is to get through half of my reread TBR pile. About half way through last year, I decided to go through all my books that I hadn't tabbed and reread them. I wanted to do this for a few reasons. I have a small bookshelf and large container and that's about all the room I have for books, including my non fiction ones. As I read more new books and find new series that I enjoy, that means that there will need to be more room. So rereading books will hopefully help me be able to tell which books I should keep and which ones I should give away. I also want to reread all these books in order to better review them and have a fresh opinion of them. At the beginning of this year I have about 50 books, and I know I'm not going to get through them all this year, so I set a more realistic goal with tackling half of my TBR which would be about 25 books. The last thing I want to talk about is the reading challenge's I'm currently participating in. On Goodreads I have set the yearly amount of books I read to 50. That was my goal last year, and I ended up reading 80 books, so I think setting it at 50 again is something I can manage. I'm also doing the PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge, which I tried to do last year but failed to complete. How I want to accomplish that this year is by always reading a book that is can be applied to one of the prompts, that way I'm knocking out these prompts as quickly as possible. The last reading challenge I'm doing is a group on Goodreads called The Reading Frenzy, which I joined toward the end of last year. They have several monthly reading challenges, but this year it has been announced that every month there will be a pick my TBR Reading Challenge, which means every month you will be randomly matched with a person, and will pick one book for the other to read that month. I look forward to doing this, just because I like that random element to it, and this will help my slim down my Goodreads TBR (as long as I can get a physical copy of the book). So that sums up my 2018 reading year as well as what all I hope to accomplish in 2019. I look froward to it, and hopefully it's going to be a good year for everyone.

Thank You Everyone

Keep Calm and Keep Reading

#yearly wrap up #books #reading goals #2018 #2019 #reading stats

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