Danielle Thamasa's Blog, page 7

NetGalley Review: Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Hey all, Sam here.

Gosh, it feels weird to be finishing this post up and prepping it to go live when there is snow on the ground, especially since I would definitely classify this as a fall/spooky season read. Although, having said that, I will also say that you absolutely can read it at any time; it’s just that the vibes match fall.

Anyway, this is another one of those books where I could have had the review up around release day because I loved it and flew through it rather quickly…but then I didn’t get the review post drafted up, and then when I started prepping it, I ignored it and left it in the draft folder for too long. I’m really going to try and do better about that in 2025. I’ve really slowed down on my NetGalley requests, because I want to try and catch up on my backlog a bit first.

I was going to post my November PaWriCo Check-In today (or tomorrow) but decided that I definitely wanted to talk about a book today, so here we go. The writing check-in will be coming tomorrow (it is about 40% drafted at the moment). So…let’s go ahead and dive into the review…

It’s love at first haunting in a seaside town that raises everyone’s spirits from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.

Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she’s catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don’t get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie’s worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing… and Nick’s afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

This was such a lovely, cute, slightly spooky read, and I thought it was just a really fun time. I have been a fan of Jen DeLuca since I picked up Well Met for the first time. I grabbed that because it was a Ren Faire romance and I thought that was a fun concept. Now, after four of those books, I’m willing to pick up anything DeLuca wants to release. And come on, a spooky tourist town that is ACTUALLY haunted and what sounds like a cute romance that also involves delving into local history? Yeah, I was so excited to dive into this. I even pre-ordered it.

So of course I was thrilled when I was approved for a copy through NetGalley. I think I was actually approved for it in the summer, but then I waited so I could read it when the weather started to shift a bit. Sometimes you just need to have the right atmosphere and vibes to read something.

I absolutely loved Nick (and his ghostly roommate), and having Cassie move to town and shake things up for him was really fun…as was watching his roommate pester him about asking the new girl out. I loved all the side characters too, and definitely felt the potential for more books set in the town following a couple other possible couples (and yes, I already know that we’re getting more Boneyard Key books, which I am also extremely happy and excited for).

I felt Cassie’s frustration when it came to the woes around her new home. It does come with a few quirks, and trying to figure out the best way to operate in the home did make for a fun challenge for a bit. This is especially true as Cassie starts learning more about the history of Boneyard Key and specifically her house.

As romances go, the story was pretty much as expected (with a couple fun little ghost twists to the typical character A meets character B, they catch feelings/go on dates, something happens that makes them doubt/rethink/separate, characters work past those issues and end up together, happy for now/ever basic plot). I wouldn’t say that it was predictable in a way that would be dull; it was that easy predictability that comforts you. It’s one of the nice things about romance books, because it is part of the genre expectation that even if the relationship goes through a bumpy road, in the end there will be a HEA/HFN guarantee.

Anyway, I loved this book. I will probably end up reading it again next year in anticipation of book two, and I continue to be quite happy with everything I’ve read from Jen DeLuca. I’m looking forward to seeing what other books she writes—especially since I’m hearing we might be getting another Ren Faire romance, which is amazing.

All right, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

November Wrap-Up

Hey all, Sam here.

Well, I was not as successful at reading in November as I had originally hoped, especially since I had planned to read a bunch of novellas and some short novels. I was also hoping to get a decent amount written for PaWriCo, so I’ll have my November writing check-in tomorrow or the day after.

Overall I’m glad that I still managed to do some reading and some writing. Because I definitely struggled after the election results came in. Oh, speaking of, I have definitely been purchasing a bunch of books, so perhaps I’ll do a November Book Haul post soon as well.

Anyway…I finished four books, so let’s quickly talk about that.

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins IV #4 by Matthew Mercer, Jody Houser, Noah Hayes, Diana Sousa, and Ariana Maher — 5 stars

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh — 4.5 stars

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch — 4.5 stars

Waterworld: Volume 5 – Sara Rowan by Rachel Kelley — 4 stars

Sadly, that’s all for finished reads. I was spending a little more time on writing this month…but I also was just finding it difficult to focus on reading or to stick with just one book or two until I finished.

So, because I don’t want this to be a super short post……here’s the books I’m in the middle of reading…

In the Shadow of the Fall by Tobi Ogundiran — So, I had fully planned on trying to read a good number of novellas in the month of November, and that obviously didn’t happen, but this is the novella that I currently have in a book sleeve in my work bag. I haven’t made it far into it yet, but I imagine when I do give it more than a couple minutes of reading time, I’m going to fly through it.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong — Ah yes, I was very excited about this one and spent some of my B&N rewards on getting a copy of it….So far I’ve only read a couple chapters, and this is also in the book sleeve in my work bag. I need to finish reading this though. I need more cozy books in my life.

The Heartbreak Show by Jesikah Sundin — I’m very excited about this release as well. Again, I’ve only finished a couple chapters, but I’m sure I’m going to fly through it. Cian and Glenna are entertaining characters.

The Study of Fire by Maria V Snyder — Finally, I’ve only barely opened this. Yes, I already know the story, because I read the books back in college…but this is the same story but through the MMC’s POV, which means expanded story from all the time that the MMC and FMC were separated. I have absolutely adored getting Valek’s POV, and I need to just give myself a couple hours of free time to read and I’m sure I’ll have this finished.

Hopefully December will be a nice end to my reading year. It’s been pretty hit or miss on how my reading has been going (not in terms of book enjoyment, because I’m still reading a lot of good, really good, and great books. It’s more in quantity read each month).

Anyway, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

Diverse December Plans

Hey all, Sam here.

Several years ago, I had a book blog friend who hosted a reading challenge at the end of the year called Diverse December…and while I read diversely year-round, it is nice to also have months where I focus on and highlight those diverse reads and diverse authors just a little more than usual.

I don’t know what my reading or reviewing is going to look like for the rest of the year. I’m trying to keep reading, but some days it’s a struggle, and instead of reading (or writing), I’m cocooned in my heated blanket on the couch binge-watching one of my comfort shows.

But I’d like to try bringing back the idea of Diverse December a little bit. Here’s the link to Kathy at Books & Munches original announcement post. Basically because there are so many different holidays and cultural celebrations at the end of the year, it makes sense to focus on reading more of the diverse reads we already own. I’m going to expand on that even more by trying to post more of my recent and overdue reviews for diverse reads.

For me, the end of this year is going to hopefully be about picking up and finally reading those books that I bought thinking “oooh, that sounds amazing. I’m definitely going to read that soon” and then I haven’t touched them since. It’s a lot of books, and I know I won’t read all of them, but I’m going to just show off my options. Since I”m a mood reader, I definitely don’t know which of these will be the ones I ultimately read during December.

Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope, Dragonfall by L.R. Lam, We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim, The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White, A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows, Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty, The High Mountain Court by A.K. Mulford, The Night Ends With Fire by K.X. Song, Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp

Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabrielle Buba, Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban, Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi, Sword Crossed by Freya Marske, The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao, Dating & Dismemberment by A.L. Brody, Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy, Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon, The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang, Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford, This Guilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne, Unworthy by J.A. Vodvarka, These Deathless Shores by P.H. Low, Caraway of the Sea by Madeline Burget, The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa, Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi, Starlight and Shadows by Vera Winters, Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith, So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens, Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callendar, Babel by R.F. Kuang, Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang, The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste, Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin

So, obviously I have a whole bunch of options, and even if I have an INCREDIBLE reading month, I would only read at most half of these books…and that doesn’t even include any other diverse books I’m going to pick up through the rest of the year, nor does it include any of the e-books I have sitting on my Kindle.

But I am super excited about all of these books, and I continuously hope that I’ll break away from my slower reading speed that I’ve been stuck with for the last couple years. I miss when I read 200-250 books a year.

Well, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

PaWriCo Week 3 Check-In

Hey all, Sam here.

It has been quite the eventful month, even if it has been not so very productive when it comes to consistent writing, but I should have expected as much because November is usually a difficult month to keep creatively progressing. I know that from 16 years of participating in NaNoWriMo. But that’s one of the reasons why I set my timeline for PaWriCo at the Nov-Jan pace, because while I do want to try and succeed on my word count goals, this is more about me getting into a more regular and consistent writing schedule.

I am happy to report that this week I have actually made some decent progress. But before I get into that, you can find my PaWriCo goal post, as well as my Week 1 and Week 2 check-ins at the links here in case you missed them.

All right, let’s talk writing…

I’m still thinking about “Roll for Romance,” but most of the week I have been firmly focused on “When Dark Meets Light.” And I am very happy to say that I’ve actually been writing. What’s more, I was writing while at work, basically any time I had a few minutes of downtime.

The downside to that is that the words are all hand-written in a little notebook and I just haven’t had the time to type them up and get an accurate word count for what I’ve written.

But, like I said, while I do technically have a word count goal for this PaWriCo event, my main priority is just writing more consistently. Hopefully in my next check-in I’ll have an actual word count to talk about. I don’t really have plans for my days off this upcoming week, so I should have the time to type up everything I’ve written.

I am just so happy to be getting words on the page, and even more than that, I came home from work last night absolutely buzzing about what I had been writing (and it was quite a bit) and just had to start telling my husband all about it. And that made him excited about the story too. Besides, I needed to know what he thought about everything I’d written because he gets a say in all the plot details for “When Dark Meets Light.”

Fun fact, this story is actually backstory for a D&D character I have, one that has been an important part of my life since about 2019. It had started as just a few important scenes to help understand the character, but then I kept adding to it and fleshing it out more and more…and now it’s basically a full-length novel-like story. And since my husband is the Dungeon Master for the campaign I play the character in, I want to make sure that what I’m thinking up doesn’t alter any of his secrets and surprises and reveals for later in the campaign, because he has ideas for what could happen in the future and I don’t yet.

I do have commissioned art for the main character of “When Dark Meets Light.” Would anyone want to see that? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll share her next week if so.

So I’ve written a few times this past week, and I don’t have an exact word count yet, but at least there’s words on the page, and the ideas are swimming in my mind, so I’m ready to write more. It actually feels really good to be writing, and to be excited about writing. I’m hoping I can keep this going and work on adding to my word count every day.

My PaWriCo word count goal was 75,000 words by Jan 31. I used to do 50k in 30 days in November, so managing like 70k in 60-ish days shouldn’t be too hard, so long as I can write consistently.

All right, well that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

NetGalley Review: La Vie de Guinevere by Paula Lafferty

Hey all, Sam here.

All right, it’s time to get a few more posts up, mostly because I have a lot of books to talk about and the longer I procrastinate on that, the worse it gets. I’ve read over 115 books so far this year (which is actually a semi-low number for me, but is still a really nice amount, especially with all the reading slumps I’ve dealt with over the last couple years).

If that was all I read in the year and I posted three blog posts each week, it would still take me about a year to catch up. Now, sadly, I don’t write up blog posts for every single book I read. I definitely make sure to review my ARCs, even if I review them after they’ve been published (which sadly happens quite a bit because I’m becoming more and more of a mood reader).

What I should probably do is try and write up mini-reviews for the rest of what I read. I could post about three or four books in a single post and give a 3-5 sentence review on my thoughts and feelings. Perhaps that is something I can try in 2025.

Anyway, today’s review is for a book that I did read just before its release day, but that I just didn’t have the time to get a review written for in time…and so this post has been sitting in the drafts folder for nearly a month now. Let’s not waste any more time….

After the sudden death of her boyfriend, Vera would have been happy to spend the rest of her days curiously unnoticeable, washing bed sheets and cleaning toilets in present day Glastonbury. But when the strange new guest at her hotel reveals himself to be Merlin and drags her back to seventh century Camelot, a place she knows only from legends, only Vera (or Queen Guinevere as Merlin calls her) can right the course of history and save Arthur’s kingdom from the will of a power-hungry mage. There’s one enormous problem: Guinevere was the sole witness to the curse that’s now draining the kingdom of its magic, and Vera doesn’t remember anything of her supposed life as Queen Guinevere.

With Camelot’s peace ebbing ever closer to shattering, the clock is ticking. But working with Merlin’s magic to retrieve her long-lost memories and save the kingdom brings more questions than answers: why is it that King Arthur, who treats his subjects with loving benevolence, can’t even stand to look at her? And why does that make Vera’s soul feel like it’s splitting in two? What robbed her of her memories in the first place…

And most importantly…

Why?

As Vera is about to discover; in a world of legend and power, the secrets of her memories are only the beginning.

My Thoughts

Rating: 4.5 stars

I had been hearing about this book for months and months before its release, because of all the hype around it and the hype around the Kickstarter for it. Paula Lafferty ran a very successful campaign for it, and has been picking up deals and awards ever since. It’s one of those self-published stories that someone dreams of having, one of those wild success stories.

I admit that I put off reading it until a week before release because I was worried that the hype would make me judge the story more.

But I’m also a big fan of books inspired by or based on Arthurian legend, and so I caved and started reading. And I’ll just say this…I started reading this book at work, and ended up reading about 80% of it, so if I had gone home and continued reading, this would have been a one-day read. Instead I waited until the next day at work to finish it.

I was absolutely intrigued by the set-up of this story, and by seeing how Lafferty was going to portray these characters that I’ve seen so many iterations of over the years. They were fascinating, and it was such an adventure to follow Vera as she tried to put the pieces together of what happened in her previous life/time in Camelot.

The characters, to me, were the shining stars of this story. The bond between Vera and Lancelot was really fun to explore, and what was interesting was how long it took for me to start warming up to Arthur.

I still need to get a finished copy of this book (something that has been slightly difficult because it keeps changing from “available” to “back-ordered.”

I’m going to need this book on my shelf, because I am probably going to re-read it, just to see what connections and foreshadowings and details I missed the first time around. I can’t wait to see what Lafferty comes up with next.

All right, that is it for me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

PaWriCo Week 2 Check-In

Hey all, Sam here.

I guess I’m going to start today’s post by referring back to the two previous posts about PaWriCo: first the announcement of my project goals and deadline, and second my Week 1 Check-In. It has been a week since that last check-in, so if I’m serious about trying to work towards my goals, I figure I should at least make note of my progress in a public space once a week.

So let’s go ahead and get started with the update…

After my last post, I was starting to feel my characters and my stories speak to me again, as I tried to get my focus back so I could get writing. And honestly, that feeling is sometimes more important for me than actually putting words on the page. Whenever I’ve tried to write without having my stories buzzing in my mind, the words have all fallen flat and I end up deleting 95% of whatever I spew onto the page.

I’ve been dreaming of “Roll for Romance” for years, ever since I started dating my husband back in 2017, and yes, I’ve probably put too much pressure on myself to make this story as amazing as it felt to experience over the years, but since the story hasn’t been shared with others, it’s just mine and my husband’s.

Anyway, Days 8-11 of the month were work days, so I knew I wasn’t going to get much writing added to my story, but at least I could spend some time thinking about the story and the characters and getting ready for a bunch of writing on my days off.

Here’s where everything has gotten wonky…the story that is wanting to come out right now isn’t “Roll for Romance.” It’s my other WIP, the one I was focused on when I did the Write Brave Challenge mid-September to mid-October.

I’m really wanting to focus on “Roll for Romance,” but the words don’t want to flow for it at this exact moment, and so I’m struggling.

My other WIP, “When Light Meets Dark,” is sitting at 28,400 words, and I think the final word count (since it’s planned as a novella/short novel) will probably be around 45-50k. That’s based on the scenes I know I still need to write and the average length of each completed chapter, so by the time I reach THE END, I believe it will be around 45,000 words.

Here’s where the flexibility of PaWriCo might work to my advantage. Some are focused on planning, some on drafting, some on editing…so why can’t I keep planning “Roll for Romance” in the background while I work on finishing the drafting for “When Light Meets Dark”?

I mean, my absolute main goal with all of this is to get back in the swing of writing and to be writing with more consistency. If one project is speaking to me more loudly than the other, then I should hop on board and get writing…right?

Because honestly, I’ve been opening up a notebook for the past several days, intent on writing, and then closing the notebook again when I realize I’m about to work on “When Light Meets Dark” instead of “Roll for Romance,” and that seems counterproductive when all I want to do is get writing.

So, next update, I’ll talk about where I am with both projects, and we’ll see if I can make a bit more progress with things.

All right, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

NetGalley Review: Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

Hey all, Sam here.

I had to delete the first two paragraphs of today’s post…because I had drafted it to be published back in June. Yep, that’s right, June. I have been really terrible about blogging about the books I’ve read in the past couple of years. Honestly, I’ve looked back at my year-end lists of all books read in the past couple of years and I wonder if it’s even worth me trying to write up full reviews for most of these books, because I read them so long ago that they would need re-read in order to give a proper and satisfying review. I might be able to give mini-reviews, like two or three sentences focused on my recalled vibes of what I’ve read. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.

Today’s book review is for a book that was originally an indie published novel. I read it and loved it last year, but I read it again this year in time for the trad pub release…and then just didn’t get my review written until now. It was a whole thing when this book originally came out that some folks had mentioned in their review that they were surprised that the main characters were lesbians and that there should have been some sort of warning for that (even though it is obvious from the book summary), so author Rebecca Thorne basically started advertising this book as “may contain lesbians” and other such phrases, which I think is hilarious and fun…much like this book.

Alright, before I start gushing about all of this too much, let’s jump into the actual review segment. And, you have been warned (haha), this book contains lesbians.

Now with beautiful jade spray-painted edges and brand-new original art!

In the tradition of Legends & Lattes , comes a cozy fantasy steeped in sapphic romance about one of the Queen’s private guards and a powerful mage who want to open a bookshop and live happily ever after…if only the world would let them.

All Reyna and Kianthe want is to open a bookshop that serves tea. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters… all complemented by love and good company. Thing is, Reyna works as one of the Queen’s private guards, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives isn’t so easy.

But after an assassin takes Reyna hostage, she decides she’s thoroughly done risking her life for a self-centered queen. Meanwhile, Kianthe has been waiting for a chance to flee responsibility–all the better that her girlfriend is on board. Together, they settle in Tawney, a town nestled in the icy tundra near dragon country, and open the shop of their dreams.

What follows is a cozy tale of mishaps, mysteries, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. In a story brimming with hurt/comfort and quiet fireside conversations, these two women will discover just what they mean to each other… and the world.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

I’ve read this book twice now, but it’s the first time I’m reviewing it…because I just kept procrastinating on writing up the review after reading the indie version of this book last year. But I can say that I was approved for the second (and even the third) book in the series via NetGalley, so it’s about time to get the reviews rolling out. I’ll try and have the review for book two, A Pirate’s Life for Tea soon because I read that last month…and if I can really get on top of things, I’ll read and review Tea You at the Altar before its release date in Spring 2025.

I can fully say now, after having read a number of stories pitched as being cozy reads, that I am very much a fan of cozy fantasy books. And yes, some of them are full slice-of-life low-stakes comfort, while others have a bit of action and tension to them while overall retaining the heart of coziness and comfort. If it has cozy vibes, then I am totally here for it.

Reyna and Kianthe definitely have a little more action in their story than some other cozies I’ve read, but at its heart, in spite of the political maneuvering and the danger of dragon attacks, this is about two women who mostly want a simpler life. They do mostly run away from the dangers of their lives to settle in a small town and open up a little shop with books and tea.

Oh, and there are so many puns. Kianthe is a big fan of puns, and honestly it’s fun and cute. I loved getting to know both of these women, and get to reminisce about how they met and fell in love. And it was equally nice to see them decide to run off towards a new life and new adventure together, and find this small community that starts to feel like a found family and a nice home.

Both times I read this book, I just really enjoyed the experience, and I am happy to have this book in my collection. It definitely made me want to read more Rebecca Thorne, so hopefully I’ll be able to catch up on her backlist soon enough.

All right, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

NetGalley Review: The Spellbook Library, Vol 1 by Uta Isaki

Hey all, Sam here.

So…I’ll be completely honest…I have like 20 partially drafted posts for this blog, and some of them have been sitting in the drafts for a few months now. I have had quite a few books in the past handful of months that I’ve wanted to read and review in time for their release day…only to forget to finish the post and schedule it. But I need to talk about these books I’m reading, because it is important, maybe moreso than it was before now.

Today’s Manga Monday post is one for a volume that I read back in September, fully planning on having the review up before its October 22nd release day. Well, since it is obviously November 11th now, I completely failed at getting this review up in time. Better late than never, I guess.

I am going to try and have at least two other reviews up this week (maybe more if I get in a post writing groove). I’d like to be more regular and consistent with my posting on here.

All right, let’s get started…

When he was a child, troublemaker Yan was attacked by a ferocious spellbeast…until he was rescued by a group of Spellbook librarians. Inspired by the librarians’ heroic efforts, Yan vows to turn over a new leaf and become a Spellbook librarian to repay their kindness. On the day of his employment exam, he meets Tohru, a mysterious young boy who has his own reasons for wanting to work at the library. Together, Yan and Tohru set off and join the ranks of the Spellbook Library, and begin the long journey to learn just what it takes to become a Spellbook librarian!

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

Magic and libraries?! Count me in! This was such a quick read and I was definitely interested in the characters and the world and the magic. Overall this volume made me think about the series Magus of the Library by Mitsu Izumi (I’ve reviewed the first three volumes on the blog, which means I need to review four more volumes, so I might do a re-read and review soon-ish).

Obviously I think most of us are on the bookternet (whether that is book blogs, a Bookstagram, a BookTok, whatever) because we enjoy books and reading, and having a community to share that enjoyment. So finding stories that themselves have some major focus on books is usually a good time.

I think the idea of having spellbeasts and these Spellbook librarians who take care of problems that arise from spellbeasts is pretty cool. And sealing spellbeasts into books is a really intriguing concept, which makes me think of Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. And with it being such an important job, of course there’s an employment exam to pass to even start the process of becoming a Spellbook Librarian. It’s cool to watch Yan and Tohru with their big ambitions and hopes, and also seeing how there’s going to be all sorts of struggles and obstacles in their way…but I think it will make them even more capable in the end.

This first volume read fairly quickly, and I enjoyed the art and the design of the characters. I’ll be honest, I will probably read this again, not just because I enjoyed it, but because the realities of recent national events has muddied my memories of the past couple months. Stress can do that to a person. Volume 2 of this series is expected December 31, 2024, so I’ll probably re-read this one right before starting the next one.

All right, well that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

PaWriCo Week 1 Check-In

Hey all, Sam here.

When I posted about my participation in a end-of-year writing challenge last week, I believe I mentioned that I wanted to try and do semi-regular check-ins on my progress. We’re just over a week in, so I guess let’s talk about my progress…

Well, I knew Day 1 was going to be a 0 word day, because I was silly and forgot to re-read over all of my writing and notes from “Roll for Romance” before November hit. That was silly because I had October 29th-31st off work and totally could have re-read my writing, but hey, these things happen.

I figured Days 2-4 were also going to be lower word count days, because of how my work and sleep schedules end up working out. Between those days I think I managed about 300-ish words in total. So definitely not my hoped for 1k a day. But I already knew going into this challenge, that my primary writing days were going to happen during my three day weekend (which for me is a Tuesday-Thursday).

But you know what happened on Day 5? That’s right, the election in the US. I spent most of my day trying to keep busy, and my husband and I went out to eat and decided to play a few games at the bowling alley. But the results started rolling in by the time we got home, and I simply couldn’t focus.

This leads to waking up with a new reality on Day 6, one where I was feeling so broken down and devastated. It all felt so hopeless and I wondered if it was even worth it to keep working on “Roll for Romance.” After all, would there even be a place for it in the world after I finished? One of the MCs is asexual, and there’s a diverse batch of side characters in the story.

But, I spent some time scrolling through my Threads and Instagram and TikTok on Days 7 and 8, and my community has helped to uplift my spirits a bit. I spent a number of years making myself tolerable to others, dimming my own light so as to not be too much of a disturbance to others. But the older I get, the more tired I’ve gotten of that.

I have a bit of privilege in my position. I am a white woman married to a white man. Yes, I am asexual, but to the untrained or unknowing folks, we are cis-passing. But so many of my friends, my chosen family, do not have such a privilege. I owe it to myself and I owe it to them to keep pushing forward, to keep elevating LGBTQIAP2S+ and BIPOC stories, to keep writing books with diverse characters, to keep reading and writing books of love and hope and happiness and acceptance.

So, I’m a bit behind schedule, and I’m trying to give myself grace as my emotions have been all over the place this past week. But, I’m not going to give up. I’m going to get back to writing.

And hey, if you want, come find me on Instagram or Threads (I’m @SamRushingBooks). I’m still posting about awesome books I’ve bought recently, as well as ones I’ve read and loved (recently and long ago)…and yes, many of those books are ones that certain people want to ban because it doesn’t fit their stupidly tiny worldview.

All right, thank you so much for stopping by. Hopefully I’ll have a more productive update next time. That’s all from me for today, but I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

Recent Book Haul

Hey all, Sam here.

I want to start getting my overdue book reviews up on the page, and I will (hopefully sooner than later), but things in the US are….well, not good, honestly. So I’m trying to be gentle to myself when it comes to forced productivity. Anyway, on Wednesday, my husband took me on a trip to my happy place…the bookstore. And that was after us visiting our local indie bookstore last week for our anniversary/Halloween.

So I figured that today I would just do a quick little review of the books I’ve picked up recently.

First up, the haul from my local indie (oh, and a couple from Target/Walmart)….

I picked up The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore, Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang, The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

I’m currently reading The Nightmare Before Kissmas and really enjoying it, but I also just got sent a book for copy editing from my author friend Rachel Kelley, so I’m trying to focus on getting through that so I can get my thoughts and edits back to her soon. I think I’ll be doing a binge read of the Pumpkin Spice/Cinnamon Bun cozy reads, especially since I picked up the third book as well (oops, slight spoiler: that’s in the next part of my haul).

Oh, I also did a little e-book spree after I got paid as well. A few of these are authors I’ve recently started following on social media, and I try to make sure I pick up the books when I can afford to.

When Life Gives You Legends by Luna Ryder, Falling for Scotland by Kaitlyn Collins, The Academy of the Dead by Vermilion H. Baine, The Death Bringer by A.M. Eno, Love Letters & Thirst Tonics by Hailey Blackwood, The Bartender Between Worlds by Herman Steuernagel, A Drop of Fortune by Danielle Garrett, Good Game, Gamer Girl by Reina Zoric, and (not pictured) Blood Price by Nicole Evans.

And finally, my Barnes & Noble shopping spree from Wednesday…

Image 1: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree, Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle, Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp

Image 2: Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson, In the Shadow of the Fall by Tobi Ogundiran, The City in Glass by Nghi Vo, Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Image 3: One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig, Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig, The Road of Bones by Demi Winters, The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri

Image 4: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett, The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore, This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher, Dating & Dismemberment by A.L. Brody, Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

I know going on a little shopping spree doesn’t really make that much of a difference, but when I’m upset I buy books. When something good happens and I need to celebrate I buy books. It’s a little boost of happy in the bad times or some extra happy in the good times. And of course buying books helps the bookstores and helps the authors.

As long as I can, I’ll buy diverse reads, as many as I can afford. I love reading books by LGBTQIAP2S+ authors. I love reading books by BIPOC authors.

All right, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by. Take care of yourself everyone, and I’ll hopefully be back soon with more geeky content.