I‘ve lately been attempting to listen to my backlog tbr on Spotify… and it‘s been slightly unsuccessful. Six DNF‘s in a row and an ever increasing purge pile, I‘m going to a favorite audiobook author. I love Klune‘s stories but I also love listening to them. The narrators are always 👍👍 for voices. They lend so much character. I‘ve already 😢 and 🤣 with this book.

Thoroughly enjoying it.

Sandra Brown is one of my go-to authors. She is good at what she does: a quick-paced thriller with a mix of some romance. Blood Moon is no different. Discovering a cold case may be part of a larger scheme tied to the Blood Mood cycle, a jaded cop and a true crime doc producer, rush to ensure another victim doesn‘t happen.

It was fast, tense and pure Brown, in craziness.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I‘ll give this a pick even though it fell flat at times. With such a strong start, I thought I was getting into a horror novel I wouldn‘t be able to handle. And while there were some ‘gross‘ scenes, I think this novel touched more on chosen family and finding one‘s place in the world.

Was it trying to do too much? Possibly. It was an enjoyable read nonetheless.

🐝🐝🐝

It‘s a lovely read a book at the beach day.

The wheel has spoken and it‘s The Honeys up next!

I think I missed that it was a horror novel and not a thriller… but the first chapter set me straight 🫠

Dark and atmospheric, Reid does a fabulous job of setting the tone of a dreary and dank remote Scottish castle. Reid does take some creative license but I don‘t think the purpose was to simply retell the play, but to reimagine what it might have been like for a young ‘witch-touched‘ woman to be thrown into a male driven world, with a power hungry husband. Macbeth is my favourite Shakespearean play and Reid did a commendable job.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It‘s hammock season and so the audiobook and tangible read are at the ready.

Audiobook: The Wee Free Men
Tangible: Lady Macbeth (from a Summer Reads Wheel Spin)

I thought I could be detached while reading this and wouldn‘t be surprised by anything. If you‘ve read or watched The Hunger Games, you know Haymitch. What could possibly shock a reader?

But oof was I misinformed. The last few pages, Collins pulled out the PAIN, and I was left a sobbing mess. The Hunger Games remains unsurpassed and Collins continues to add great stories to the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The wheel has spoken and next up for my summer reads is Haymitch‘s story!

While I enjoyed this book and feel like it would be an amazing anime, I think it just didn‘t go deep enough. I should‘ve been terrified by the Shiikuin, but I just wasn‘t. I should‘ve been awed by the Night Market, but it was just meh. So while it was a fantastical and beautiful story, it didn‘t garner the emotional reaction it should‘ve.

This is a hard rating. It‘s in between a pick and a so-so, so I‘m rounding up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

OF COURSE I had to get the boxset Fly. And I regret nothing. And because the art book is absolutely ginormous, I had to give my AOT collection some new shelves.

I have to say, I‘m shocked I didn‘t do this in the beginning because it needed to always to be a centrepiece display. ❤️❤️

Next up from my Summer Reads pile is Water Moon! I also made a wheel to help me choose 🤪

I found this for $8 at Indigo years ago and had zero expectations. The cover was eerie and drew me in. Maltman paints an emotional image of small town rural life, struck by tragedy. A father trying to understand his son‘s actions. A pastor‘s wife trying to find her place. A town guided by traditions and keeping secrets. Mixing in folklore and Norse Mythology, Maltman creates a tense story interwoven with mystery and beauty.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I‘m trying something new by making a summer reads pile! So these are my picks for June and July. Will this work out? Probably not… but these are the books that I‘ve been itching to pick up and for some reason never do. So once I finish my current read, I‘ll be picking away at this!

First up is the tagged book: Little Wolves

Urasawa is HEAVY. And political. And convoluted. That being said… Monster was better executed. This one started off strong with an amazing premise (somewhat on point these days), but then… it just ended. And to just be cut short after (technically) 22 volumes? WTF. NOTHING is explained.

I found out that there is a one volume sequel: 21st Century Boys. Manga fans… do I get it?

I‘m not sure what to rate… ⭐️⭐️⭐️?

This was the volume I‘ve been looking for!

1) we got DRAMA
2) we got anguish
3) we got Kronos
4) we got STUNNING ART 🥰🤤

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ we got it all in this volume.

The reading marathon continues this holiday Monday, and the vibe is on point.

The long weekend reads! This might be too much but I‘m really just trying to finish 20th Century Boys!

There shouldn‘t be any surprise if you happen to wander into this book nook area 🤣. The newest reading area of my house is finally complete!

Starting this book, I had no idea what it was about. With about 7 pages left, I had no idea what it was about. Here are the feels:

1) an unending sense of unease was the theme
2) it‘s labelled as a coming of age/romance, but I‘ve never been more disgusted with the opposite sex while reading
3) it was uncomfortable and confusing and maybe meta?

I‘ll be confused for a while. If others have read it, please explain it to me. 🤣

⭐️⭐️.5

I don‘t think it‘s a good weekend unless I end up in my oasis with a new book. Sunday morning reads.

A chill Good Friday morning from my favourite spot (with a few more new plants).

This book had me SHOOK!! We know the crime, but we don‘t really know the who… or the why. And the one person that does? She hasn‘t spoken since it happened.

Told through the woman‘s diary entries, and the therapist‘s POV, who is trying to help her, this is a well-planned, paced and emotional thriller.

This was the one I needed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I‘m out of town and an ice storm hit and knocked out the power where I‘m staying since Saturday night. So I‘m currently ‘living‘ at the local Indigo, which has power. I may be spending too much and cleaning up my Wishlist 🤣

Just when I think I‘ve figured out where this story is going, I pick up the next volume. We‘re nearing the end and things are starting to come to a head. It‘s really quite a well-built story and of course, I hang onto Hua Cheng‘s and Xie Lian‘s romance. My heart can‘t take what I think is going to happen.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I‘ll do multiple books so long as my brain can label them as ‘different forms‘. Here‘s the current set!

20th Century Boys is manga so quick for me, although this series is a little too on point right now.

Bone Gap, I am doing on Spotify in audiobook form.

Garrison Girl is my last official novel in the AOT world, which will probably make me want to read the OG all over again or watch the anime again!

Hoping to get done by end of February!

I love the wildness that is Brynne Weaver. While this is not my favourite of the trilogy (it‘s hard to top what happened in B&B), this one had moments of epic comedy gold, so inappropriate that you‘re amazed you‘re laughing. I think what confused me about this book was that it‘s really a tandem read with the other two. Because of that, it shifts and jumps timelines, and it didn‘t quite feel like JUST Rose and Fionn‘s story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I basically read this in one sitting so I can‘t say I didn‘t love it. But Shiloh… oof. I‘m going to call her the Queen of Self Sabotage because wow. The back and forth was a tad frustrating. Unlike the ‘no communication‘ trope, these two almost talked too much, without saying anything.

That being said, it was light, heart-felt and the fluff I needed after reading some heavy books. I love Rowell.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Early Saturday morning recharge.

If this was an anime episode, the VA would be sick and off so the company made a filler, recap episode… and in manga… that‘s unnecessary and annoying. This has two chapters pertaining to the story, a 3 chapter what-if scenario and then random recapping. At this point I feel like I‘m petering out on this. I‘d rather read the previous volumes again than possibly continue.😢

⭐️⭐️

This was the thriller I needed. Told from the POV of a serial killer‘s victims, the potential next victim, and the woman he‘s kept for five years, this is a true tale of trauma and survival.

I really can‘t say more except that it‘s tense, and truly a heavy read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Here‘s my hot take of 2025: this was … okay.

Two major complaints:

1) I figured out every little surprise, including the last. The foreshadowing was almost too obvious. And when you know what‘s going to happen for 400 pages… it tends to drag.

2) Yarros has a habit of doing cliffhanger chapter endings and then treating them as cut scenes never dealt with. Annoying.

The dragons kept me going. Andarna was Toothless level adorable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I wish I could‘ve stuck with this one because I read that it was a genius book for Simmons. I can certainly appreciate the concept and story behind this book, but the one chapter just killed me (actually stopped midway through it). After 3 years left on the shelf it was time to let it go.

My reading plans backfired when the audiobook of Wicked Beauty wasn‘t jiving with me. So I‘m switching to starting Fourth Wing on Spotify… and continuing Wicked Beauty and The Quiet Tenant in tangible form.

I think this is the one I‘ve been waiting for. I devoured this one. This is THE arc! From the beginning, the reader is aware that there is something underneath Xie Lian‘s calm, godly exterior. Everyone pushes him to make him snap and show his ‘true self‘. And here we see it. This volume is violent and heartbreaking. It is tragic. But it‘s absolutely what this series needed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The reading spot has a book light now and just completed the vibe.

Backman can do no wrong IMO. I will always refer to him as a wordsmith. He can take the most absurd scenario and make it a philosophical look at life. In this case, Lucas just wants to live his life by himself, but nagging neighbours stealing wifi, a cult believing he‘s an angel (and one that believes he‘s not), a meddlesome apartment committee… and a frying pan, just won‘t let him enjoy his Pad Thai and video game.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And with this, I think my 2024 reads are locked in.

I missed Tracy. The level of mystery/thriller is unparalleled and her Nolan series is top notch. It kept me on my toes throughout and revisiting loved characters was such a treat. These feel like real people that have gone through different types of trauma, and Tracy deals with them in a masterful way. I can‘t wait to read the next in the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This might be ambitious but the end of the year TBR is locked in. I have a plan!

Desolation Canyon and The Widow (already about 1/2 done) are my 15 hours Spotify listens. Throne of Glass, I expect to finish this weekend and then I can start Wreck the Halls. Sasaki and Miyano is something I can definitely breeze through!

Wish me luck!!

I‘m glad I read the third one first in this trilogy, because if I had read in order, I wouldn‘t have continued. This is repetitive and just… terrible. I began to hate the relationship of Poppy and Tyler. Just… nope.

Express to the purge pile.

⭐️

It is a rainy day here so I‘m enjoying the weather in my sunroom, with a good book!

King of Immortal Tithe - 🏳️‍🌈 retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth. Thoroughly enjoying it!

I loved The Blackhouse trilogy, so this was shockingly a disappointment. IMO Enzo is a sub par John Rebus… so read Ian Rankin instead.

Some thoughts:

1) Enzo is kind of… skeezy
2) wow, a character with the worst daddy issues I‘ve ever seen…
3) I think everyone was sleeping with everyone?? Or trying… see 1 … and 2.
4) oh yeah… murders happened, which obviously got overshadowed by the annoying stuff above.

⭐️⭐️

I am not a fan of golf, but I did enjoy this for what it was: short, sweet and smutty. Also relatable as the MFC is T1D and so her struggles and insecurities hit me personally. Being a T1D of 36 years, I can relate entirely to the need of being independent but also supported just in case of an emergency.

As Bailey wrote, this is a love story, with a side of insulin, because T1Ds are more than just the disease. And I appreciated that.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sometimes the translations in this series really get to me. It‘s too overly simplistic in writing style at times. That being said, I‘ve read the greatest sentence:

If the communication array had been as confusing as a pot of stew earlier, the stew had now just toppled onto the ground and fed the dogs.

🤣💀

Yeah I completely blew through this one! In order to sum up my feelings, I‘ll make a few points:

1) If I see a puppet in the near future, I will punch it.
2) The narrator‘s Pupkin voice made me want to turn inside out.
3) I actually LOL‘d at times, despite having a constant case of the shivers while listening.
4) IMO this is Hendrix at his best.

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

And with that, the Spooktober pile is done. Now I‘m gonna read a romance.

The last spooky book on my planned Spooktober pile! Doing this one on Audible.💀🎃👻

White is quickly becoming a favourite author. Using the late 1800s as a backdrop for a discussion on those that don‘t fit the mold, White seamlessly blends discussions on the use of asylums, trans and autistic individuals, and the spirits these places leave behind.

It‘s gruesome and tragic, but brilliantly constructed.

🎃🎃🎃🎃

I gave it the good ole college try… but when the thought that you only have so many audiobook hours and this is wasting them… there‘s no going back. As per my usual feelings with King… this just dragged on too long.

I know it‘s also an old book but there should also be trigger warnings… because it‘s almost vulgar detail. The audio also had weird chime noises that would happen mid sentence… it just got annoying.

Another spooky fail.

🎃

The care that Tanabe took to visualize Lovecraft‘s story is truly commendable. With every horror, my brain is constantly screaming some version of PUT IT BACK! And this was no different. An excursion to the Antarctic goes wrong, when eons old visitors are discovered.

While the imagery was both beautiful and horrifying, I think the most terrifying was what the reader did not see. Despite this being a manga, it still excelled there.

🎃🎃🎃🎃

Welp, I seem to be in my DNF‘ing era. I‘d say this is a reading slump if I wasn‘t actually enjoying everything but my Spooktober pics.

This wasn‘t Anno Dracula. It was a mishmash of short stories, the first two which were so beyond boring. I then looked up a summary and realized that none of these are worth it, and the one Anno Dracula story is an excerpt of the next book.

Disappointed.

🎃