I don‘t understand where November went. Seriously, it flew by. I guess it‘s time for a wrap up.

What did you read this month? Any new favorites?

I really loved Warbreaker. And I‘m super excited to finally close out that chunk of the Cosmere. Now it‘s time to move on to the Secret Projects.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/11/30/november-2023-wrap-up/

The Puzzle Master took off from the very beginning and didn‘t slow down. It was a great atmospheric read that‘s perfect for this time of year.

My main problem with this one was that the author just tried to do a little too much in one story. But other than that it was a quick, fun read.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/11/15/the-puzzle-master-review/

I finally got my hands on The Sunlit Man which brings my year of Sanderson to a close.

I‘m a little ashamed to admit that I haven‘t read any of the Secret Projects yet. Which one was your favorite?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/11/10/the-sunlit-man-unboxing/

And just like that I‘m posting the last review of spooky season. All Hallows was a fun book to read on Halloween night. It had all of the nostalgic Halloween vibes.

However, it did read a bit more like a domestic thriller than a horror I did enjoy it but by the time the monster came around I had lost a little bit of interest. Overall, I‘d probably give it about a three star rating. But it‘s definitely one to add to your list for next Halloween.

QOTD: Are you an advent calendar lover?

AOTD: I am. Cj bought me one a few years ago and I loved it.

We‘re starting Christmas a little early this year. I normally do a bookish Christmas gift guide later in December but I wanted to share a few advent calendars that caught my attention.

I have this particular advent calendar listed over on my Pangobooks Shop. I‘m Wildwood Reads over there

What are you reading this month?

I‘m not completely ready to give up spooky season so I think Bag of Bones will be perfect.

And I wanted to finish the Cosmere this year and I‘ve yet to read Warbreaker.

So those are the main books on my tbr.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/11/01/november-2023-tbr/

It‘s no secret that Frankenstein is more of a study on the horrors of humanity than anything else, but I still wish it had focused more on the creation of the monster. The tension just wasn‘t there. Essentially, he said I built a monster. Then the next sentence was I lost the monster. I just didn‘t feel connected to the plot. It did like the monsters monologue but at that point I had already checked out and lost interest.

Dark Harvest had all the right vibes but you have to suspend your belief for this one. The author never really explains what‘s happening. And that‘s where I got lost. I want to know why this pumpkin walks around. If the Harvest Guild controls the town with dark magic say that. Spill that spooky gossip. That‘s what I crave. Don‘t just build something up and then just end it. That takes half of the fun away.I would have definitely liked more depth.

We went to the Georgia Apple Festival this weekend and I came home with this beautiful book art by A New Chapter Art I can‘t wait to display this on my shelf.

Oh and head over to Wildwood Reads for a full recap of our exciting day. https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/10/23/2023-georgia-apple-festival/

The Exorcist started out a little slow. I started it several times and put it down, but finally this time it stuck. And let me tell you when the story finally started going it really picked up speed.

I don‘t scare easily but this one unnerved me. It definitely made me fall back in love with classic horror.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/10/17/the-exorcist-review/

Are you a ghost story lover? I know I am. And it‘s a dark, rainy day here in Northeast Alabama. It‘s a perfect weather to cuddle under a blanket and read one. So here are a few of my favorites. Now tell me yours in the comments.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/10/10/spooky-ghost-stories/

Hell Bent was one of my most anticipated books of the year but unfortunately I didn‘t love it as much as I hoped I would. There was just too long of a gap from when Ninth House first released (Oct 2019) to now. My reading taste has changed a lot so I just didn‘t love this as much as I once would have. However, it‘s still very atmospheric so if you‘re looking for an occult dark academic book for the fall you might want to check this series out

Decorating for Halloween is one of my favorite parts of the holiday. And let me tell you I go all out. Almost every room in our house will end up decorated. Mainly because I buy more decorations than I actually need but that‘s part of the fun of it. So today I just wanted to take a second and show you a glimpse of the Halloween madness that is my house right now.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/10/06/halloween-2023-decorations/

I‘m doing something a little different on the blog today. I tried a fun upcycled Halloween craft idea that‘s been all over the internet.

Basically, you take an old picture and transform it into a Halloween themed masterpiece.

This was such a fun way to add a unique piece to my Halloween collection.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/10/04/an-upcycled-halloween-craft/

“Come, We Fly.”-Winifred Sanderson.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
It‘s that spooky time of year again and I can‘t tell you how excited I am. My jack-o-lanterns are lit, and my cauldron (Crockpot) is bubbling away (It‘s soup season). So, let‘s get this spooky season started with my October 2023 tbr.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
What are you reading this spooky season??

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/10/01/october-2023-tbr/

Happy Saturday! I‘m going to need a lot of tea to finish up Hell Bent today. Thankfully I have my trusty peach tea from @marktwendelltea I thought about doing something a little more spicy for fall but it still feels like summer here right now. 🥵

Anyhow what are you finishing up today? Or have you already moved on to your October reads?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/09/30/september-2023-wrap-up/

It‘s no secret that I love @pangobooks. I‘ve used their app for years. Today I‘ve listed a few more books. I‘m slowly getting my physical tbr to a manageable level. If you‘re interested in any of these check out my shop. I‘m Wildwood Reads there too.

And if you‘re not familiar with Pangobooks you can learn more here.

https://pangobooks.com/WILDWOODREADS

Ok. What the heck?!?!?! I mean seriously, I‘m still reeling from that ending.

I dnfed House of Sky and Breath back when it released but after reading Fourth Wing I wanted another romantasy to sink my teeth into.

I did enjoy it this go round but it did lag a bit in the middle. But boy that ending made up for it.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/09/27/house-of-sky-and-breath-review/

The end of the year is quickly approaching, and it‘s time to start planning for 2024. I found this adorable reading journal on Etsy from @novellyyours

It‘s everything I‘ve ever wanted in a reading tracker. I can‘t wait to set it up. Which leads me to my question of the day. Do you wait until after the first of the year to set up your journal or do you set it up beforehand?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/09/25/2024-reading-journal-unboxing/

Happy first day of fall! It‘s a beautiful sunshiny day here in Northeast Alabama.

It‘s perfect weather for reading a good book outside. So to celebrate that and the fact that it‘s Friday I‘m sharing a few of my fall anticipated releases over on the blog. https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/09/22/fall-2023-anticipated-book-releases/

What book release are you looking forward to this fall? My most anticipated in probably Iron Flame. I can‘t wait.

Was Fourth Wing perfectly executed? Nope. Was it exactly what I needed at the time? Yep. It was a fun quick, read that I enjoyed based only on the vibes. But sometimes that‘s enough for me.It definitely has some plot holes and unanswered questions. And it‘s filled with tropes. Seriously almost all of them. So you might want to keep that in mind.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/09/06/fourth-wing-review/

It‘s September. I can‘t tell you how happy I am. Here are a few books that I‘m hoping to read this month.

What are you reading?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/09/01/september-2023-tbr/

It‘s been a minute since I‘ve done a recipe taste test on the blog and I don‘t know why. They‘re some of my favorite posts to do. And I knew when I got a copy of Baking Yesteryear I needed to do one.

So I spend the day making pecan dainties. They‘re a three ingredient cookie and are super easy to make. I‘ll definitely be making them again.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/08/30/baking-yesteryear-recipe-taste-test/

I read a big chunk of Fourth Wing this weekend. I‘m really enjoying. And I‘ve enjoyed diving back into the romantasy genre. I think it‘s finally time for me to give House of Sky and Breath another chance. I think I‘ll pick it up after I finish up this one up.

Anyhow, how was your weekend? Did you read anything fun?

If you get a chance check out my blog for more bookish content: https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/08/28/reading-chat-changing-genres/

Y‘all. Hell House is a perfect example of why you should dnf a book if it‘s not working for you. It took me three weeks to read this barely 300 page book.

I had high hopes for it but it definitely let me down. The characters were so one dimensional that by the time the haunting started I didn‘t care if anything happened to them. It just didn‘t work for me.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/08/23/hell-house-review/

It‘s Book Lovers Day! What are you reading today?

To celebrate I‘m sharing some of my favorite bookish quotes over on the blog. Links in the bio.

And don‘t forget to check out my new bookish prints just listed over on my Pangobooks shop: https://pangobooks.com/bookstore/wildwoodreads

We went on vacation last weekend and I visited a fun indie bookstore @johnscreekbooks in John‘s Creek, Georgia. It was the cutest store with a good selection so of course, I picked up a few things.

Then we also visited a Barnes and Noble on our way home so I could grab a copy of B. Dylan Hollis‘s cookbook. It was a good book buying week.

Full haul: https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/08/08/johns-creek-books-and-gifts-book-haul/

Cj‘s birthday was last week so we decided to go on a quick little road trip. We‘ve always wanted to try hotpot and Korean BBQ and the closest place to us was about two hours away in Duluth, Georgia. So that‘s where we decided to go. It was a quick weekend trip packed full of good food, nature, and books.

Head over to Wildwood Reads for my full weekend recap: https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/08/04/a-weekend-trip-to-duluth-georgia/

Super excited to get this beauty in the mail. 😍😍😍

Check out my full unboxing at Wildwood Reads. Links in the bio.

Full unboxing: https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/07/24/the-frugal-wizards-handbook-for-surviving-m...

It took me a minute to decide what to rate this one. I loved the ending. It was super unique and unexpected. And the middle started out strong. But the ending lacked just a little something. It felt more like a thriller that needed a bit more depth. But overall it was a fun read I just expected more supernatural elements.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/07/21/come-with-me-review/

We‘re going on vacation in few days and I plan to do some book shopping while we‘re there. I‘m hoping to visit an indie bookstore in the area. So I‘ve been thinking about some books I‘d love to add to my collection. And no shocker they‘re horror novels. 😉

But I also need some recommendations so drop your favorite horror novels in the comment.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/07/19/horror-books-that-i-cant-wait-to-get-my-han...

Since I‘ve been in a horror mood, I decided it was time to pick up a Stephen King novel. After all, he is a master of the genre. So, I decided to pull Christine off my shelf. It‘s been on there since 2015. It was time to finally read it, and I‘m glad that I did.

I loved Christine. It‘s a classic King novel that will chill you to the bone.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/07/17/christine-review/

I‘ve heard a lot of people say that they save all of their horror for the fall. And I have to admit that I‘ve been guilty about that the past few years. But I‘ve been in a horror mood the last few months and I‘ve been loving the spooky summer feeling. So here are a few of the summertime horror books that I love.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/07/14/summertime-horror-book-recommendations/

I have been loving spooky books recently. I started with thrillers, and I‘ve moved on to horror. So of course, I‘ve come back around to one of my favorite authors, Stephen King. I‘ve had Christine on my shelf since 2015. I‘ve been working on clearing my shelf off and I just couldn‘t bring myself to let go of it. So I finally decided to pick it up, and I‘m so glad I did.

What about you? What are you reading on this hot July Monday?

I‘ve always been a Riley Sager fan. I‘ve read his new release every summer. While I‘ve enjoyed most of them nothing has ever rivaled The Last Time I Lied. It‘s always been my favorite. But it has some competition now because I loved this. The twist was unexpected but completely plausible. And I loved the creepy mansion setting. Everything about this book caught my attention.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/07/07/the-only-one-left-review/

It‘s midyear wrap up time and that absolutely blows my mind tbh. It‘s been a pretty good year so far. I‘m excited to be a little over halfway on my reading goals. Plus, this year has just rekindled my love of reading. I‘ve read a lot of books that I‘ve really enjoyed.

What about you? How has your year been so far?

Fave: Shadows of Self
Least Fave: Goth

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/06/30/2023-midyear-wrap-up/

I‘m wrapping up June a bit early because tomorrow is mid year wrap up day. Which honestly is mind blowing. But here are a few things I read in June.

What did you read in June?

Full wrap up: https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/06/29/june-2023-wrap-up/

It‘s going to be a week of reviews. I‘m wanting to get caught up on them before the end of the month.

Little Eve started off with a bang. Then it jumps back in time to explore what led up to the events at the beginning. Unfortunately it slows down quite a bit. But toward the end the pace picked back up. I enjoyed my time reading it but I didn‘t like it as much as I expected to.

Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/06/27/little-eve/

I‘m continuing my spooky girl summer with Little Girls by Ronald Malfi. Malfi came highly recommended, so I figured it was time to give his work a try.

I really enjoyed this. It was very much a gothic slow burn in the beginning but about halfway through the tension breaks and the pace picked up at a break neck speed.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading it. And I definitely plan to read more of Malfi‘s work later on.

I‘ve been avoiding Barnes & Noble. I don‘t need anymore books. Plus, we‘re saving up for a vacation in July. But when a new Riley Sager book come out I just have to get my hands on it as soon as possible.

Plus, I‘ve been in a horror/thriller mood recently so I needed to stock up. Which brings me to the question of the day. I need some horror recommendations. So what are some of your favorites. Let me know in the comments.

Here‘s my ranking for Mistborn Era 2. I honestly can say this is my favorite Cosmere series. It was so hard to rank these honestly. But Shadows of Self really knocked it out of the park.

How would you rank them?

My full thoughts: https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/06/19/ranking-the-wax-and-wayne-series/

I‘m officially out of room on my tbr shelf. It‘s time for a summertime unhaul. A lot of these were books I expected to love. Some of them I‘ve dnfed and just held onto hoping that they would stick someday. And some of them I haven‘t even started but ultimately lost interest in. I want to make room on my shelf for books that I‘m super excited about.

These are available on my Pangobooks Shop: https://pangobooks.com/bookstore/wildwoodreads

The Last Word was so, so good. I enjoyed it from the very beginning. Buttt given the nature of the story, I wouldn‘t say anything else because this guy wrote a whole thriller centered around someone giving an author a bad review. I‘m just kidding though I absolutely loved this one.

The atmosphere was oppressive and creepy. And there were twists and turns around every corner that kept me hooked until the end.

I‘ve got to stop buying books. I‘ve said that in pretty much all of my last book hauls. But yet I‘ve bought more books, and now I‘m going to tell on myself to the entire internet. In my defense, this is a small book haul.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/06/09/a-small-book-haul/

My first book of June was The Year of the Witching. I went in with high hopes, but it let me down in a few places. It gave the right spooky vibes in the beginning but the romance became the main focus of the story early on. I just wish the spooky woods and the witches were explored a little further.

Full Review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/06/08/the-year-of-the-witching/

So, it‘s time to rank another Cosmere series. A couple of weeks ago I ranked The Stormlight Archives series, and after popular demand I‘m here today to rank Mistborn: Era 1.

Head over to Wildwood Reads to see why I ranked these the way that I did.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/06/05/ranking-the-mistborn-era-1-series/

#mistborntrilogy #brandonsanderson #books #booksbooksbooks #thecosmere #bookworm #booklover #fantasylover #fantasybo

What are you reading in June? I‘m starting spooky season a bit early. 🎃

Give me all of your spooky recommendations please!!!

Full tbr: https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/06/01/june-2023-tbr/

Time for another monthly wrap up. May was a good month. I finally finished up Rhythm of War, which took most of my month. But I listened to some really great audiobooks along the way too. I‘m glad to finally have finished The Stormlight Archives, but I can‘t wait for the next book to come out.

What did you read this month?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/05/31/may-2023-wrap-up/

Today I wanted to read my reviews and rank The Stormlight Archives books in the order of the ones I enjoyed most to least.

Now don‘t get me wrong, I enjoyed all of them.
This is just a way for me to compile my thoughts into one place for easy access when book five comes out. So head to Wildwood Reads to see why I ranked each book the way I did and join the discussion.

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/05/24/ranking-the-stormlight-archives/

I‘ve done it! I finally finished Rhythm of War. Overall, I mostly loved it but I did find that it dragged in a few places.

I think it was because more of Venli‘s pov was thrown in the mix. I found myself wanting to get back to the characters that I know and loved. But I eventually warmed up to Venli and the story picked back up.

Sanderson closed a lot of plot points in this story but opened up so many more. I‘m interested to see where it goes.