Y‘all. I‘m worried I‘m going to start sounding like a crotchety old lady but I‘ve just hit a streak of books that haven‘t worked for me. And I expected to love With a Vengeance. I‘ve loved every Riley Sager book to date, but this one just didn‘t work for me. There were too many plot holes, unlikable characters, and ridiculous plot twists for me to overlook. ⭐️⭐️

Full Review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/06/23/with-a-vengeance-review/

Happy Summer Solstice! ☀️☀️☀️

It‘s been a minute since I‘ve done an anticipated releases post. Last year, I was in a horrible reading slump, so I wasn‘t interested in new releases. And at the first of this year, I tried to focus on some backlist reads. But now I‘m ready to sink my teeth into some new reads.

What books are you looking forward to this summer?

I‘m having to eat my words on my last post about The Devils. I do understand the divisiveness surrounding it now. And, honestly, I‘m a bit irritated. It was a slow character driven book but it felt like it was building to a big ending. And it tried. But it was the most obvious plot twist and I guessed it from the very beginning. It felt like it was all for nothing. And it could have been about a hundred pages shorter.

Cj left me unattended in a bookstore. Here‘s what I got. 😂

Full haul: https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/06/09/2ndandcharlesbookhaul/

I‘m a little shocked to see how divisive the reviews are on The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. I‘ve noticed that a lot of the people that don‘t like it love The First Law Trilogy. One person said the characters in The Devils felt flat compared to First Law. So if that‘s the case I really need to read that series because so far I‘ve enjoyed The Devils. Granted I‘ve only made it to part three but I can‘t wait to see where it goes.

I wish I had jumped on this series sooner. I dnfed it when it first released and boy did I miss out. I ended up really loving this one. I guess the plus side to giving it another read is it‘s a now a completed series and I could use a little binge. If you need me I‘ll be in Vigrio.

My Full Review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/05/28/the-shadow-of-the-gods-review/

Dreaming of reading in bed. Saturday can‘t get here soon enough.

Just did a post about my bookish day off routine over on Wildwood Reads if you‘re interested. Idk what it is about morning routines but I‘m obsessed with watching them, so I thought I‘d make my own

https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/04/04/my-bookish-morning-routine-day-off/

Well that wraps up March. It was an awesome reading month from the beginning. What did you read this month? Any new faves?

The Reformatory
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Empire of Silence
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All Systems Red
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I also squeezed in a few audiobooks. You can check out my full wrap up and reviews here: https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/03/31/march-2025-wrap-up/

Somebody give me a pep talk because this book is a monster. I‘ve heard that it‘s totally worth it though. I‘ve only been able to read a page or two a day so at this rate I‘ll be finished this time next year. 😂

✨Martha Wells fans I need opinions!✨

All Systems Red had one of the most relatable main characters that I‘ve ever read. His desire to procrastinate speaks to my soul. But that‘s where my excitement fell. It wasn‘t bad by any means but the world-building felt a little lacking and I didn‘t have any connection at all to the side characters. But that darn cliffhanger makes me want to continue on, so give me the pros and cons in the comments.

Hi. I would like to report in. I have not disappeared. My life is just in a constant state of chaos.
Empire of Silence was a great read. It was slow to start and the pacing was a little choppy in a few places, but I totally see the hype for this one. I can‘t wait to dive into book two because I need to know if this is a villain origin story or if Hadrian is actually a good guy. I‘m conflicted and have too many feelings.

I should have read The Reformatory sooner. This is one of those books that sticks with you long after you finish it. It‘s an important message wrapped up in an addictive story. If you haven‘t read it you need to immediately. I don‘t care what your preferred genre is this is an important story that everyone needs to experience at least once.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/03/10/the-reformatory-review/

Where did February go?

Anyhow, here‘s what I read.

Wind and Truth
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kings of the Wyld
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Bomber Mafia
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Counting the Cost
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I Am Malala
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What did you read in February?

Rock and Roll meets epic fantasy. What more could you ask for? Kings of the Wyld is a lot. There‘s a lot of humor. A lot of action. And a lot of fantastical monsters. It felt like it was written by a music obsessed D&D player and I mean that in the best way possible. I had a lot of fun reading this it was the palette cleanser I needed after finish Wind and Truth.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/02/19/kings-of-the-wyld-review/

I mentioned the She Reads Truth Bible in my last haul and I got a lot of requests for a review of it. Let me start by saying I am absolutely not qualified to review the Bible. That‘s over my pay grade. 😂

But if you‘re interested in seeing an unboxing of the She Reads Truth Bible head over to the blog. https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/02/17/she-reads-truth-bible-unboxing/

Happy Valentine‘s Day!

I‘m reading Kings of the Wyld today. It doesn‘t exactly fit the Valentine‘s Day vibe but it‘s fun nonetheless.

What are you reading today? And do you have any big plans? We‘re probably just going to hang around the house. I have a two month old and I‘m just getting over bronchitis so I don‘t exactly feel like celebrating. There‘s always next year. 😂😂😂

I finished Wind and Truth last night and I really had to sit and think it over before I made my review. I loved it because this book felt like coming home. I was so excited to read about some of my favorite characters again. However, it could have been edited a little better. There was a lot happening all at once and it probably could have been trimmed down a lot. But overall, I still really enjoyed this.

So I just finished Wind and Truth and now I need time to process what I just read. It really is the end of an era.

But now I need another great read to fight off a book hangover so here‘s my lineup for February.

Hi. I bought too many books. That‘s all. 😅

Have you read any of these? What should I start first?

Full haul: https://wildwoodreads.com/2025/01/30/i-bought-too-many-books-a-haul/

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.”
― Dr. Seuss

You‘re going to get tired of seeing Wind and Truth content from me and I do apologize….sort of. This is the most fun I have had with a book in a minute and because of that I‘m savoring it. I know it‘s going to be a long time before we return to this world. I‘m about 449 pages in and I‘m loving it so far. I can‘t wait to see where the story goes.
If you‘ve finished it let me know your thoughts. Also tell me your favorite character. I‘m nosey.

Happy Sunday! I think? Time has no meaning during maternity leave. 😂

What are you reading today? And is it snowing where you are?

I‘m reading Wind and Truth finally. And it‘s not snowing here in Alabama but I‘ve heard there‘s a chance Friday. We will see. We rarely get snow.

December is coming to an end but it‘s still Christmas in my household. I‘m still enjoying my morning tea by the Christmas tree thank you very much. But it is time for my December reading wrap up which literally only consisted of short stories. But hey at least I read something. 🤷‍♀️

Here‘s a list of what I read:

🎄A Christmas Carol
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎄The Chimes
⭐️⭐️

🎄Markheim
⭐️⭐️

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/12/30/december-2024-wrap-up/

Yesterday I talked about my most disappointing reads of 2024 now let‘s talk about my favorite reads of the year. I was in a slump most of the year but I did read a few books that I really enjoyed. And apparently 2024 was the year of horror/thrillers.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/12/29/the-best-books-of-2024/

2024 was a disappointing reading year for me. I read a lot of one star reads and dnfed a lot more. But these were the most disappointing. I had high hopes for all of them but they just didn‘t give me what I wanted.

I can‘t fit my reasoning in the caption so if you want to read my in depth discussion you can check that out here: https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/12/28/disappointing-books-of-2024/

My maternity leave starts soon and I‘m hoping to have a few days to rest before baby girl‘s arrival. So I‘ve done a little shopping. Anyone have any thoughts on these?

Empire of the Damned was one of my most anticipated sequels but something about it just didn‘t hit right for me. I found myself loosing interest every twenty pages or so. I think this could have been shortened a lot to avoid those dead spaces. But nonetheless I kept reading because I love Gabriel as a character. He‘s so witty. But honestly, I‘m not sure if I will continue this series.

I really loved I, Dracula. The author done a great job at fictionalizing the life of the real Vlad Dracula. I could tell that she put so much work into researching not only his life but also Romanian history. It was a great read for this time of year. I highly recommend it.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/11/04/i-dracula/

Just a Rachel Harrison appreciation post. If you‘re still looking for a great Halloween read let me introduce you to a few of my favorites. 🎃🎃🎃

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/10/29/ranking-rachel-harrison-novels/

I feel super productive with all the reviews I‘ve been posting lately. My spooky season reading has been good to me. The Return was Rachel Harrison‘s debut novel and while it leaned more toward traditional horror than her newer books it was still a great read. Plus, you could see glimpses of her unique writing style peaking through.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/10/23/the-return-review/

I was expecting a traditional haunted house story and got so much more. I had a great time reading this. Just when I thought I knew the direction it was going it would switch up on me. Plus, I loved the tongue in cheek humor thrown in.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/10/21/the-september-house-review/

It‘s been way too long since Cj and I have gone anywhere that didn‘t involve a doctor‘s office. So, we decided to take a day over the weekend and explore our beautiful state. And of course I had to squeeze some time in to read by the water.

What did you do this weekend?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/10/22/a-northeast-alabama-fall-outing/

‘Tis the season for all things spooky. Did I need more spooky books? Nope. Did a YouTube video convince me to buy them? Yep. Anyhow, I‘m still trying to find a book that gives me the Dracula vibes that I love. So fingers crossed. 🤞

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/10/16/a-halloween-haul/

Perfection 😍

Rachel Harrison is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors. And So Thirsty did not let me down. She took a classic vampire story and turned it into something completely new. I don‘t know how she makes her books horrifying, cozy, and empowering all at the same time but I‘m here for it.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/10/07/so-thirsty-review/

Somehow it‘s monthly wrap up time again. Here‘s what I read in September.

Did you find a new favorite this month?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/09/30/september-2024-wrap-up/

I have a lot of reviews to catch up on so let‘s get started. Head over to the blog if you‘re interested in my full review. In the meantime I‘m just going to do a quick summary of my thoughts

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/09/24/a-witchs-guide-to-fake-dating-a-demon-revie...

It‘s been a tough year all around. My reading has been off and it‘s been easy to forget that I have read some books that I really love. So here are my top five reads of 2024 (so far).

Tell me your top five in the comments. I need more recommendations

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/09/18/top-five-books-of-2024-so-far/

I got good news from the orthopedic doctor. I‘m halfway to complete mobility again. So I celebrated with some books. The spooky book season has begun 👻👻👻

Full haul: https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/09/12/a-celebratory-book-haul/

Spooky season has begun and I‘m craving gothic horror. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was the perfect place to start. It‘s a classic for a reason. It had everything I love about Victorian horror in it. And it still managed to keep my attention even though I knew the premise of the story going into it.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/09/09/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-review/

The God of the Woods was a middle of the road read for me. I didn‘t love it and I didn‘t hate it. It‘s definitely slow burn. There weren‘t really any shocking twists and the pace stays steady throughout the entire book. But I did enjoy the investigation aspects and the family secrets that came to light. It had enough intrigue to keep me interested and I did enjoy my time reading it. Overall, I would say it was a three star read for me.

🎃Hello Spooky Season🎃

Are you reading anything spooky today?

A couple of weeks ago I fell off of our back door steps and broke my left leg and right ankle. My first concern was the baby but after thorough checking she is perfectly fine so that‘s a blessing in itself. Now that my pain has started to ease up I‘ve picked up The God of the Woods. Does anyone have any thoughts on it? I know it‘s slow burn but I haven‘t made it very far in.

Guys, what did I just read??? This book frustrated me endlessly because it had a ton of plot holes. It made me super uncomfortable and the ending was a little anticlimactic. But yet I couldn‘t put it down. It caught my attention and made me want to read again. After a four month book slump I‘m grateful for that.

I didn‘t love Royal Assassin quite as much as I enjoyed Assassin‘s Apprentice. I think it suffered from a little bit of second book syndrome. And Fitz got on my nerves. But I still enjoyed the atmosphere and setting. Fitz is still young here so there‘s room for development. I‘m still going to continue the series but I‘m going to take a break to start book three with a fresh perspective.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/06/14/royal-assassin-review/

Cytonic has been on my shelf for several years and I finally read it! I think this is the only Brandon Sanderson book that I didn‘t absolutely love. I liked it, don‘t get me wrong, but it just didn‘t hook me like the other books did. I think the departure from the characters I love took me out of the story. But they did make an appearance toward the end of the book, so it gives me hope for Defiant. I‘m interested to see how this series wraps up.

I finally finished a book! This month has been a very slow reading month thanks to a funky reading slump but I finished The Last Mrs. Parrish the other night and let me tell you it shook me to the core. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and it made me angry all at the same time. But trust me that‘s the point. These characters are some of the most dislikable characters that I‘ve come across and somehow that made me like the story even more.

I finished The Duke and I back in February and I totally forgot to review it until today. I enjoyed this book but I don‘t think I enjoyed it enough to finish the series. I liked the fake dating trope. I thought that was executed well but when the relationship started for real there was sooo much miscommunication. I just didn‘t enjoy that. I did love the Bridgerton family though. They were a lot of fun.

One of my favorite genres that I studied in college was the Southern Lit genre. Obviously, I might be biased because I‘m from the American South. But in my personal experience I‘ve found it to be one of the most atmospheric genres around.

So today on the blog I wanted to take a second and share some of my favorite Southern Lit books. This post is just skimming the top of the genre so I‘ll probably have a part two up sometime in the near future.

Hi. Yes. It is time for my March 2024 tbr. Usually, when I make these, I have some idea of what I want to read for the month. Not this time. And usually, when I make my tbrs I have cute little pictures to go with. Also, not this time. It‘s raining like crazy here and frankly I have no clue what I want to read. So honestly, I‘m just going to wing it.

If you want to read my rambling tbr post: https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/03/01/march-2024-tbr/