I didn‘t know a lot about The Last House on Needless Street when I went into it. I just knew that most people that read it loved it. And I think that‘s the best way to go into this one. I will say that it was a perfectly executed psychological thriller mixed with an unreliable narrator. And I absolutely loved it.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/05/16/the-last-house-on-needless-street-review/

Do you keep a reading journal?

I‘ve kept one for a couple of years now, and I‘ve really enjoyed it. I‘ve been using a bullet journal style one, but last month I found a digital reading journal for my iPad. I‘ve really been enjoying it but it‘s hectic keeping up with two journals. And there are definitely pros and cons of both.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/05/13/physical-reading-journal-vs-digital-reading...

I finally finished this beast of a book, and I loved it! I didn‘t love Dalinar or Adolin‘s points of view at first, but Shallan and Kaladin kept me interested enough to keep going. By the end, I was hooked by the whole story. And in true Sanderson fashion the ending was epic. It took some time to get through this one, but it was totally worth the effort.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/05/06/the-way-of-kings-review/

We spent the weekend in Savannah, Georgia, which just happens to be where my favorite independent bookstore, E. Shaver Booksellers, is located. I told myself I wouldn‘t buy much, but I kind of blacked out when we got in there. The next thing I knew I was carrying two shopping bags to my car. Here‘s what I got. Have you read any of these?

Reading The Way of Kings has been a journey. It didn‘t help that I was studying to get my insurance license at the same time. But now that I‘ve passed my test I‘m ready to throw my full attention back to this beast.

Full reading update: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/04/22/the-way-of-kings-reading-update/

I did a little book shopping today. It feels like it‘s been forever since I set foot into a bookstore. I went in for Words of Radiance but I got distracted along the way.

I‘ve been wanting Deserter for awhile but I‘ve never heard of The Haunted Bookstore. Let me know in the comments if you‘ve read it. I‘d love to hear some reviews.

Last weekend I went wedding dress shopping with my cousin‘s fiancée and my mom. We ended up being a little early to her appointment and lucky for me there was a used book shop a couple of doors down. So of course I had to go in. And I found this gorgeous vintage edition of The Grapes of Wrath. I‘m super excited to add this to my vintage collection. ???

I read The Great Gatsby in high school, and I enjoyed it. But that‘s been a while ago, so I decided it was time for a reread. Surprisingly enough my thoughts are still similar to the thoughts I had in high school. I still enjoyed it I just wish there was more character development. Plus, I‘d love to hear Gatsby‘s full back story.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/03/28/the-great-gatsby-review/

I think I‘m finally coming out of my reading slump, and I want fantasy. So, I decided to pick up Elantris, and I‘m so glad I did. I wasn‘t super excited about it because I‘m ready to start the Stormlight Archives, but I ended up really enjoying it. It‘s probably the best book I‘ve read all year.

My tbr is overwhelming. We had a book drive at my church earlier in the month, and a majority of them went to that. But it‘s time to do another unhaul. I hate to unhaul these because they‘re still great books, but I‘ve just lost interest in them. I want to make room for books that I know I‘ll read.

So for now I‘m listing them in my PangoBooks shop (I‘m @wildwoodreads there too). Maybe someone else will love them.

My father passed away in November 2021. He had numerous health problems, but one of the more prominent ones was his end stage kidney failure. And even though my dad‘s fight is over and he‘s at rest I want to continue to help the people that helped us. And the people who are fighting this terrible disease. There are ways that the book community can help. Let‘s use our books for a cause.

My March reading journal spread might possibly be my favorite spread that I‘ve ever made. I love the vintage book look and that‘s what I was going for in this one. Plus, it was super easy to do, and a ton of fun.

Full spread: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/03/07/march-2022-reading-journal/

The Arch Emulator and the Seven Keys is a unique, fast-paced read. I‘ve never read anything quite like it. It took a while for the plot to come together, but it was done in an interesting way.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/03/04/the-arch-emulator-and-the-seven-keys/

My March 2022 TBR is going to be short. I‘m going to be working on the books for my chapter challenge, so that won‘t leave me a lot of time for anything else. I‘m really hoping to get to Elantris this month. I don‘t know why I keep putting it off.

What are you reading in March?

It was disturbing, like an enchanted place. I had not thought it could be as beautiful as this.” -Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier

It‘s quite fitting that the day I chose to review Rebecca is rainy. Rebecca would be a perfect rainy day read. It‘s atmospheric and slightly creepy. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. It‘s definitely a new favorite.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/02/21/rebecca-review/

Last year, I did a post called the TBR Chapter Challenge. Basically, when my physical tbr gets too big I get a little overwhelmed. I decided to do this chapter challenge so that I will actually read the books on my shelf. Plus, I like to see how well I know my reading taste. Here are the three books I chose for this round. Have you read any of these?

TBR Chapter Challenge: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/02/18/tbr-chapter-challenge-2/

I wanted to love The Great Hunt the way I loved The Eye of the World. Unfortunately, I didn't. After all of the journeying in book one, I was hoping book two would settle in one place and really focus on the world. But there was more journeying to do. Plus, I'm still having a hard time remembering the lore of the world. I'm not new to fantasy, so I don't know why that's been a problem.

Right now, I‘m reading Rebecca and I‘ve really been enjoying it. It‘s making me want to pick up more classics to see what I‘m missing out on. What would you recommend?

See the classics already on my tbr here: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/02/11/classic-books-on-my-tbr/

If I‘m being honest, I‘m not sure why I accepted the review request for Faster. It‘s not something I would normally pick up, but I had a feeling that I needed to read this. I‘m glad I trusted my instincts because I enjoyed every minute of this book.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/02/09/faster-review/

Last weekend we visited FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia and I absolutely loved it. Here are a few things I picked up while I was there. They had a really great selection and they were super friendly. And I‘m so happy to finally have my hands on a copy of Rebecca.

Full haul: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/02/04/foxtale-book-shoppe-haul/

Let‘s talk tbr. I‘m having a hard time planning my tbr this month. I went into a slump in January, and I don‘t really want to read anything. But I‘m excited about some of these, so I‘m hoping it will break the slump.

What are you reading this month?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/02/01/february-2022-tbr/

I‘m pretty sure January was actually two months rolled into one. Being sick half of the month really cut down on the amount I read. I also didn‘t enjoy a lot. I bounced from book to book and these were the only ones that I read all the way through. But February has a lot of fun releases so I‘m hoping to beat this reading slump next month. How did your reading month go?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/01/31/january-2022-wrap-up/

Just like in real life, animal companions can add a lot of joy to a story. And recently, I‘ve read a lot of stories with animals that I just love. And obviously DoomSlug from Skyward is one of them.

The story wouldn‘t be the same without her. And since she‘s my favorite my husband spoiled me with a DoomSlug plush for my birthday.

Are you a fan of animal companions? Do you have a favorite?

A History of Wild Places disappointed me. I had high hopes for it because I‘ve enjoyed the rest of Shea Ernshaw‘s work. But this just didn‘t work for me.

I loved the setting and learning about the commune, but I found the plot predictable. And it didn‘t unfold in an interesting way. It felt forced. I‘m really sad this didn‘t work for me.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/01/24/a-history-of-wild-places-review/

Today I‘m reviewing The Wayfarer on Wildwood Reads. Let me say I‘m not sure this one is for everyone, but I think the people that can truly appreciate it will find a new favorite. The writing style was a bit distracting in the beginning because it leaned toward purple prose. But when the action picked up I was hooked.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/01/21/the-wayfarer-by-zachary-kekac-review/

I‘d heard about The Bone Shard Daughter for months, so I had to see if all the hype was real. At the beginning I wasn‘t sure about it, but now I totally understand the hype. This book took a direction I never expected and I can‘t wait to see what happens next.

Last week was my birthday week, and I wish I could tell you I disappeared because we took an amazing vacation. Unfortunately, that‘s not what happened. I ended up sick. Literally, I have made it through the entire pandemic only to catch it on the week of my 25th birthday. Yay. When I found out I had it I thought I‘d have plenty of reading time. Half of the time I didn‘t even feel like holding a book. So this week I‘m getting back on track.

I couldn‘t put this book down. If you love folk horror this one is for you. But it‘s still a nuanced story. It‘s not just scary. I felt a wide range of emotions reading this. But that‘s all I‘ll say because I don‘t want to spoil anything. And the artwork throughout the book really brought the story to life. Slewfoot is a work of art.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/01/07/slewfoot-by-brom-review/

I haven‘t done a big book haul in a minute and let me tell you I‘ve missed it. So today I‘m doing exactly that.

I was gifted a lot of these awesome books for Christmas. I‘m blessed with the best family and they absolutely spoiled me. Plus, I spoiled me a little too. 😂

But I think it‘s time to go on a book buying ban because I‘ve got a lot of reading to do. 😂😂

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/01/05/my-first-book-haul-of-the-year/

So today is January 2nd and the weather for Alabama has been crazy already. We‘ve dealt with tornados for the last three days and tonight we‘re expecting snow. I have to say I‘m much more excited about the snow than the tornados. Hopefully it will be much better reading weather. I‘ve picked out my January tbr and I want to make a dent in it. What are you guys reading this month?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/01/02/january-2022-tbr/

Happy New Year! Today I‘ve worked on my 2022 Tbr and my 2022 goals. My goals aren‘t as rigid this year. I only want to read 20 books, but I want to read a lot of chunky fantasy books. I‘m also not doing a reading challenge this year either. It‘s fun, but I just didn‘t want to make my tbr so restrictive. This year is purely about enjoying what I read, and I look forward to every moment.

What are some of your goals this year?

Time for the last bullet journal spread of 2021. I like to make a yearly wrap up to recap each year. This year I read 89 books, which beat my goal of 85. I bought less books, but I spent more money. So I‘ve got to work on that next year. But overall, it was a successful reading year.

I‘ve really enjoyed growing the blog and meeting so many great people! You guys have made this year awesome! I hope y‘all have a happy, healthy 2022!

The last day of December is tomorrow, guys. I can‘t believe it. Since I‘ll be doing my 2021 wrap up tomorrow let‘s get the December one out of the way.

I didn‘t read a lot of physical books this month. It‘s been so hectic, but I did listen to several audiobooks. And I found a new favorite book of all times. So, I would deem this a successful reading month.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/12/29/december-2021-wrap-up/

Yesterday I shared a few of my most disappointing reads. Today let‘s talk about the best books of 2021. Every single one of these were five star reads. And I think The Secret History is going to be a lifelong favorite. I had such a great time reading each of these.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/12/29/the-best-books-of-2021/

2021 started off kind of rocky. I didn‘t read anything I particularly loved, and I had several that really disappointed me. So here are my most disappointing books of the year. They just didn‘t work for me.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/12/28/disappointing-books-of-2021/

It‘s time for my last review of the year, and I‘m ending it on a high note. I devoured The Secret History the week before Christmas. I couldn‘t put it down.

After reading Ninth House, I‘ve been on the hunt for another dark academia book to satisfy me. The Maidens came close but was still missing something. But The Secret History was everything I wanted.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/12/27/the-secret-history-review/

It‘s the first day of winter. Is it cold where you are? It‘s actually a little chilly here today.

My most anticipated book this winter is House of Earth and Blood. I really think this could be one of my favorite Sarah J Maas books. I can‘t wait to get my hands on it. What book are you anticipating?

My Most Anticipated Releases: https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/12/21/my-winter-anticipated-book-releases/

Guys, I did it! I finally finished The Hero of Ages, and it was amazing! When I first started the Mistborn series I thought the political machinations were the main focus. But I was wrong. The second book hinted at the bigger picture, but The Hero of Ages takes that and runs with it. This book changed everything, and I loved it.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/12/20/the-hero-of-ages-review/

I‘m so frustrated by The Death of Jane Lawrence. The beginning was great but by the end I was just reading to finish it. The plot was forced into this weird, disjointed world of dark magic. And once I lost interest I started noticing plot holes that drove me nuts. I‘m so sad that this one didn‘t work though. I wanted to love it.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/12/15/the-death-of-jane-lawrence-review/

So I know I broke my book buying ban but I broke it for a good reason! I had to get my Book of the Month box, so that I could get my Book of the Year pick. We won‘t talk about the other three books that I grabbed, and one of them isn‘t even from BOTM. The way I see it if I‘m going to break the ban I might as well go big.

What BOTM pick did you choose?

This is probably the most disappointing dnf of the year. I wanted to love The Shadow of the Gods so bad. I just can‘t get into it. I‘ve tried at least five times. So I think it‘s time to move on. I‘ve added it to my bookshop on PangoBooks if you want to check it out.

https://pangobooks.com/app/book/c137affb-7e86-40df-85fd-3c22b7149a6c-LRzJKe6tM6h...

It‘s that time of year to start making Christmas wishlists. I‘m a list maker by heart. It‘s how I function day-to-day. So making my Christmas wishlist is always fun. Here are a few books that I‘ve added to my bookish wishlist this year.

Slewfoot
Leviathan Wakes
Cytonic
The Name of the Wind
The Lies of Locke Lamora

Have you added any books to your wishlist?

🎄It‘s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.🎄

I‘ve finally decorated my bookroom for Christmas. My tree my be a little large for my space, but it still makes me happy. I can‘t wait to curl up with some hot chocolate and a good book.

Full bookroom tour: https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/12/03/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas-...

🎄I had so much fun making my December 2021 reading journal spread. I decided to go all out for the last month of the year. I broke out of my normal routine for this spread and I really love it. I used to like a very uniform, almost formulaic theme, but I think I‘m ready for something new. 🎄

Do you keep a reading journal?

Full spread: https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/12/02/december-2021-reading-journal-deck-the-hall...

I‘m not putting much on my December 2021 tbr. I want to mood read this month. Plus, we‘re probably going to be really busy. While I like setting goals, I know sometimes taking a step back is better than setting unattainable goals. So I hope to read these, and The Hero of Ages is my top priority. What are you reading this month?

November was the month of audiobooks. I read ten books this month, but only two were physical books. But I‘ve really enjoyed my time exploring audiobooks. I also caught up on my arc reviews for the year and it feels amazing. Now I just need to read five more books to beat my Goodreads goal.

Full wrap up: https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/11/30/november-2021-wrap-up/

Look at me finally getting caught up on reviews. It helps that the books I‘ve been reading have been so much fun. Witch of Ware Woods blew me away. If you love witchy stories set in a gorgeous forest you need to check this one out. But don‘t be fooled by my introduction because reading this was a whirlwind of emotions. Maybe keep some tissues beside you.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/11/29/witch-of-ware-woods/

I hope you guys had an awesome Thanksgiving! I don‘t know about you but I‘m still stuffed. But it‘s Black Friday so it‘s time to check out those awesome deals. I may or may not have decided to unhaul a few books to make room on my shelf. I added all of these to my PangoBooks shop if you‘re interested in them. I‘m @wildwoodreads there too. So tell me are you a Black Friday shopper?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/11/26/bookish-black-friday-deals/

My reading taste has changed so much this year. I never imagined I would dive into the substantial sci-fi genre. It never caught my interest until I picked up Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. And now there are several sci-fi titles that have caught my interest. And I‘m always looking for more. So if you have any recommendations drop them in the comments.

Sci-fi I want to try: https://wildwoodreads.com/2021/11/22/sci-fi-books-that-i-want-to-try/

Hey, guys. So I know I just sort of disappeared last week. My father passed away last Friday and I decided I needed to take some time off to process things. But in true Capricorn fashion it‘s time for me to get back to work. I‘m a workaholic and an overthinker. If I just sit and think I will literally make myself miserable. So it‘s time for a book chat. I‘ve been throwing myself into completing my reading goals. How are you reading goals going?