I‘ve been listening to this for an hour and still have no compelling reason to care about anything and continue reading. When does the so-what factor hit? Also, having a prologue followed by the start of book 1, followed then by the start of part 1 some time later feels beyond presumptuous.

I know I only have 46 minutes left but I realized this book is irritating me. I‘m not sure if I just suddenly started noticing the writing was rough or if the writing took a bad turn at 70% (it was passable before, not amazing but not the worst). I maybe should have bailed way back when the characters were laughably thirsty all the time or when the author used the sound of stirring wet macaroni as a description in a sex scene 😐

Here‘s my first round of Book Cover Scavenger Hunt for #HauntedShelf #BlackCatCrew!

📚Natsume‘s Book of Friends: green
📚Ash‘s Cabin: weapon (Ash is holding a bow)
📚Go Luck Yourself: gold (gold coins by the Y)
📚Twistwood Tales: monster
📚Most Ardently: fake sticker (I am not sure if printed on versions of awards counts since they used to be stamped in)
📚Be Prepared: group (in the background)

@PuddleJumper

Follow Ash as they prepare to run away and live in a cabin their grandpa built in the woods (if it exists). Beautifully illustrated and told. My adult perspective on this book (worried about the logistics of Ash‘s safety and their family‘s fear and grief for their missing teen) is probably a lot different than how teens would experience the book. #Survival

If I‘m doing this right, I have built up this many points for #BlackCatCrew in #HauntedShelf so far:

🍁Word finder in my reading: 12 words found, 180 points
🕰️29 hours read, 435 points
📖5 books read (non-tbr, non-seasonal): 50 points
📚4 books read (tbr): 100 points
📷9 Litsy posts (including this one): 9 points
(And I‘m not reporting guessing game points yet so I don‘t lose track!)

Total: 774 points
@BookwormAHN

12 words found in my reading so far for #SpookyStacks counting toward #BlackCatCrew! I think the ones that surprised me most were owl (because I thought “hm, that may be a pretty specific word I‘ll have to actively look for” and turned the page and there it was in a short story in Amplitudes!) and mischief (found in the tagged while talking to mischief the inn caused).

I‘m working on tallying points now. @PuddleJumper @BookwormAHN

A teen forms an unexpected bond with a wolf and a team of scientists and tries to survive her death trap of a world. I read this because it‘s one of my library‘s community reads this year. I didn‘t care for it. It‘s an interesting book, and well told, but the main character‘s self-blame pity parties got really old and so did the author‘s shortening of words to sound futuristic and edgy (predator? Pred. Corporation? Corpo. Transport? Transpo. Etc)

I don‘t always enjoy short story collections, and this one was no exception. These shorts depict a pretty stark image of queer and trans futurity (which maybe I should have expected with Mandelo as the editor😆) and felt more like scifi than futurist works. Most of the stories also seemed to use sex specifically to be edgy and uncomfortable, but maybe it was just my Demi brain missing the point. I had to skip a few. #ShortStories #LGBTQIA

I wound up missing a volume or two because of the confusing way this manga is structured, and it really showed up in this volume because I missed some important character introductions 😆 otherwise, another excellent volume. I liked the way we lean about Taichi‘s past in-chapter instead of in a chapter all its own. #LGBTQIA #Disabled #Manga

I am still loving this series. We get to see the characters continue to grow in their relationship and in their professional lives in this volume, and dove into the lives of some side characters as a fun aside. #LGBTQIA #Manga

A witch who lost her powers after casting a resurrection spell as a child uses her now minimal powers to manage her chaotic inn and the wayward folks it brings in. I enjoyed this cozy tale and all of its charming characters. I wish Posey and Clementine got to be more character than a plot device though. #Cozy #Fantasy

Two guys who work together decide it would be convenient to get married. The concept behind this one is pretty weak. LGBTQIA+ marriage becomes legal, and suddenly everyone is trying to secure marriages regardless of who it's with. I don't get it and it seems to be fueled by the fearmongering tactics of people who argue that marriage equality will lead to people getting married just to cheat the system instead of for love.

Mimi discovers the art of magical baking while preparing for a baking competition at a local cafe and chaos breaks out within her family. This is a fun adaptation borrowing from A Midsummer Night‘s Dream. I enjoy books with kitchen magic, and Mimi is a charming character. This is middle grade, but it did feel like she was a little more clueless than I would have expected. #Magic #Baking #MiddleGrade #Adaptations

This was definitely and interesting adventure into speculative evolution. The author takes the time to explain different adaptations on Earth in detail and why those adaptations formed, and poses thoughts on why we might expect to see similar (or different) features in animals on another life-sustaining planet.

Two cybernetic supersoldiers battle in a hyper-sensationalized war where they are treated like pop idols. This was unsettling and I found it hard to follow. I don‘t think I got out of it what the author was going for. #comics #war #LGBTQIA

A few hand-drawn bingo boards, prompts written on a series of notecards, and an old unused October calendar from two years ago to track my reading points. All ready for #HauntedShelf! @BookwormAHN

This one was pretty bad, which is surprising because I love stories with kitsune. The premise was weak and contrived, designed to be edgy sexy instead of being a real story. The character relationship was just toxic, and the spicy scenes were really just uncomfortable. #manga

While helping a friend with his gay dating app, competitive salaryman Izumi makes a stronger connection than expected with another user. This was way better than I thought it was going to be. Very glad I picked it up despite my reservations. #LGBTQIA #Manga

When Oberon develops late powers from a generational mutation, he relies on his own projection guide to help him through the ensuing crisis. I don‘t remember why I picked this up, but it was a fun read. Beautiful art and a saga of character development facing your own fears and destructive anxieties. This had a lot of fun twists and turns. There are a few things that are a bit weak, but not so weak that the story is unenjoyable. #LGBTQIA #Comics

While there were quite a few poems in this collection that my brain didn‘t quite parse, there were many more with stunning formats and vivid storytelling power. My favorites were this Amazon shopping history poem that tells a story (content warning for terminal illness), and one in which the poet rewinds backward through his entire life, capturing significant moments as points observed through a reverse timeline. #Poetry

Two manga artists who love each other‘s work strike up a fake dating relationship for no reason? (There was a reason, I just can‘t remember because it wasn‘t compelling). This manga is just ok. It‘s cute, and will probably be great for the right reader. I was not very invested in the characters‘ relationship until pretty late in this volume, which wasn‘t enough to make me want to read the next one. #manga #Artist #LGBTQIA

A wild dash through two-spirit and indigiqueer speculative fiction. I enjoyed exploring these writers‘ world experiences, hopes, and fears through this collection. The stories are dire, making this a difficult read at times. #LGBTQIA #Indigenous #ShortStories

A complex cast of characters find themselves ripped from their lives when their latent magical powers emerge. In their new magical home that may be slowly dying, everyone has their own reasons for wanting to leave or stay. If you enjoy not-quite-rooting for gray characters in tenuous situations, this is a good one for you. I wish the mom got to be more than just a mom. #LGBTQIA #Witches

The story and character relationships continue to develop as Alto and Elva band together with new and old allies to solve the newly discovered supernatural and political problems of the island. Some hilarious and adorable moments tucked into all of the seriousness. #LGBTQIA #Fantasy #Manga

I spotted this on a library book display and thought it sounded intriguing. It was a lot of fun! I didn‘t expect it to have so many LGBTQIA stories, which is always a delightful surprise. A few of these were so-so, as is the case for most short story collections. I loved the one with the ghosts. #ShortStory #DiverseStories #LGBTQIA

While trying to avoid attention, Tao stumbles into an adventuring party‘s quest and builds a found family along the way. This is charming and funny, with sweet characters. A low pick because it just reads like someone‘s D&D campaign with slightly flat characters and underdeveloped side characters and elements of the story. #Fantasy #FortuneTelling #Cozy

Leo and Grim begrudgingly go on a quest together to remove a curse that binds them together. This was such an incredibly fun read! Adventure around every turn of the page. I wound up reading through the climax twice before finishing the book to take it all in again. #LGBTQIA #MusicMagic #Fantasy

This volume of jaye simpson‘s poems is turbulent, capturing the hard and soft edges of being trans, woman, and indigenous. The collection is intriguing, varied in form, and interesting to read. I‘m glad I picked it up. #Poetry #LGBTQIA

I greatly enjoyed this return to the holiday worlds, this time following Kris as he tries to solve the problem of magic theft. This enemies-to-lovers romance is just as hilarious, charming, and sexy as the first book, and is definitely joining Nightmare Before Kissmas as a top favorite for the year. #LGBTQIA #Holiday #Romance

A young lesbian is cast out of her home when she is outed at college. Throughout this book we see this charismatic woman figure out how to make it on her own as she navigates financial and interpersonal challenges. I wouldn't say I enjoy classic literature, but ever now and then I do strive to read it. #LGBTQIA #ClassicLit

A group of ace and aro teens (plus one tween) internet friends meet up, and to support one of their own, carry out a heist. I have questions about some elements, and never got fully invested in the main character's plight. I also wish the mom had been more developed and less of a concept driving the plot. #LGBTQIA #Heist #YoungAdult

A collection of humorous comic strips following two (and then more) friends in their messy lives and queer experiences. The characters are heartfelt, and I enjoyed seeing their relationships grow. This style of comic never really resonates with me, so I can't speak to whether it will resonate with readers. #LGBTQIA #Humor #Comics

Such a good read! The characters are delightful, the trio's friendship spawns plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, and the world is very fun. Maybe it's just that I love stories with holiday worlds and magic, especially magic born from joy. This will definitely be a top read of the year for me. #LGBTQIA #Holidays

This book takes a hard look at grief after the loss of a child, racism, and Native American experiences. From the title, I thought it would be a bit more about Alice but it's mostly about the men in her life. #NativeAmerican #Motherhood

Tony does an amazing job of balancing humor and serious topics in this middle grade graphic memoir. His character introductions and friends are hilarious, and he doesn't back down from the bullying and racism he faced or the resulting mental health struggles. It was great watching him build his support network and their efforts to save the school too. Do read the content warnings. #MiddleSchool #BIPOC #Nerds

Linus and Arthur‘s family continues to grow and strengthen in the face of oppression. This was just as corny, playful, sweet, laugh-out-loud, and heartwarming as the first book. The afterward was beautiful and made me cry a bit for various reasons. #LGBTQIA #Adoption

I like volume 2 even more than volume 1! We get a deeper look into the family personalities and discover a second secret ally. I really enjoyed the horror game chapter 😂 The mom also had a lot of moments of reflection and growth as she noticed happenings in the world around her and realized ways they might impact her son. #LGBTQIA #Manga #Motherhood

An adorable manga about a mom quietly being an ally for her less-than-subtle son who she suspects is gay. I enjoyed the high levels of fluff in this first volume. #LGBTQIA #Motherhood

Stevenson‘s yearly reflection web comic shines a lens on dysphoria, feeling like an imposter, and taking a mental health rollercoaster. I enjoyed the art style and thoughtful reflections captured here. #LGBTQIA #TransRightsReadathon

I very much loved some of the short stories in this collection, and others were just alright. So fun to find a collection of ace stories! #LGBTQIA #ShortStories #TransRightsReadathon

I usually manage to read at least one of them, so here are my September #Roll100 pics! I‘m not sure which The House Witch book I meant to have on my list because I didn‘t include author names and have been interested in reading both of these 🤭 coincidentally, I already started one of them! @PuddleJumper

As we gear up for #HauntedShelf hosted by @PuddleJumper here are some books you might add to your TBR! The Diviners and Thistlefoot are young adult horror combining the supernatural and the horrors of hate and xenophobia. Pumpkin Heads is an absolute unit of cozy following two best friends on their last day working a fall festival. I adore this one. Want to join the fun? Sign up:

https://forms.gle/wmcY27wyx6awp3EfA

Gearing up for #HauntedShelf in October hosted by @PuddleJumper ! I don‘t ever really have what one would call a proper TBR list or pile, so here are some random possibilities I could consider from my expansive list of titles I‘m vaguely or very interested in. Want to join in the fun? Sign up and enjoy at your pace!

https://forms.gle/wmcY27wyx6awp3EfA

A bright queer Victorian romance featuring bicycles, botany, redemption all over the place, and hilarious side characters. I loved this book! It is always fun finding a book that I can see my own relationship reflected in. I‘m also a sucker for enemies to lovers and redemption of antagonist characters. This book also has some really well done love scenes. #LGBTQIA #VictorianRomance #Botany #Bikes

History buff and reactor Amos discovers the people who are missing or barely acknowledged from our history. In this story told through letters he writes to a trans civil war soldier, he recounts his efforts to change this. I enjoyed this middle grade read, and learned some stuff along the way, which is a great bonus. #LGBTQIA #History #CivilWar

Even without having read the novels in this series, I enjoyed this graphic novel. The story is intriguing from start to finish. Fans of the series will likely enjoy this backstory and its nods to other happenings in the series. #Comics #Adaptations #Transmedia

A soft pick. In this graphic memoir, the author explores his life and feelings in a more abstract manner. It‘s definitely an interesting read, and I liked the monotone color scheme, he uses it to excellent effect for emphasis. #LGBTQIA #Nonfiction #LGBTQIA

We went camping for my birthday, and made sure to bring hammocks and books to enjoy together. I love reading in my hammock! #Camping #ReadOutside #Hammock

As Matti struggles to save his family‘s prospects, he is thrown unexpectedly into the path of a dashing con artist who begrudgingly becomes his sword instructor. Watching Matti and Luca fight their growing feelings as they chart a crash course for their own secrets and those of other characters is a treat. I enjoyed the character development in this book quite a bit. It is a slower paced book because it deals with business espionage. #LGBTQIA

I had the pleasure of helping to select this as an award winner for a local book award. It was a tough decision between this and another. Between its fun characters, thoughtful handling of panic attacks, interesting countdown style, and well crafted sex scenes, this book is an interesting read and I enjoyed it. Might not be everyone‘s cup of tea due to some of the tropes it uses. #LGBTQIA #AutumnBooks