The writing on this one. 🥺😍

Finally picked this book up from the TBR pile after 2 years. 👀

"Family. The greatest loyalty after God."

"There have been none like us before. And there will be none afterwards. Be careful what you write."

Happy New Year, Litsy community!! 🎇 Been on a reading slump since last month, but here's hoping I get back to reading soon. I decided to ease up my reading goals for the year, and aside from finally finishing the arcs I have left, I just want to read the books I really want to read. And not because they're in my TBR pile.

I hope all is well with the rest of you. 💖 May 2023 be good to all of us!

Been reading so slowly these past few months, but I just had to share these really cute (and also stunning) magnetic bookmarks I got recently. 😍🐍✨

I've always wanted the Hogwarts textbooks as bookmarks, and these appeared on my IG feed one day. 👀

One other thing I love seeing in this community is other readers' bookmarks. 😃

I knew I would love this book from the moment I read the first line of the Kindle sample, and it did not disappoint. This was an adventure story I really enjoyed reading, and I couldn't put it down after I made it past the 20% mark (always a good sign for me). It was refreshing to see a story about jinns and their magic, the desert, and stories based on the 1001 nights. The author has built something new and fantastical here, and

Here's a very ambitious TBR for December, considering that all I've been doing lately is starting books, and taking a long time to finish them. 🥲

"Let's face it -- the richest people in Fyrrain besides the royalty are the criminals," Lady Tanya stated.

"Only if you count the royals and criminals as separate groups," muttered Tai.

(67% into this book, and I'm only amused now.)

“Don‘t be scared,” I whisper to the girl in the mirror. “Don‘t be scared. Fight.”

❤💙⚔

The worthiest of sequels, in my opinion. I loved every second I spent reading this book. The story is really something else. While the characters are all compelling (you really feel something for all them, you love some, deeply dislike some), it's the story that keeps you. It's a seriously epic retelling of the Arthurian legends, and is the kind of book you want to set aside time every year to reread.

⭐: 5 (all of the stars!)

Happy Bloodmarked Release Day!! ❤💙⚔

Been looking forward to this all year!

"Uncertainty is a key aspect of human reasoning. Without uncertainty, we would never doubt ourselves or our decisions. We would be certain that we‘re right all the time. It‘s this certainty that can make an AI‘s ability to learn turn brittle over time. But if an AI is uncertain and capable of doubt, it can begin to judge itself, to question whether an action or decision will have the consequence it desires and test it more thoroughly."

Not really feeling my other reads right now, so James Rollins it is. 🗝

Deliciously wicked, that was what this story was. Take the title literally. Kitty Collins is a solid main character in her own right (although there were times I questioned her choices).

There are some themes here, however, that I strongly recommend looking up trigger warnings for.

If there's such a thing as a cozy thriller, this could be it. Thanks for the e-arc, Netgalley and HQ!

⭐: 4

The author really came into her own with this sequel, alongside our stabby main character Ren. I was hooked from the beginning. Ren and co. go through some interesting adventures here, and it was nice to see so many references to Japanese mythology throughout the book. This was a fitting end to Ren's story.

⭐: 5

(Photo in the background belongs to Zhaoli JIN)

A truly random book haul. 😄📚🏵

Stunning cover, and intriguing premise aside, this Asian fantasy debut novel gives pretty much straightforward storytelling about a young assassin and a Dokkaebi emperor set in a world abandoned by the gods and goddesses. It starts slow, even with the protagonist's thirst for revenge laid bare early on. The assassin, Lina gets a bit frustrating, but she's a girl with a tragic past, and that's not easy on anyone.

Such a haunting book. In this graphic novel, the immortal child vampire Claudia finally gets to tell her story. Her loves, her hopes, her resentments -- they're all laid bare here. And it's a story worth reading over and over again. 🖤

⭐: 5 (give it all the stars!!!)

Arrived just in time for spooky season! 🎃🧛🏻‍♀️

Happy Book Birthday to Sophie Kim's Last of the Talons!!! 🥳😄

This was a surprise addition to my list of most anticipated reads this year. I could never pass up on Asian-inspired fantasy, especially when these are debut novels. 😯

Bestie passed on her book organizer to me, and it made the perfect home for my small collection of Asian-inspired fantasy books. 😃🐲

I don't think I can praise this book enough. I devoured this from the start, unwilling to put it down and go to bed (although I did have to). I loved the main character, the setting, the story, everything about this book. The writing was beautiful all throughout.

Without a doubt, this is the author's best work yet.

⭐: 5

(Photo in the background belongs to Minha Baek)

It's been ages since I saw any book from The Dandelion Dynasty stocked in the local bookstore. 🤯 We need more copies of the whole series in these parts. 🥺

Finally starting this one. Fingers crossed that this gets me out of a reading slump, and that I end up giving this 5 stars. 🥺

I went into this book thinking it'd be a lighthearted story, a romantic comedy to read in between more serious tomes. I was not prepared for the depth and substance this book delivered on. Do not let the cover fool you. There's a bit of trauma discussed here, and it's not hard to empathize with the characters they affect.

The title really hits differently after the book's over.

Thank you to Netgalley, and Alcove Press for the e-arc!

⭐: 4

Love the bookmark that came with the book I recently got. 😍

✨ Book Mail ✨

Officially added to the TBR pile. Was browsing through some bargain books listed online, and this one caught my eye. We don't get many gladiatrix stories. I'm hoping I'll like this one. 🤞🏻

Leave it to a chicken to throw my life into a tailspin.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

The Maid of Ellanda had returned to Ystara, and soon all would be well. For Liliath, at least.

(It's been nearly 2 years since I last read this. Putting this book at the top of my reread list!)

Yesterday was the 253rd birthday of this man. Before going on to study History in college, I was already fascinated with the emperor's life and career, so it's no surprise that I immediately added this book to my wishlist the moment I learned of its existence. Thankfully, I was able to get the ebook last year. I still like seeing the physical copy in bookstores though. Will I be able to read this by August 15 next year? We'll see.

To be honest, I wasn't so sure where this story was going, despite the synopsis on various websites. At times it sounded like a Sophie Kinsella book. Other times it tried to sound like a single person's memoir. The concept of a last first date sounds cute, but there were instances when it felt a little heavy-handed. Read this if you want something light and easy.

Thank you to Netgalley, and HQ for the e-arc!

⭐: 3

"They can't imagine ideas could be more powerful than dragonfire."

Give this book ALL of the stars. This is without a doubt my favorite book of the year. It was just soo good. A fitting end to the series I've loved since I first heard about it on BookTube. The author really takes her political theory background, and gives the fantasy so much depth and substance that everything in it feels possible. And the dragons, I love how they fit into this story so well. 🔥

⭐: 5 (ALL the stars)

"They watch us kneel, they see the back of our heads, and they think we've given in. They don't realize you can think from your knees just as well as from your feet."

Happy Book Birthday to Furysong by Rosaria Munda!!! 💚🐲

Makes my heart full to see fully-stocked shelves in the bookstore. 💟📚

The Meeting Point has an interesting premise. What if you go on a surprise trip to see your boyfriend, only to find out that he's been cheating on you the whole time, and you learn all about it from the Lift driver who finds his phone left behind in his vehicle?

If that interests you, I recommend reading this series. After all, that premise got me. Once I made it past 15% of the book, I couldn't put it down. I had to read until the end.

⭐: 4

"I wasn't made to torment you. I wasn't made for you at all. I was made for me."

All hail the Girl King! ?

THIS. This is the Asian fantasy book of my dreams! Mimi Yu really delivered on this one (I can actually go to sleep with a smile on my face). I cared about the characters, the story, the myriad of cultures represented here and their respective struggles in this fantasy setting. I am invested in Lu, Min, Nok, and the fate of the Empire of the First Flame. On to the sequel! 👑🔥

⭐: 4.5

"Myths are what common men call history distorted by time."

Current read 🙂

(This was one of the books I was really looking forward to read back in 2021, but life happened. 😅)

This book definitely had the most exquisite writing I've ever read. Truly a lovely tribute to Chinese fantasy. The worldbuilding is where this book excels. The characters, on the other hand, required a lot of patience from me to care about them, making this not a new favorite. I would still recommend this to younger readers though.

⭐: 4

(Photo in the background belongs to kit sanchez)

Was this where all paths to love led? Heartbreak, whether through separation, betrayal, or death? Was the fleeting joy worth the sorrow that came after?

(No idea where this story is going yet, but the writing is truly lovely.)

Budapest was no stranger to war.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

Finally finished reading this book. It's one of those books where the writing is really good, and the twist was also just as good, but I wasn't in the right headspace to enjoy it as well as I should have. Historical mysteries used to be very enjoyable for me, but these days, not so much. This book deserves high praise all the same.

⭐: 4

"Meet every man as you find him, for we're all made the same under habit or robe or rags. Some better made than others, and some better cared for, but on the same pattern all."

"Some scars are carved into our bones -- a part of who we are, shaping what we become."

(Finally diving into this popular book. Here's hoping it doesn't disappoint. ??)

With a name, he had become flesh and blood again. Someone with a history, a past, even a family. So much power in just a name.

(Photo in the background belongs to Adrian Dascal)

The best beach buddies: a mango smoothie, and my Kindle. 🏖☀️

Hope everyone's having a good summer! 😊

Definitely the best Templar novel I've ever read! This was a strong start to the Cotton Malone series, and certainly one of Steve Berry's best works. I thought that nothing could beat The Romanov Prophecy for me, but here we are. Fast-paced, and almost impossible to put down, I really enjoyed this one.

You rock, Steve Berry.

⭐: 5

(Photo in the background belongs to Patrick Gillespie)

Technically, this was one of the best epistolary novels I've ever read. All the separate forms of written communication employed here told a compelling story when put together. Sure this started slow, but with the premise this had, it's understandable. It's an unusual, and even absurd topic. But once I made it past the first half, I was hooked. Not knowing how I felt after the end was a bonus.

⭐: 4

(Photo in the background belongs to Brandon)