#reading thoughts

[lucere-aeresta]

One thing I like the most about Ring for Jeeves is how the book confirms that they are still together (despite the temporary separation) and their relationship is going strong in the 1950s. The timeline of Jeeves stories is ambiguous but it looks quite clear all but Ring for Jeeves happened before WW2, most agree on the 1920s-1930s. So by the 1950s they'd been together for ~20 years.

I love how P. G. Wodehouse let them be at the end of the series instead of getting someone killed or married as a "traditional ending". Not only did he confirm their permanent bond in Jeeves and the Tie That Binds (which he intended to be the ending but ended up having another book after that), but he also gave us the comfort of knowing even after all the turmoil of the time they are still having a happy life together and probably will keep being this way forever.

[tothestarsinvelaris]

Dear authors, please make your female main characters even just a tad bit older, I'm actually begging you.

Like, they really don't need to be 19-20 and falling in love with centuries old immortal beings. You can make them 25+ and people will still read and enjoy the books.

I promise women don't turn to dust and wrinkles at 30..

[the---hermit]

Goblin Mode bt Mckayla Coyle

First finished book of 2025 and it was such a big disappointment. I really wanted to like this book, but I feel it's one of those cases in which the more I think of the the more annoyed at it I'll become. This could have been a tumblr post, I have no idea who the target audience for it is, and the more I think about it the more my confusion grows. This does present itself as a sort of self-helpy kind of book? I don't even know. The thing is I was expecting to find some sort of reflections of how the idea of goblincore and similar aesthetics can be used to change perspective on your life and yourself. Instead I got a basic and repetitive mix of things that can kind of be grouped as elements of goblincore? It felt a bit like a teen magazine at some point? I am confused? Also it felt incredibly hypocritical since the author repeats every few pages how everything the book describes is an act of anticapitalism, when this very book is nothing but the most capitalistic response to a popular online aesthetic. Because that's what this book is, or at least what it felt for me. The fault is on me for expecting something completly different from what this was, but that won't stop me being disappointed about this book.

[violentdelightshavevioletends]

Processing through Fourth Wing's Ending thoughts with me Part 4 with SPOILERS!!! (& other 3 post summaries + some Iron Flame theories)

So:

I think Xaden is gonna have a long journey in winning Violet back (as he should, she deserves to be fought for & respected in boundaries). Though it’s also a little hard to watch knowing where this all comes from & it’s a little mixed up/misdirected.

Speaking of misdirection Dain Aetos has some explaining to do, unless I read that wrong; if he intentionally sent Violet & Liam off to their deaths thanks to his betrayal… nope. No.

I am utterly destroyed over Liam & dreading the aftershocks of it… meeting his sister is going to make me cry & I will protect that baby with my life.

Brennan also has some explaining to do, backstory to give, etc.

So mostly I’m ruined and this book is gonna ruin me even more and then it’ll be time to cry with Onyx Storm… so… yeahhh

I am dying to know what the deal is with Lilith Sorrengail… she can’t truly have meant to get her children killed can she? Is she a part of the rebellion somehow? And what was the deal with Violet’s dad? Plus a lesser but still prominent question: what does Mira know? I get the feeling it’s not much… but I am curious all things considered how many more secrets that family holds.

Violet included in the latter as I wonder if the poison affected her memory, powers, etc. it seemed to be a different situation (to the level I was worried she’d turn Venin or something). Have her powers changed with Andarna growing? — WHY DID ANDARNA GROW? How long was she asleep for? What does that make the powers now? … also morbid question I don’t want the answer to but have a fear of learning: if Tairn dies could Andarna keep Violet alive?.. I just have a bad feeling about one of her dragons all things considered. — I’m just scared of who’s going to die next book since clearly they are not afraid to kill the ones I love.

Not important, probably fine, but how’s Rhi? I miss my bestie girl… where is she? What’s up babe? Will I get my crew back? Please tell me she and Riddoc did no betraying.😅😅

And of course between characters and secrets and the final chapter being Xaden’s perspective: what are the many stories he has yet to tell? What’s the deal with his mom? What’s all those one line mentions of things to catch Violet up on?.. please tell me we resume in time so it’s not 5 chapter of brief references & 0 explanations?

I have a bad feeling the robed Venin are someone we know or a bigger deal… also probably Dain’s dad being evil… and some big horrible betrayal upcoming and hurting my babies so not looking forward to that.

Mostly it’ll be fun to see what another year looks like… especially when Xaden graduates… and is tethered to Violet who is going to probably hate him & fill the book with angst… so I’m gonna have to strap in for a bump ride I suppose. We shall see! And no spoilers please these questions are rhetorical/hypothetical😂 though if anything happens to Liam’s little sister give me a heads up please🙃

Finally, in review of the first book:

I love Violet. Her heart is her first power, I love the brave fierce way she loves, and has a true compass for goodness… the way she didn’t blink at rebellion if it was right; she processed that extraordinarily fast & it says a lot as to her as a character. I love her wit, which is honestly awe striking and a superpower in itself and we just LOVE a smart heroine. She is also an awesome representation for the EDS/Chronic Illness community and FMC’s in general, which I greatly appreciated (especially for how relatable she managed to be not only for the disability community, but young identifying women who get called “crazy” or “not believed”, kids who are bullied (though this book is not for kids😅😂) and just generally speaking esp. for being fantasy fiction… she’s funny, she’s a mood, and her POV was great).

On the note of representation: I also loved the way they did adaptations (such as the saddle for example: because she did the work, and it’s just not accessible, so why not make it functional? The debate she has of using it or not resembles conversations I’ve had with many people when it comes to mobility aids, they worry about people seeing, about people thinking them less capable, about the mentality of “power through it” when really it makes more sense just to use the help you have when you need it… it’s not an act of weakness or lesser). The way Rhi even tries to compliment it, to encourage her, and the agency it still gives Tairn & even Andarna, who’s a friggin time-stopping dragon (she’s certainly not weak even if she is not as “strong”—not the word I’m looking for as the other dragons, she’s still a dragon) and she too uses the help!

And the dynamics they have within chronic illness relationships… from the over-protective: I CAN DO IT ON MY OWN many people end up with in siblings & previous caregivers. To the truth that there are some things you cannot do on your own and that’s okay even if your never okay with it. To the way Xaden not once thinks less of Violet for it or gives her special treatment; he is fair to each of them (well as fair as Xaden can be amid murder school). Or the way Dain’s comfort quickly turns into a stinging degradation even if it’s well-meaning & frankly valid (she may very well get herself killed there, he’s not wrong; but he also could, and she could die just as easily getting sent back) it’s her choice, and she does a damn good job honestly. And they try to give agency to Violet in that where they can and I appreciated that.

I love Tairn a lot, especially in character dynamics like his humor & protective affection for Violet in reminding her she is worthy & also please don’t die. He loves a lot, especially for such a “scary, tough” dragon. There’s a strength to that sort of love. And of course Andarna who is a fierce, brave, loving, joyous, other half to Violet’s soul… how could you not love her?

Xaden managed to avoid some very frequent and infuriating YA love interest tropes that I appreciated and while I won’t claim him to be “perfect” (because I know all YA novels have a problem if we’re gonna make it real world) but for the sake of character I actually found him to be not only attractive, intriguing, and entertaining as the classic “rebellious, bad boy, enemies to lovers, angsty brooding burdened softy” but also empowering, fiercely loving, protective but not stifling, and some strong standing points that are needed such as consent, or the why as to how he cares for people. He’s got good reasoning. He’s not needlessly cruel. He also has a cause he is a rebel with a cause, and not some nonsensical brooding, no he has reason. Generally I found him interesting & entertaining without being infuriating. And while he has his issues he’s a very young guy kinda issues? Idk the right way to put it. But I do think him and Violet with trust, and no “forced bodyguard” situations have the potential to be a really awesome couple. I mean he’s pretty much a shadow boi… like it’s fairly simple😂 and she’s the sunny & stormy trope. So, of course I’m an absolute idiot for him and find them sweet.

Also thanks for making the best friend bi! And if I’m correct some non-binary characters too! This book did a good job at trying to give some more representation. And managed to go beyond the basics of YA novels.

Overall it made me laugh it made me cry, I’m not calling it the perfect book but minus killing off one of my favorite characters it was a lot of fun and I look forward to the next one and think this will definitely be a favorite series of all time. And while I’ll process for fuller reviews (not that this isn’t already obnoxiously long). I really enjoyed this one a LOT!

So, off to Iron Flame with our theories, feels, and thoughts we go! Wish me luck! And we’re almost to Onyx Storm so yay for all you long-term fans!

(Should I read slow to avoid waiting a few days inbetween? I’m worried for a cliff-hanger😂)

Oh, and because he deserves to be in here: Yes, Liam was a favorite from day one. He always will be. He was just genuinely good, easy to like, funny, entertaining in his conversations to everyone, depth to the feelings it brought he added layers to many stories, he was kind and loyal… so loyal… somehow even to Violet, even with the lies, he was a good friend and he loved them all a lot. And more than just brawn (though also he was described to be a total heartthrob) he was also smart! And he learned sign language which I always love as someone who grew up speaking ASL for my sisters… he was the best of his class, and frankly just deserved a lot more. Watch Deigh & then him die broke me and I really thought they’d find a way out of it because he just loved his friends so much.😭 And I hate that this is gonna be the pain of the next book… it’s a little too personal for me right now in my own real life with holiday grief & stuff so I totally bawled like a baby… and the fact he said he just wanted to be alive, and see his sister… yeah-not-okay-enough to write this. I shall miss our sweet bb blonde wood carver boi.

Okay, time to go be basic: fall for the shadow guy, root for the FMC & project my life onto her, feel all the ship angst, cry for the fictional sweetheart, & totally fall for whatever the writes me to like/hate & guiltily forgive/hold onto…

[danmeireadingthoughts]

My thoughts while reading Golden Terrace I, without context: a thread.

(possible spoiler warning.)

[wondereads]

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater is like if Pride & Prejudice and Howl’s Moving Castle had a lovely little regency baby

[acourtofquestions]

So, I (of course😂) have a LOT of thoughts after finishing The Assassin’s Blade — heading into Heir of Fire, so I still don’t fully know the series… this is current non-spoiler thoughts — but let’s get into it:

First off let’s deal with a big one: Celaena and Arobynn.

…Mostly “big” because their entire relationship is so severely f*ed up it take’s a LOT to understand… However, the biggest thing that keeps sticking out to me is the fact that it does makes sense (I am NOT saying it’s right, or healthy; to be clear it is most definitely NOT) it is a disturbingly realistic portrayal of what THAT kind & level of abuse does to a person.

It is infuriatingly painful to watch; as the reader you can clearly see the issue; you want to scream at Celaena to RUN already, get out, NOW; you feel for Sam’s frustration at times becoming fury & terror at the fact she does not stop him.

Yet, it is not a lack of knowing or agreeing with this that makes Celaena stay; it isn’t even wanting to stay, often she confirms the opposite; it’s the fact that she is utterly terrified. At times Arobynn makes her revert into a terrified state of childlike fawning. All centered around the idea; I can only seem to explain using this quote (because Shakespeare has nothing on Taylor Swift; though the context of this is 100% NON romantic; that question mark on their relationship is utterly skin crawling) “Who’s going to know me?” if not Arobynn who is going to know Aelin Galathynius ever even existed?

… Everything Celaena has become she has been (falsely) taught into believing was “Arobynn given”; even her notoriety as the prized “Adarlan’s Assassin” is not by her mark but by his word. He has ensured at every opportunity that she does not forget it; that she feels small & one breath away from being prey, that she does not feel sure of herself or anything aside from him (and even that is a pendulum) that she is haunted by her past; and never forgets what it is to lose EVERYTHING. She lost everything. In that she had to destroy every piece of the girl she was; the one that had a family she loved; the one that had a home, a country, a purpose; anything she was before the one Arobynn pulled out of the river. And if not him; does anyone even remember? — Does it all cease to be nothing more than forgotten; her grief, her love, Aelin herself; is it any different than if Aelin had drowned in the river?

— This is Celaena’s obsession with being remembered; on the surface it appears shallow, selfish, full of nothing more than pride & arrogance alone; in truth it has more to do with fear (a key point of her character’s driving mindset) & purpose (a key point of humanity/morality).

… How does she make any sense of all she has done & become at Arobynn’s hand; every life she has taken, every terrible thing she has done; if not for him?

And this is why for so long she stays; because she is more afraid of the unknown & so tired of loss; it feels much safer to be known, to know the loss that will come, to hurt with familiar pain, to exist within a tether to his realm; then to feel as if she is risking everything over again.

[dearlyjess]

piranesi update - this book is forever changing the way i view knowledge and its creation and attainment. jumbled thoughts right now but more to come

[godofgrapes]

I predict my rating of R.F. Kuang’s Babel is just going to be

“Ow. 5 Stars”

[mythrilpencil]

So lately I’ve been reading The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn basically at the same time (technically bouncing back and forth), and honestly, doing so while also being on Tumblr is such an experience.

I keep accidentally absorbing mild spoilers from my dashboard, and that has led to a lot of wondering “ok, how does (insert spoiler here) actually go down??” while I read.

And it’s making me VERY sus of certain characters.

(Lookin’ at you Kelsier)

[bookaddict24-7]

2024 Reading Goals!

I'm always a bit more lax with my reading goals because I never really know how a year is going to treat me--the last thing I need is stress over my reading (which is admittedly my biggest escape from life). BUT with that being said, making some goals that aren't set in stone is always a fun exercise!

Eleven Reading Goals I'd Like to Achieve in 2024:

Read at least 250 books. (I listen to a lot of audiobooks, so this isn't usually a major stress factor. Even if I wanted to read less, my reading addiction wouldn't really allow it. When I'm not reading, I'm thinking about reading. It's just who I am. BUT keep in mind that this is my goal based on my reading habits. everyone has a different reading habit!)

Finish, or nearly finish the Sookie Stackhouse series. (Of course, this is super dependant on when I get the audiobooks from the library LOL.)

Finish the books on my desk. (I have...a few started books on here. It's cluttering up the space and I feel like I just really want to read them but I'm a mood reader, so...)

(Fourth Wing is a re-read that I was annotating and dropped when something new came out and my attention was stolen away.)

4. Read a few books from each bookshelf of my bedroom. (I already went through the shelves last week and assigned myself a handful of books or so from each shelf for each month of 2024. I just want to specifically target some of the books on my shelves to encourage myself to read more of my owned books. Maybe I should share that progress on here to keep myself accountable. Hm...)

5. Continue to DNF books I don't like. (This is a practice I've been using for the last couple of years, but I also want to remind anyone reading this that it is OK to put down that book you're not vibing with. Life is too short.)

6. Read more formats, not just audiobooks. (I LOVE audiobooks and owe them so much. But I also do sometimes miss having the attention span to read physically. I read a lot more physical books in November & December and I loved it. Also, I pay for KU, so I might as well use it more in 2024.)

7. Try to buy less books. (Seriously, I've gone off the deep end in the last four months. I need to rein it back in. Maybe I should keep a monthly track of it to remind myself not to do the book buying thing as much.)

8. Diversify my reading even more. (Pretty self-explanatory, I think.)

9. Continue to review every book I read this year. (I've been doing this for the past couple of years and it has felt both a bit overwhelming and super rewarding. I love that I can look back on these last few years and read my opinion of whatever books I read during those years.)

10. Unhaul more books. (Life is too short and my shelves are too full to keep books I felt meh about, or don't think I need. Trust me: the first unhaul is the hardest, but after that, it's a little too easy to unhaul books.)

11. Read more of my ARCs. (They are currently staring at me from their designated shelves. I WILL read my very old ARCs at some point in my life, hopefully some will be in 2024.)

___

What are some of your goals for 2024?

___

Thank you for being with me throughout another year of book blogging and post sharing! I hope everyone has a fantastic year full of reading and good health!

___

Happy reading!

[tothestarsinvelaris]

Me: I love a good slow burn romance!! Build up the tension and the yearning. Start them off as actual enemies and then bring them together slowly!! Make it take multiple books to get really good! 👏

Also me: IM 80% THROUGH THE FIRST BOOK AND THEY HAVENT KISSED YET 😭😭😭😭

[violentdelightshavevioletends]

Current quick final chapters of Iron Flame thoughts (thus far):

Tairn creating an addendum to his “no eating our allies” rule was hilarious.🤣

The resurgence of our old mantra has me in the feels “I will not die today.”

The most uncomfortable meeting lmao yeah having your brother surprise you with your bestie, his cousin, everyone you lead, and everyone you know walk in mid-spice to talk about saving the world is bad-timing for a perfect storm of utterly uncomfortable meetings😅

I’m not here for you👏 let’s go with the Angelica Schuyler moment bro

Respect. That’s all. I love the way Cat and Vi are coming to that place.

This. Was. THE. I love you!😭

Someone will be lost… I just know it, and I’m terrified. I didn’t see Liam coming and it killed me… I’m worried about Dain; please don’t die!!! Sloane stay safe babe! If I lose Ridoc or Sawyer or Rhi… nope I can’t do that. Like I know Vi & Xaden are safe cause they can’t kill the two main but ugh everyone else is scaring me; ps Violet please don’t get stabbed again. Tairn be careful. No more deaths and hurting Violet in that! Imogen, Bodhi, Mira, Brennan, Jesinia, STAY SAFE!!! Andarna, honey, be careful! Also just like will the school fall? Is this that Hogwarts kinda moment? It feels like so much has changed from part one… so bittersweet already. I JUST LOVE THEM ALL!!!

Okay, not to be like “yay” for the literal Cat fight; the fact Violet & Cat fight the same (cause Xaden trained them so add him to the list of that style too I guess) it’s kinda great Venin practice.

JACK FUCKING BARLOWE I KNEW IT… never thought I’d feel sorry for Bade… how did he even survive that? What does it mean? What was Nolon doing? Do the opaque eyes have greater meaning I’ve missed… HE WAS ALWAYS VENIN… I don’t even know what to do with all of this I went from DAMN IT BADE, to DAMN IT JACK, to WHAT THE FUCK, TO DOUBLE ALL THAT… idk anymore: idiot took himself and his dragon out and now I just don’t know

[danmeireadingthoughts]

It's really funny because I always shorten "The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish" to "The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved..." so, technically, it's still the same title XD Whether Xiaoyu or Li Yu, it's the same fish.

[aurorasandsad-prose]

I always wondered how some people just can't even acknowledge that Taylor Swift is a very talented Songwriter. I understand you might not personally be a fan of the kind of music she produces but it's glaringly obvious how well-thought and well-written her lyrics are if you look at them.

I realised today that not everyone can actually even truly understand her lyrics let alone acknowledge them. Not everyone can perceive the story telling for what it is rather than just the literal meaning.

And this is not a mockery or anything like that. It is just a fact. You simply cannot appreciate something if you don't fully understand it and more importantly, understand it as it is meant to be understood and not, most probably as you might be understanding it.

Art is so interesting!

This is most definitely true for other artists as well